Guidelines to building trust

Scott has emphasised the importance of building trust. He mentioned three considerations on how to build trust. Let’s dive deeper into what that practically means.

Authenticity is key to building trust. If you are authentic, you truly believe in what you are doing. For you as a fundraiser, it means that you believe that the work you do is important and will lead to change. It is not just a job for you. In building trust with donors, authenticity in your relationships, belief in the work and the impact you make are foundational to seeing sustainable fundraising.

Become an expert
If you have fully bought into your organisation's cause, you will be open and driven to know more. This means learning all there is about the root cause of the issues your organisation is trying to address, the impact it has on society and the solution your organisation has. Donors will trust a fundraiser that knows what he/she is talking about, has experience in the field, and shows that they are fully bought into the cause.
Evidence of your effectiveness
People trust an organisation when they can see that it has real impact. As a fundraiser, you need to be able to prove your organisation’s effectiveness. If you are an authentic learner, then you will want to know that the work you do does indeed make a difference. Evidence of effectiveness can be presented in various ways. Most people share stories and use metrics to prove that the organisation is making a difference. Metrics convinces donors and builds confidence that are worthy of their investment.
Building relationships
“We build mutually transformative relationships for the people who provide funding for our work. We confidently approach potential donors as whole persons who may be called to join the mission, rather than solely as funders upon whose resources we depend.” https://www.redemptivenonprofit.org/funding/

Approaching a donor for funding is not the same as approaching an ATM for a cash withdrawal. Building relationships with donors means really caring about who they are. It is about building authentic, transformative relationships. When you approach a donor, you are making them part of a journey that brings change. You are guiding them to see how their calling matches with what your organisation is doing.

Building trust with donors results in sustainable fundraising. A mindset of humility allows you to be a lifelong learner, always education yourself and those around you. A mindset of humility allows you to see yourself as a guide inviting others into a journey and not as the hero of the cause.