In this edition of Voice of the Donor, we talk to Steve Mesler of Calgary, Canada in a new part of the series that focuses on those that have created a foundation or non-profit organization. Steve won the Gold Medal in the Bobsled for the U.S.A Olympic Team in 2010. He co-founded the organization Classroom Champions – www.classroomchampions.org – with his sister in 2009.
Steve talks about how the organization came to be what it is today, along with interesting facts about his donor base and how they strive to create experiences for their donors.
We have seen an industry gap, as non-profits have to tighten up resources and lack time to intimately get to know their donors. We want to become an advocate for donors, to humanize them, and to ultimately showcase what donors want from their relationship with non-profit organizations.
Why is this important for NPOs?
Results of this study undertaken by Charity Dynamics unequivocally clarified the importance of being a donor’s #1 nonprofit of choice:
Nonprofits that establish themselves as a donor’s favorite charity are more likely to receive greater support from the donor—not just in terms of financial contributions, but also through sharing information, volunteering, event participation, and issue advocacy.
We want to tell the story of donors worldwide so that non-profits, like the ones we work with, can come to understand donors better.