Problem: If donors don’t feel connected, they may stop supporting the cause.

Solution: Build a strong community by creating shared experiences, listening to feedback, and helping members feel valued, making donors excited to stay involved and contribute.

Intro

Building community is more than just a trend; it’s a powerful strategy that deepens connections and strengthens donor loyalty. Engaging donors in a true community not only boosts retention but also amplifies each member's sense of purpose and involvement, encouraging them to support the mission alongside like-minded individuals. However, creating and sustaining these communities requires more than just a warm invitation—it takes careful planning, a clear mission, and an understanding of what drives members to belong.

In this section, we’ll explore the essential principles for building purposeful donor communities. We’ll cover how to define the community’s unique purpose, prepare for meaningful engagement, establish clear member expectations, and structure interactions to create lasting connections. By focusing on these elements, fundraisers can craft vibrant communities that turn donors into advocates, enhance their mission’s impact, and bring enduring value to both members and the organization.

Tool

• Defining Purpose:
• Purpose as Problem-Solution: Every community should address a specific problem with a solution, making it unique and valuable.
• Reflection on Uniqueness: Regularly evaluate what makes your community different. Effective communities are intentionally designed for shared, memorable experiences.
• Identifying the Problem: To rally donors, communities need a clear, singular problem to address.
• Clarify Membership and Mission: Define both "who" (who belongs and who does not) and "why" (the shared purpose). Strive for a unifying mission that motivates members despite individual differences.
• Solution as Community-Driven:
• Group as the Solution: Solutions shouldn't be individual actions (e.g., a simple donation) but should emerge from the group itself.
• Guidelines for Defining Solution: Start by identifying unmet needs, transformative goals, and collective strengths.
• Singular, Impactful Purpose: Avoid vague goals. A precise purpose helps filter participants and shape activities.
• Fundraising Reminder:
• Purpose of the Community: Fundraising is the primary goal, and members expect it. Avoid excessive delays in reaching this objective.
• Pre-Work for Community Success
• Importance of Pre-Work: Effective communities require detailed planning and member-focused preparations even before launch.
• Experience Planning: Thoughtful preparation, like the attentiveness of a well-planned wedding, enhances community engagement and comfort.
• Unspoken Agreement: Joining a community entails a transactional understanding. Make this implicit exchange clear.
• Balance Preparation with Flexibility: Differentiate between a healthy focus on member experience and fear-based perfectionism.
• Gradual Development: Begin simply, such as through small groups or mailing lists, and expand the complexity of outreach as the community grows.
• Mapping Expectations:
• Creating Serendipitous Moments: Start by understanding member needs (e.g., not just “a microphone” but “to feel heard”) and expectations for each interaction. This allows for memorable and meaningful experiences.
• Member Selection
• Intentional Exclusion: Building a cohesive group starts with clarity on who isn’t part of it.
• Avoid Over-Inclusiveness: Trying to include everyone weakens the group’s focus. Each community should serve a clear purpose and audience.
• Purpose-Driven Boundaries: Select members who align with the group’s core values, target demographics, or financial capacity.
• Managing Poorly Chosen Members:
• Importance of Member Quality: Misaligned members can disrupt community dynamics. Swiftly address issues to maintain harmony and engagement.
• Selective Additions: Choose members whose contributions strengthen the group and reject or remove those who detract.
• Member Expectations
• Aligning with Member Expectations: Consider members' goals and expectations, ensuring a clear mutual understanding.
• Active Opt-In: Membership should be a conscious choice, with members fully aware of the benefits and responsibilities.
• Achieving Shared Goals: Recognize that each member joins to fulfill specific aspirations, creating an implicit agreement that should be honored.
• Optimal Group Sizes
• Impact of Group Size on Dynamics:
• Groups of 6: Best for deep engagement, allowing each member to contribute effectively.
• Groups of 12-15: Allows a mix of intimacy and diversity, suitable for nuanced discussions.
• Groups of 30: Brings energy and festivity, with smaller clusters forming for deeper interaction.
• Groups of 150: The upper threshold for intimacy; beyond this, engagement becomes more challenging.
• 150+ and Beyond: At this size, the community shifts to more of an audience, suitable for information-sharing but less interactive.
• Tactics of Community Building
• Bundlers for Fundraising: Encourage members to raise funds from their own networks, amplifying reach and creating a proactive fundraising community.
• Member Catalysts:
• Identify Key Supporters: Focus on passionate early adopters rather than rapid scaling, as enthusiastic supporters drive long-term growth.
• Engagement of Enthusiasts: Embrace and guide passionate members, even if they are critical or overly eager.
• Consistency in Rituals: Reliable scheduling and structure build trust and reinforce the community’s presence.
• Exemplars and Success Stories: Showcase successful members as role models, illustrating the community’s impact.
• Managing Differing Visions: Encourage open discussion around the mission, as differing perspectives can still align with the community’s core values.
• Origin Story: Share the community’s founding journey to foster a deeper, emotional connection among members.
• Steward, Don’t Control: A community manager’s role is not to exert rigid control but to facilitate and nurture a space where members can lead, contribute, and evolve the community organically.
• Guiding Without Directing: Balance guiding community efforts while letting members explore and innovate. Focus on supporting their goals within the community rather than imposing strict structures or expectations.
• Surf the Wave, Don’t Make It: Think of the community as a living entity with its own momentum. Like a river, it may flow through different channels, sometimes spreading widely and at other times narrowing to specific issues. Your role is to navigate alongside members, providing structure where needed but remaining flexible.
