Crafting Effective Tours with a Major Gifts Strategy

How can you craft a more effective donor tour underpinned with a solid major gift strategy?

I've had several clients ask me how they can improve the donor tours.

I'll use a recent coaching call as an example, with a food bank in the United States.

This food bank had a unique opportunity – a well-known regional company that previously had not been open to supporting a food bank was now interested in giving. "We have one bite at the apple to make an impression and keep the relationship moving forward," the corporate giving officer told me. They had one executive coming for a tour and wanted to maximize their efforts for what might be a significant multi-year donation. The company's giving patterns showed they supported STEM initiatives and typically supported nonprofits only within a 30-mile radius. The food bank headquarters was 60 miles away. 

Their plan: take the executive on a tour of the headquarters, including the operating food bank staffed with volunteers and meeting key program staff, and afterwards meet with the President of the food bank at his office. The tour would take over an hour.

The tour plan was solid. Here were my suggestions to make it more strategic.

Align impact with donor values or corporate social responsibility ideals

Since the food bank doesn't fit neatly into the usual funding goals of this company, I agreed this was an important opportunity (but the "one bite at the apple" moved the team into a scarcity mindset). Since the potential gift was a multi-year pledge, the tour conversations should point to the longevity of the nonprofit within the state and encompass both short- and long-term solutions that the food bank addresses. There may be bigger vision items  to point to within the food bank's 5- or 10-year strategic plan. If the company is looking to partner over the long term, be sure to mirror that in the storytelling.

Shorten tour times to 30 to 40 minutes

This is a case when less is actually more. I realize many fundraisers want to show or demonstrate or say everything about the nonprofit to the major gift donor. And often this leads to over-programming the tour. It's much better to speak to 2 - 3 issues of impact on the tour than try to mention everything. The mind can hold only so many facts. It is a gift to leave donors with greater curiosity and a desire to learn more.

Build in 15-20 minutes at the conclusion of the tour for reflection and conversation

When crafting donor tours, it is critical that you permit time for the donor to integrate and react to what they are seeing and experiencing. Some tours come with challenging stories to absorb. The donor may feel a weight on their heart afterward. A more effective and strategic way to close a tour is to meet in a quiet conference room, or a space with few distractions. This allows for moments for reflection and conversation on what has just been experienced. Don't throw that moment away! Meeting in an office full of distractions can quickly move a donor's mind away from the powerful experience of the tour.

The food bank decided to shift their plan from meeting in the President's office to having him join them in the conference room a few minutes later, keeping the focus on the tour experience and the food bank's impact within the community.

If you've been concluding major donor tours in the lobby or other public or semi-public space (near a donor wall, for instance) consider a shift to a space that allows a pause and allows the tour experience to resonate.

Consider how you might further connect the donor to your impact

Since this food bank provides fresh fruit, I suggested that they have the usual water available after the tour in the conference room but also leave a single apple on the table. The apple is something tangible and directly relates to the mission. It offers a conversation point, one that can spark discussion about the needs of food bank clients. (In the coaching session, we talked about the idea of how a family that may not have access to fresh food would savor having a crunchy, sweet apple.)

"Leave 'em wanting more"

This is solid advice I received from a boss. If you've been offering 1-hour tours, think of how you can shift and shorten the tour for a "less is more" strategy that allows your mission impact to shine - and stay with the donor. As you shorten the tour, you can still mention related programs that in the past you may have spent 5-10 minutes discussing. "I can tell you more about that program next time we chat," which can help build curiosity and foster conversation later.

The goal of your tour is to open the door to curiosity and the ability for the donor to see themselves as a "solution partner"

When designing a tour, the goal isn't to get them there. The goal is to get them interested and engaged in being part of the solution your nonprofit offers. Don't be so fixated on "we have to get them on a tour to get them to give a big gift." Remember, you are working on the donor or prospect's timeframe, interest, and availability.

Finally, a word on "getting there"

Don't forget to consider the needs or challenges for a donor to get there: how far it is, how they will they arrive, will they need to park, how will they find you, and do they have mobility limitations. Keep in mind that some may be experiencing health considerations that they don't want to share. You may be used to getting to your office, but your donor may be less familiar or able. Remember, virtual tours are an important option to keep in mind.

I'll close you with this insight from Jeff Brooks, the great fundraising copywriter: "A great tour is a lot like great fundraising. You don’t win people’s hearts by bragging about yourself and explaining processes. You reach them by being human and showing how their values and resources can make the world a better place."