AI is everywhere right now: You can’t go online, interact with a major company or, in some cases, even order food at a restaurant without engaging with AI. This may be new, but it’s also only the latest evolution of how we interact with technology… and with each other.
Donor interactions aren’t immune from this evolution. I recently had a conversation with an admissions officer in which she really brought this home for me. In the world of higher education, the admissions office is often the first opportunity for a two-way dialogue between the institution and an important group of prospective donors.
The admissions officer shared that potential students/families do not respond to emails. Although this represents a significant departure from communication norms of just a few years ago, it is a noteworthy shift. These families now prioritize live chat as their primary mode of communication, followed by text messaging. Email, by contrast, ranks a distant third in their preferences.
It’s hard to deny that this example is representative of a much larger societal shift in how we communicate. It’s also hard to deny that we, as advancement professionals, must then shift how we communicate in our work too.
Most of my recent interactions with my primary physician have occurred through an app. I shop online and no longer visit big box stores. My hotel of choice reaches out through text. The examples are endless.
I know that for many of us in advancement, we were drawn to this field because we love the privilege of talking with our donors, getting to know them and forming connections. But we must recognize that the very concept of “connection” is changing. If we continue to work with donors from our comfort areas, rather than understanding and adapting to our donors’ preferences, we will continue to see shrinking donor numbers.
When was the last time you asked a donor their preferred method of contact … and then ensured that information was collected appropriately into the database, and ensured you followed their preference?
What steps are you taking to add digital engagement beyond email into your donor or prospect outreach for all steps of the donor cycle?
What are you changing to recognize the shifts happening all around us, and using those changes to continue to evolve and excel in your role?
Human relationships have incredible value, and I do not believe technology will ever meaningfully replace those relationships. It will, however, always be essential to how we build and maintain those connections, and as advancement professionals, we’d better not be left behind.
What shifts could you make to meet the moment in how humans use technology to connect?
