Successful fundraising is all about the people who want to support a charity’s mission. When the only thing a fundraiser knows about a donor is the value of their last gift, chances are it will end up being a one-time donation.

Learning about those who give to a charity takes time, and you may wonder if it’s worthwhile. Ask yourself: How many times have you been contacted by a charity you support to thank you or to ask about your reasons for giving? I can think of only three times in all the years I have been giving to charities.

This pro tip is to start conversations that are less about what you do and more about the people you meet.

At first we were strangers

We travelled recently and it was such an uplifting experience, in large part thanks to the people we encountered along the way. Imagine putting your phone away, saying hello to someone new and inviting them to join you.

• We met Keith, a science teacher from Alberta. He was newly retired but had taught physics and chemistry. Keith shared his love of drawing and was a wonderful budding artist.
• Nat and Leslie spent many years as ski patrols at various US ski resorts.
• We met Bill, an air traffic controller and Linda, a teacher.
• Nava and Robert were from NYC. Their son was living in Israel near the Lebanon border. They were concerned about the turmoil in the Middle East.
• Then there was Victoria, an older lady with incredible style. I met her as she was walking into traffic to take a photo of a huge Monkey Pod tree.
• Judy and Roger had been married 62 years and had travelled the world together.
• David and Jennifer were from Illinois. David was a recognized author and award-winning photographer having worked for a local newspaper. He told us about some of the wild ride-along experiences he’d had with city policy and firemen.
• Shelly was from Missouri and travelling on her own. She founded a nonprofit in memory of her mother, the Bev Roy Hope Foundation. Her mom had passed away with dementia. She was at her mother’s side during this time and when her mom passed she wanted to bring life and enjoyment back to people and their family members struggling with the same health problem.

There were so many more people we met because we chose to put our phones away and say hello. It is in small interactions that you start to learn about people and the exciting lives they may have lived or things they have accomplished.

What do you know about the people who support the charity you work for?

Do you know who were the original board members? I would bet not, as many of the databases we have had the pleasure of working with are like Old Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard—bare.

The point is, if you are using a database system (which most charities do) this is where the information you learn needs to be. Not necessarily in voluminous notes, but using keywords to identify specific skillsets or features. Notes can follow where needed.

Several years ago, we offered a course in data mining. The fact is that you cannot mine what you have not recorded.

This is true of AI as well. A name and address may link to a government census report but it tells you nothing about a donor’s interest in your charity. So, get acquainted. find out what your donor does and why they chose your charity. Begin to build that all important relationship. And please, remember to record what you have learned so the information is retained and developed over time.

Sharron Batsch BSc is the developer of @EASE Fund Development Software and the author of "From Chaos to Control - Build a High Performance Team Using Knowledge Management" Contact her, sharron@batschgroup.com.