balancing the needs of cause, volunteers and donors

As I continue to work with nonprofits, being aware of the relationship between the cause (or mission) and stakeholders (ie donors and volunteers) is as vital to an organization's purpose as is the cause itself.

You'll agree that most nonprofits fall into the categories of

• paid staff and rely heavily on affinity for the cause, volunteers and donors
• paid staff and rely heavily on affinity for the cause and donors

As with any brand, the volunteer and donor experience builds affinity (why I love the cause) and leads to more desire to volunteer, more reasons to give.  A virtuous cycle.

Any nonprofit must balance its desire to achieve its mission and fulfill the cause, with the need to ensure its volunteers have a superb experience volunteering, and that donors feel as if their gifts and contributions are valued and recognize them for it.  It all boils down to relationships.  The cause and your mission may not move forward as effectively when the volunteers and donors don't feel appreciated.

Does your organization have a designated donor relations and volunteer relations coordinator?  Should it?  Of course, it depends on the size of your organization, and the number of volunteers it works with, and the relationship it has with its donors.

if you're not making the donor's and volunteer's experience a positive one, a great way to start is by saying thank you.  It's all part of cultivating and stewarding the most important external stakeholders you have.