Pick up the phone

What if the greatest opportunity for your organization’s growth is sitting right under your nose? Just waiting to be unlocked with a simple act of connection. 

 Here’s a situation that our clients face regularly, and the way these opportunities are handled on a weekly basis is a point of pride for Movement Funding. 

 It’s the end of a long day – or week, and the most recent list of new donations pop up. There are many, but they are all around the $100 dollar range. 

 In fundraising, it can be so easy to kick thank you calls for these donations to the next week – or to simply make sure they get the regular form letter. But picking up the phone and personally calling donors, not just to thank them, but to learn more about what motivated their support, can be transformational. 

 But having someone – not to just make calls, but to ask key questions and have a real conversation with donors can be a real game changer. 

I love making thank you calls. The phone is your friend, and these are the easiest and most rewarding calls that you can make on a development team. An attitude of gratitude is contagious and it creates a wonderful environment for teams to thrive. 

In addition to the benefits gratefulness has on the organizational culture, watching groups see the result of these calls is always fun to witness. More than once I’ve experienced placing a call to merely acknowledge a gift that leads to a significant future investment. 

In fact, I always try to make sure that when I make these calls I have a calendar available with dates for when the team and I can travel. Thank you calls remain one of my biggest sources of donor visits.  

They also reinforce a key point to non-profit teams: while new, high-dollar donors can be transformative to an organization, it’s often the existing donors who hold the greatest potential to grow and expand their giving. 

One of the simplest ways to show donors they are valued is through a personal phone call—a practice that’s become less common as communication has shifted to digital platforms. In my experience, small, intentional actions can make a big difference in building stronger connections and securing long-term support. 

 Of course, not every call leads to a big donation, but it’s clear to me that it’s often the little things that lead to sustained growth and deeper, more meaningful relationships with donors who are already committed to your cause.

Sincerely,
Chris Madden
Strategic Partnerships Director