by Jini Stolk
The phone can still be a powerful instrument.
I was reminded of this during a discussion with an arts admin friend about the challenges of…encouraging…an artistic director to call and thank donors. I sympathize: it can be an embarrassing prospect, at first. But it’s usually a wonderful pleasure to receive that call.
This series of articles by Bethan Holloway makes a strong case for the telephone as an important fundraising tool. Higher response rates and higher repeat giving are among the five good reasons listed.
When you think about it, the opportunity to connect personally with the artists is an area where small organizations have a competitive advantage over larger ones. A $50 donation to the Stratford Festival will probably not net you an invitation to meet the artistic director for a chat after the show. But with a smaller organization you might find yourself drinking beers and exchanging views with the director and entire cast.
So, yes, the artistic director should be encouraged to call donors – and she or he should be provided with a lovely, informal and friendly script to help get that conversation going.
