Assignment Best Practices

To help cultivate relationships and gifts, fundraisers can interact with constituents and prospects on behalf of your organization. For the best results, take a moment to consider various items and make informed decisions when you choose who should manage a constituent relationship.

ClosedRecency of giving or interactions

A constituent who gave once is likely to give again, but one who hasn't given for some time may take some coaxing. Likewise, a constituent you haven't interacted with in a while may require special attention. When you identify lapsed or lapsing donors, look at their giving histories to determine which are worthwhile and likely to respond — such as those who gave multiple gifts of at least $10 over consecutive years, within the past five years — and assign them to a fundraiser for a personalized and quarterly recapture appeal.

To quickly view a constituent's most recent gift and interaction, check the timeline under Constituent summary on their record, or include the Latest gift and Last action columns on the Portfolio list in Work Center. For deeper analysis of giving history, select Work with gifts under Giving history on their record. For more information, see Constituent Giving.

ClosedWealth ratings

Consider a constituent's wealth ratings to help determine how to best cultivate their relationship. For example, we recommend you assign your wealthier constituents to an attentive fundraiser for the white-glove treatment, with more care and interaction than other donors. For more information, see Ratings.

Tip: Wealth doesn't necessarily indicate philanthropy. With Prospect Research Management, you can track details such as giving preferences and contributions to other organizations to help determine a constituent's likelihood to give. For more information, see Prospect Management.

ClosedLocation and shared experience

If a relationship requires personalized attention, consider the value of face-to-face interactions. To help foster individualized conversation, try to pair a constituent and fundraiser who live or work near each other so they can conveniently meet at familiar locations, such as a local coffee shop or restaurant. Other commonalities between the constituent and fundraiser — such as shared relationships or education history — can also help strengthen their bond. You can find and compare these details from the constituent records of the donor and fundraiser. For more information, see Constituent Records.