Marc Pitman, a fundraising consultant and author of The Extrememe Fundraising Blog, posed an interesting question on his LinkedIn page — as a donor, what do nonprofits do that annoy you?  Answers range from not sending address labels in direct marketing campaigns to don’t try to guilt someone to giving over the phone.  Read the responses here.  While some responders simply listed off a handful of what some might consider minute details (don’t call at dinnertime, for example), there are some underlying issues addressed.

One person talked about the lack of engagement from the organization — the communication is in form letters, there is no genuine thank-you.  And because of this disconnect, the person felt that they were not a true part of the movement.

We all know the donor-charity relationship is crucial to providing services to help those in need.  Why not make the donor feel empowered? Just as we should with our volunteers, our employees, and the communities we serve.  Give them the chance to see how their $10, $100, or $1000 donation is being used.  Whether they appreciate the market ploy or not, they might just be impressed by your org and no longer bothered by the ringing phone at dinnertime.