This would have gone well with my Event Invitation Mistakes post a few weeks ago but I didn’t make this mistake until recently. We have had a number of formal prospecting sessions and I have informally added a number of casually mentioned names. Recently I sent out invitations to our prospect list. At my next volunteer committee meeting one of the members asked me if I let each board member know when I invited their connections.

In the back of my mind, I had thought once a name had been mentioned I had the freedom to prospect and invite them as much as I wanted. That is not the perspective of the donor or volunteer. These prospects are often close friends and colleagues and it should be standard practice to let our volunteers know when their connections might be receiving an invitation.

Because I made the mistake of not letting our volunteers know, I missed out on a number of opportunities for cultivation. By letting the volunteer know it provides an opportunity for them to connect with the prospect. Your volunteer can encourage them to attend the event in a more personal way, which would improve the likelihood of their attendance. If you are cultivating the prospect for a gift, letting your volunteer know provides another opportunity for your volunteer strengthen the prospects relationship with the nonprofit.

Related posts:

1. Event Invitation Mistakes
2. Getting Started with Social Media Volunteers
3. Will You Be My Volunteer?
4. Linkage, Ability, Interest
5. More About Using Board Members & Volunteers

I am participating today in an annual tradition called the Nonprofit Blog Exchange, an event where nonprofit and philanthropy bloggers write about another blog. This year I am writing about Marc Pitman’s The Fundraising Coach.

Marc is a reputable expert and thought leader in the fundraising community. From his blog you can receive his regular weekly posts, connect to his podcast, or get his book with tips and tools for success. He writes about everything from SEO to Generating Leads. He recently started a section called Question Marc where nonprofit readers can ask him about fundraising and philanthropy.

I love his slogan, “Fundraising is an Extreme Sport.” It says to me that fundraising is not all rubber chicken lunches and coffee meetings. As an “Extreme Sport” there are all kinds of politics and posturing but also all kinds of victories for the underdog and triumphs of human spirit. In all of my interactions with Marc, he is enthusiastic and energetic and this comes through in his posts as well. The Fundraising Coach is a great blog, easy to read with insightful tips.

Related posts:

1. Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants
2. Nonprofit Carnival: Day in the Life
3. Reasons Your Organization Should Blog
4. Resource Round-up
5. Ingredients of a Successful Capital Campaign: Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants