Vital impressions
Howard Lake | 16 September 2002 | News
Ian Kerr of Midas Charity Appeals suggests that not all fundraisers work in the fundraising department.
“A friendly and alert Receptionist can transform a donor’s visit or a phone call. A bad one can do irreparable damage. First impressions of a charity are just as important in fundraising as they are taught to salesmen.
“I still remember calling Action Aid 15 years after I left. I was given the impression by the Receptionist that I was still known and valued, although I was probably entirely forgotten. Equally, I called a client last year in what I thought was a friendly tone, asking for the fundraiser “is blank there” to receive the reply “No, she is not”! If I had been wanting to give £500 or leave a legacy, I would have gone elsewhere.
Advertisement
“It must be a thankless job sorting out everyone’s calls, handling problems and complaints. The occasional “thank you” to the Receptionist will help, and he or she must be viewed as an essential part of the Appeal Team. Those who are so positioned to see arrivals and departures could in addition note those cars that are valued at £20,000 or more!”
Ian Kerr would be interested in your ideas.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.