In business, the client is everything. Without them, you cease to exist. We know that the same holds true for the charitable sector – an organization’s work, as important as it may be, would likely come to a complete stop without the financial support of donors.  

As fund development professionals, we’ve always put relationships first. Donor relations as a sector of the industry is of paramount importance. In 2016, Canadian donations hit a 10-year low, according to the 2016 Generosity Index. It’s imperative that organizations invest in donor relations to make sure that they retain and attract donors. 

It can be difficult to get board-approval on the donor relations spend – after all, it is challenging to draw a direct line between the expenditure and revenue. However, we have seen time and time again, organizations that are donor-centric – ones that put the donor’s interests and passion at the heart of the programs they run – are able to build and grow sustainable, diversified revenue streams.  

Because we were donor relations specialists before we were entrepreneurs, we apply the same basic principles to our business. Our clients are everything. And so, we’ve implemented our gratitude offensive line – our commitment to letting our clients know how much we appreciate their trust in us.  We hope that by truly listening to our clients and learning about their organizations, we are better able to take their passion and translate it into fund development strategies that work.  

And with that, we are sending another new client appreciation box out the door - because in the long game, cookies never hurt.

Robyn Tremblay is an entrepreneur + believer in the power of connecting good people with cause. She is a partner and co-founder Relate Social Capital - Canada's leading Sports Philanthropy firm.