Donors have immediate access to a wide array of information about your nonprofit at their fingertips, and while they may be able to begin forming a picture of your organization through your website, IRS Form 900 and any available annual reports or audited financial statements, it is likely that they will still have questions before deciding to invest their money. The way you answer these questions can make all the difference in gaining their support. First impressions matter, and it is essential that your staff — and even your board members —are well prepared to answer these commonly asked questions.
1. ¿A qué se dedica su organización?
Por qué lo preguntan los donantes: Whether the donor is learning about your organization for the first time or they simply want to hear how you “sell” your nonprofit, it is important to have a clear and concise pitch ready at all times. The ability to effectively articulate your mission, programs and impact could make the difference between drawing a potential supporter or not.
Debe estar preparado para contestar: Create an “elevator pitch”— a two-minute description of your organization and its impact. This could include your theory of change, a short, compelling story about someone impacted, why you support the organization personally, an interesting statistic or a call to action. Por ejemplo:
I am a board member for Read 4 Success. Our mission is to help children read by third grade. We donate money and books to schools and libraries across our state. Studies show that children who learn to read by third grade are more likely to graduate from high school, go to college and stay out of the justice system. Unfortunately, 58% of third grade students in our state cannot read at grade level. As a child, my librarian taught me to read. Storytime at the library sparked a lifelong love of reading. That’s why I support this wonderful organization – to help children learn to love reading.
Every board and staff member should have their own version of this pitch that they are able to share as part of your organization’s culture of philanthropy.
2. ¿Qué hace que su organización sea diferente?
Por qué lo preguntan los donantes: Donors are frequently asked for money. Before they give, they want to understand what sets your organization apart from the other 1.9 million nonprofits in the United States and gain assurance that by choosing your organization, their money will be used effectively.1
Debe estar preparado para contestar: Distinguish your nonprofit from similar groups. Highlighting how you differ programmatically, culturally, operationally and philosophically are just a few ways in which you can differentiate your organization. Strong illustrations can make the difference in funding.
3. What will you do with my money?
Por qué lo preguntan los donantes: For many donors, your answer could determine whether or not they decide to make a gift. While some donors are comfortable with an organization directing their donation to where the need is greatest, many, understandably, want to know exactly what they are supporting.
Debe estar preparado para contestar: Often donors want assurance their donation will not be spent on overhead. However, to efficiently run their programs, nonprofits, just as any other business, require funding for operational costs such as wages, materials, space and insurance. Spend time crafting your answer to effectively explain the importance of attracting and retaining qualified staff, how inflation has increased your expenses, how your rent has increased and you need the space to hold programs, and how you need to build a reserve fund to cover emergency repairs on your building or start an endowment. While not all donors will be receptive to funding these expenses, many will understand this when framed from a business perspective.
4. How do you measure and communicate impact?
Por qué lo preguntan los donantes: Access to meaningful impact data allows the donor to be a part of the narrative that is created by their donation and see the value in giving additional gifts. Donors want specific examples of how their contributions advance your mission, such as allowing for expansion or execution of a program or the ability to hire and retain staff.
Debe estar preparado para contestar: Proporcionar informes transparentes a los donantes puede ser de gran ayuda para aumentar la confianza que ellos tienen en su organización y establecer una relación sólida. Data should play an integral role in your decision-making, strategic planning and donor acquisition practices. Impact data will look different for every nonprofit, but it is important to have processes and a strategy in place for collecting and presenting the information. Be proactive by asking your donor their communication preferences. Would they prefer a letter in the mail, an email or an invitation to tour the building? How often would they like to hear from you?
5. Is the organization structured for long-term success?
Por qué lo preguntan los donantes: Donors want to contribute to an organization that is well managed, sustainable and trustworthy. In pursuit of that, they may want to know more about your board and staff leadership, including how decisions are made, what oversight exists and what relevant experience board members possess. In addition, donors want to be assured there is a clear business model and strong financials. They may want to know whether you are regularly audited, what the future strategic plan looks like and what the composition of the overall capital structure is, for example, does your organization have a reserve fund and/or an endowment? These can be indicators of longterm financial stability.
Debe estar preparado para contestar: Make it clear who is responsible for financial decisions, who safeguards assets and who maintains oversight. Since the ability to articulate sustainability and growth is crucial, consider including key financial data points or ratios in your pitch. For example, knowing your program expense ratio, current ratio and cash reserve ratio could help convince a prospective donor that your organization has a good understanding of your financial position and thus are strong stewards. Share any appropriate financial or operational documents such as your strategic plan, annual report, IRS Form 990 or audited financial statements. Use your already completed Schedule O from your Form 990 to provide supplemental information that adds context and clarifies any numbers that may be confusing for a donor.
6. How do you protect donors’ classified information?
Por qué lo preguntan los donantes: Payment, distribution and transfer fraud attempts are widespread across all industry types because of email compromises and malware infections. Understanding how these fraud schemes are designed to compromise your organization and how to prevent them are critical. Because nonprofits hold a significant amount of data about their donors, including important financial information, they can be a prime target for hackers. Furthermore, many nonprofit organizations are soft targets, given budget limitations around areas like network security and technology.
Debe estar preparado para contestar: Explique qué procesos ha implementado para proteger la información de los donantes. Familiarícese con las cinco E de la ciberseguridad y prepárese para dar a conocer su plan a los donantes actuales y potenciales. Seguir las mejores prácticas de ciberseguridad y almacenamiento de datos puede ayudar a minimizar los riesgos de una violación.
1. Establezca procedimientos repetibles y bien definidos para desarrollar controles y disminuir los riesgos. Las prácticas simples, como utilizar la autenticación de dos factores en sus redes sociales o cuentas bancarias, representan una de varias maneras para mejorar la posición de ciberseguridad de su organización.
2. Ejecute procedimientos. Se deben incluir medidas de ciberseguridad en la incorporación de todos los puestos de todos los niveles de su organización, las cuales se deben complementar con capacitación y comunicación regulares.
3. Eduque a los empleados sobe las amenazas actuales y emergentes y cómo identificar las señales de advertencia.
4. Empodere a su equipo para que denuncie la actividad sospechosa. Implemente procesos para que el personal sepa a quien acudir cuando tenga inquietudes.
5. Evolucione y enriquezca sus procedimientos a medida que cambien la seguridad y los riesgos.
Grupo de estrategias y soluciones para organizaciones sin fines de lucro
El Grupo de estrategias y soluciones para organizaciones sin fines de lucro de PNC sirve como un socio dedicado que tiene el compromiso de empoderar a las organizaciones sin fines de lucro para que logren sus misiones. Al combinar la experiencia nacional con el conocimiento local, ofrecemos educación integral y asesoramiento sobre temas de gobierno, filantropía y sostenibilidad financiera, pues vamos más allá de la administración de activos a fin de brindar perspectivas viables que aborden los desafíos más apremiantes a los que se enfrentan las organizaciones sin fines de lucro. Gracias a nuestros fuertes vínculos con la comunidad, nuestra experiencia de liderazgo práctico en cuestiones de organizaciones sin fines de lucro y nuestra sólida presencia en el mercado local, ofrecemos soluciones significativas que optimizan los recursos y generan un impacto sostenible.
Para más información, comuníquese con el equipo al correo electrónico IAMNonprofitStrategy@pnc.com.
Fuente:
1. As of 10 de marzo de 2025, http://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/exempt-organizations-business-master-file-extract-eo-bmf
