Usually I figure if I get two pieces of gold dust from a conference, it's a good result. Recently I attended one in Melbourne and got a tonne of insights over the three days. One of the things that stuck in my mind is something Ken Burnett said during one of the wonderful sessions he delivered.

Ken shared a fellow fundraiser's insights about donor loyalty. The three words that were forever etched at the top of this person's mind were "may change mind." He was referring to the constant battle we face as fundraisers in our interactions with donors, the lifeblood of many of our organizations.

Words that change everything

May change mind. Pretty powerful for such a few words.

We probably entertain these words when we study the chasm between good and awful donor care, or on the back of a supporter complaint.

Yet in reality, they are arguably the three most important words in fundraising, just as Ken said. They change the way we think about donor conversations. They keep us forever on our toes. They prove how volatile the relationship can be between a supporter and our organization.

Ken also quoted Harvey McKinnon, who articulated beautifully where the buck stops when it comes to donor relationships:"Donor loyalty is about you being loyal to your donors, not the other way around."

So what should you do?

1. Keep reminding yourself of those three simple words, every single day. May change mind. When you're developing an appeal, meeting with a major donor, handling a complaint, remind yourself: may change mind.
2. Ensure the continued importance of donor care in your organization. If no one's leading this, take it on yourself. The single biggest reason that we let down on donor care is its lack of perceived importance. Ensure it's always at the top of the agenda - that training is in place, knowledge shared, feedback given - that we constantly remind people of why they chose to do what they did, because: may change mind.
3. Consider plastering one of these on your monitor:

Jonathon Grapsas is fundraising development director for the Pareto Group, a global fundraising agency focused on data-driven direct response. Jonathon was previously the regional director for Pareto Fundraising in North America. He currently works with charities all around the globe, including the BC Cancer Foundation, WWF Canada and the Canadian Red Cross. Email him.