• Encourage Autonomous Leadership: Identify members who naturally take initiative and guide them toward roles that benefit the community, such as mentorship or organizing.
• Empower Member-Driven Projects: Allow members to initiate projects within the community, providing the support and resources they need to succeed. This can include fundraising drives, sub-groups, or advocacy efforts that align with the overall mission.
• Feedback Loops: Implement ways to collect and act on member feedback, as this reinforces their sense of investment and agency within the community. Regular check-ins or surveys can help gauge satisfaction and highlight areas for growth.
• Consistent Rituals and Events:
• Establish Regular Gatherings: Predictability helps members integrate the community into their routine and fosters a culture of consistency. Avoid canceling planned events, even if attendance is low; maintaining these events shows commitment.
• Design for Impact and Connection: Rituals should serve to deepen the mission and foster trust. Consider rotating leadership roles for certain events to encourage member ownership and participation.
• Balancing Direction with Adaptability:
• Effective community managers act as stewards, fostering an environment where members feel valued and connected. By balancing structured guidance with adaptability, community managers can create a space that feels both purposeful and inviting.
• Focusing on Value over Perfection: The ultimate goal of a community is to deliver value, foster connections, and support the mission. Perfectionism, especially if fear-driven, detracts from authenticity and can hamper member engagement.
• Commitment to Continual Learning:
• Community-building is a dynamic field that requires regular reflection and adaptation. Continuously learn from experiences, member feedback, and evolving best practices, maintaining a flexible approach to community leadership.
• Ladder of Engagement
• Concept: The ladder of engagement is a model for gradually increasing a donor's involvement, moving from awareness to leadership.
• Stages:
• Awareness: Introduce the organization and mission through broad outreach.
• Interest: Engage potential donors through impactful stories and events.
• Engagement: Encourage small commitments, such as subscribing to updates or attending events.
• Investment: Inspire a first financial contribution.
• Advocacy: Encourage sharing and advocacy, promoting the community within their networks.
• Leadership: Foster roles with greater responsibility, from leading campaigns to major contributions.
• Psychology of Community
• Group Dynamics: Recognize the diversity in how individuals experience group settings. Cater to all personality types, ensuring inclusivity.
• Antidote to Loneliness: Communities satisfy a natural desire for connection, countering the isolation fostered by individualistic societal norms.
• Transformative Power: A strong community can reshape donor attitudes, fostering commitment and collective action.
• Avoiding False Idols of Community
• Time Cost Awareness: Some donors resist community involvement. Acknowledge these limitations to avoid wasting resources.
• Leadership vs. Control: Effective community management involves guiding members without rigid control, respecting their autonomy.
• Appropriate Vulnerability: Facilitate meaningful, topic-focused sharing without forced vulnerability.
• Community as a Dynamic Entity: Embrace the evolving nature of the community. Your role is to steward, not dictate, its path.
• Time Cost Awareness: Recognize that not all members wish to be deeply engaged; some will prefer minimal involvement, so avoid pressuring them. Large events or high-commitment roles should be optional and aligned with members’ availability.
• Rejecting Over-Control and Forced Unity: Rather than striving for everyone to be on the same page, focus on aligning members around shared goals while respecting their autonomy.
• Balancing Vulnerability: Allow natural connections rather than enforcing vulnerability through contrived exercises. Encourage sharing relevant to the community’s mission and avoid overly personal demands, particularly with high-net-worth individuals.
• Accepting Fluid Roles: Understand that community dynamics can evolve and flow. As the community changes, embrace shifts in roles and directions, allowing members to shape the community's evolution.
• Exemplary Members and Role Models:
• Showcase Success Stories: Highlight members who embody the community’s values and mission, creating aspirational figures that others can relate to and follow.
• Encourage Shared Milestones: Recognize achievements and milestones within the community. This can be through ceremonies, awards, or simple shoutouts, creating a sense of shared purpose and motivation.
• Aligning with Member Vision While Sustaining the Mission:
• Foster Mission-Driven Dialogue: Regularly engage members in conversations about the mission, encouraging them to share personal visions and ideas. This can keep discussions vibrant and relevant without straying from the overarching purpose.
• Respect Diverse Perspectives: Allow members to bring unique visions as long as they align with core values. This diversity within unity strengthens the group’s adaptability and relevance.
• Advanced Strategies for Community Growth and Resilience
• Sustaining Long-Term Engagement with the Ladder of Engagement:
• Incremental Involvement: Use the ladder of engagement model to progressively deepen members’ roles and investments over time. Starting with awareness and ending with leadership, this framework supports gradual commitment without overwhelming members.
• Tailor Communications to Engagement Levels: Customize communication strategies for different engagement stages. For new members, emphasize orientation and mission; for advocates, offer opportunities to represent the community publicly.
• Encourage Climb Up the Ladder: Actively identify members ready to take the next step in engagement, providing opportunities for leadership, advocacy, or special projects to keep them motivated.
• Community as an Antidote to Isolation:
• Combat Loneliness Through Structure: As isolation can negatively impact potential donors, communities provide a natural antidote by fulfilling the innate need for social connection. Cultivate bonds around shared experiences and meaningful discussions.
• Promote Shared Causes: A well-formed community can deepen members’ commitment to causes, reshaping donor psychology to value shared goals over individual actions.

Expectations Map