In early October, Michael de Pencier, a good friend and inspiring mentor passed on. I will miss him.

Michael was a passionate environmentalist who generously donated to a host of environmental organizations. Of course, donors enable charities to accomplish their ambitious mission by donating money. But they also make them better.

Inspired by Michael, here are 14 ways that donors make charities better:

1. Donors created many charities in the first place.

Stories abound about how small groups of concerned individuals gather around a kitchen table to create a charity. These restless, driven men and women, determined to make their world a better place by staring an organization with a mission to improve the world. Together, they create a charity and in time, many become the first donors.

2. Donors create large organizations which change the world.

Amnesty International, Greenpeace, WWF and many other (now) powerful organizations were created by thousands, and in some cases, millions of donors. These donors shared a vision and were ready to reach into their pockets to financially support making the vision a reality.

3. Donors reaffirm a charity’s mission.

Donors are the first to warn charities about “mission drift.” They are clear about why they support certain causes and vocal about ensuring those causes “stay on track.”

4. Donors enrich a charity’s vison.

If a charity asks (see # 11), donors have a clear vision of what the world will look like with the mission accomplished. Their vision could enhance the charity’s “official” vision.

5. Donors make charities create value.

Donors want to see their dreams come true. They push charities to be specific about what their support does. Charities do not raise money. They create value. Donors crave to see value.

6. Donors make charities earn their support.

Donors have many choices. They will choose the charity that ignites their passion, feeds their curiosity and makes the world better.

7. Donors force charities to talk about impacts, not about inputs or outputs.

Donors ask: “What does my donation accomplish? How do you spend my money? What real difference does it make? Don’t tell me; show me.”

8. Donors encourage charities to THINK BIG.

Charities are blessed with donors willing to make large one-time gifts or better still, several large gifts over time. To attract and engage these donors, charities need to be ambitious. They need to spend the money it takes to do the job!

9. Donors demand accountability.

Donors want charities to be effective and efficient. They expect clear reports (see # 10) on how their investment in the mission gets the greatest possible return.

10. Donors force charities to speak plain English.

Donors want clarity. I was told by experts to write to donors at a Grade 7 or 8 level. Few long words. No “charity speak.” Donors want charities to “keep it simple.”

11. Donors want charities to inspire, collect and tell great stories.

Donors have marvellous stories which are often deeply moving and donors are aching to say why they support a specific cause. They only need to be asked properly.

12. Donors encourage a charity to be creative.

Donors want charities to be innovative. They want new ideas and fresh approaches. They want to smile when they read a thank-you letter or email sent by their charity of choice.

13. Donors want charities to give them an opportunity to leave a legacy.

A charity’s mission reflects a donor’s deeply held values. They want to express these core values. Their charity needs to give them an opportunity to live on after they are gone.

14. Donors make charities talk about the donor’s lawn, not the charity’s grass seed.

This simple profound truth was taught to me by Michael in whose honour I have written this article. It guided my fundraising career for 55 years.

Engaged donors are vital to any charity. They provide the funds needed to do the job, but Michael taught me that donors do more than provide support. They make charities better at what they do. And that means a better, greener, more just world.

David Love raised his first dollar for the environment in 1969. He raised his most recent one today. He now occasionally works on legacies with his daughter’s direct response company, Agents of Good, where he is affectionately known as “The Godfather of Good. david@agentsofgood.org Enter SN20 at checkout for a 20% discount off of his book, Green, Green - Reflections on 51 Years of Raising Money for Nature.