For your top 20% donors (more if you have the time), I recommend creating an individual cultivation plan.

A cultivation plan? Tell me more…

The cultivation plan is your vision for how you’d like a relationship with a major donor to develop.

It is an opportunity for you to visualise and then record the way in which you envisage a potential donor making their own personal trip around the donor cycle, as a supporter of your charity.

It’s the place where you plot out the actions which move a donor from qualification, to cultivation, through to the moment where you’re both ready for the ask.

The journey to securing a big gift can be long and complex, involving lots of different stages with different relationships at different levels.  Timing is important, as are the steps you’ll need to take along the way.

Preparing a detailed cultivation plan is an essential part of the thought, research and planning process which sets all fundraisers up for success!

Let’s circle back…

For every prospect or donor you’re working with, we recommend doing a basic ratings exercise where you quickly (and some would argue, crudely) make an assessment as to the following:

• Capacity (the ability to make a significant gift)
• Interest (the interest an individual has in your specific cause)
• Connection (any personal contacts which exist between the individual and people within your organisation)

Disclaimer – we do NOT advocate ACTING upon these crude ratings before actually qualifying that the assumptions made are true. 

A cultivation plan is an opportunity to go further and deeper, essential for fruitful and satisfying relationships for both donor and charity.

Environment is everything

I personally set very strict guidelines for myself when it comes to creating cultivation plans.  I need a clear head and no distractions.

Take these steps (or a variation on these steps) for the ultimate cultivation planning experience!

1. Print the templates off, ensuring there’s ample space to write in each section. Don’t do more than three at any one time.

2. Step away from your desk, get out of the office.

3. Go for a walk to clear your mind. Then settle down an get to work. Location for this task is everything.

4. A favourite armchair in a quiet corner of a lovely coffee shop is ideal. Maybe somewhere with a view?

You need to give yourself space to think.  To embody your donor, really try to think like them, knowing all that you do about them and come up with some potential ways for them to connect with your work in a way which works for them.

Get started!

Start by writing down everything that might possibly motivate them to give, the personal connections which link them to your charity, everything you know about their capacity, whether now is the right time to assume the role of philanthropist, or whether they’re a year or two (or longer?) away from taking that step.

Then plot out your next moves.

• Who do they need to meet and why?
• What interactions would they enjoy having with your colleagues, people your charity supports or other donors?
• What projects and services will best demonstrate your work in a way which interests them?
• Have they been personally supported by your charity? Have you asked them about this?
• Do you have any suitable events you can invite them to?
• Is there any interesting reading material you can send them to expand their understanding?
• Are there any initiatives your charity is working on which you can seek their feedback on?
• When are you asking, who is doing it and how much for?

It’s ok to guess at these answers (for now) or to leave some sections blank, so long as you make it your mission to clarify or to challenge the guesses and / or to fill in the gaps.

What next?

Cultivation plans are live documents, to be updated with every interaction.

They can be fantastic tools for keeping you accountable, so don’t leave them to fester.  Check in regularly to be sure you’re taking the steps you’ve outlined.

They are of course confidential, so only share your cultivation plans as widely as necessary and protect them with a password.  Don’t collect any special category data. Do share them with a fundraising colleague and make suggestions on each others’ plans, especially if a relationship isn’t moving forwards or feels stuck.

Good luck with your cultivation plans and here’s to raising more money for good things.