Must-Have Traits for Successful Nonprofit Fundraising

When it comes to fundraising for the nonprofit space, contact centers are often the muscle behind producing results. In other words, the success of fundraising campaigns truly rests upon the shoulders of contact center agents who represent the frontline for effectively communicating the urgency and worthiness of a cause.

For prospects to become donors, they must be induced to empathize with and understand a charity. As such, when agents reach out to potential contributors, they must be able to clearly articulate the nonprofit’s value to society.

When nonprofits leverage outbound contact center services to produce better fundraising results, they’re also putting their institution’s reputation in the hands of agents. Contact center supervisors must take this immense responsibility into consideration when selecting employees to handle donor solicitation for nonprofit organizations.

Therefore, you must ensure that your agents possess the following must-have traits to guarantee fundraising success:

• Eloquence: Your prospects are most likely strapped for time—whether they’re rushing to work, caring for their children or tending to any number of tasks—so when they answer the phone, your agents must be able to efficiently deliver an articulate message and imbue it with a sense of urgency. A potential donor will quickly become disinterested if the agent’s story line is convoluted. Instead, agents must effectively convey the charity’s worthiness in a professional and compelling manner. It’s crucial for agents to relay a polite sense of immediacy to evoke emotion and empathy from donors.
• Trustworthiness: Especially in fundraising, contact center agents must come across as trustworthy advocates for the causes they are promoting. Supervisors must ensure that their agents aren’t making a sales pitch when requesting donations, as this approach will only undermine their efforts. The best way to turn a potential donor into a recurring contributor is by gaining his or her trust. For instance, when conversing with new contacts, agents need to communicate the quantifiable difference a single donation will make to the charity.
• Maturity: The agents who are chosen to handle outbound fundraising should be contact center veterans dedicated to their career and, therefore, most likely to communicate effectively. Mature, experienced employees will be more successful at commanding donors’ attention through their knowledge and professionalism.

Take a tender approach with your fundraising efforts and be sure that your staff has the right set of traits to produce significant contact center service ROI for nonprofit organizations.

Steve Brubaker began his career at InfoCision in 1985. In his current role as Chief of Staff and as a member of the Executive Team, he is responsible for HR, internal and external communications, and manages the company’s legal and compliance departments. Brubaker is a member of a number of professional organizations, including the DMA and PACE. He also donates his time to serve on several university boards, including the Executive Advisory Board for The Taylor Institute for Direct Marketing at The University of Akron and The University of Akron Foundation Board. He has also been honored with a number of awards and recognitions for his contributions to the call center industry, including the ATA’s highest honor, the prestigious Fulcrum Award.