by Sonja Carter JD

What can fundraisers and nonprofits learn from the lifecycle of a frog? Turns out, plenty! 

The circle of life is often demonstrated by the diagram of this pattern: 

egg → tadpole → tadpole with legs → frog → and then back again to the egg

If at any point in that circle of life a piece is missed…the frog dies. Nature requires that the frog move through each stage—no skipping!—and onto the next stage. By experiencing each stage, the frog thrives and perpetuates the species.

The world of fundraising has a similar circle of life, requiring that each stage of building a relationship be moved through—thoroughly and thoughtfully—in order to advance onto the next stage. By experiencing each stage, the relationship thrives and perpetuates the nonprofit.

This cycle can be thought of as: acquisition, engagement, solicitation, and stewardship.

Acquisition – nonprofit finds the prospect 

Engagement – nonprofit engages with the prospect, and vice versa; the prospect becomes invested in the future of this nonprofit and wants it to thrive

Solicitation – nonprofit asks the prospect to make a gift to support its future; prospect asks the nonprofit to use their gift wisely

Stewardship – nonprofit shares the impact of the gift with the donor – thanking, honoring and re-inspiring the donor by showing how the gift has made something important possible

And then…

(Re) Acquisition – nonprofit finds out if donor is a prospect for a new or different gift 

(Re) Engagement – nonprofit engages with the prospect, and vice versa; the prospect becomes invested in the future of this nonprofit and wants it to thrive

(Re) Solicitation – nonprofit asks the prospect to make a gift to support its future; prospect asks the nonprofit to use their gift wisely

(Re) Stewardship – nonprofit shares the impact of the gift with the donor – thanking, honoring and re-inspiring the donor by showing how the gift has made something important possible

And then…

Re) Acquisition…

Are you noticing the pattern there? That dance between the nonprofit and its prospect moves in a continual circle, resulting in deeper connections, continued philanthropy, good will, and wonderful improvements to our world. This is a virtuous cycle that, if done wisely, funds the nonprofit’s mission in the “now” as well as into the future.

But what happens if you miss a step? Failure. 

If you don’t engage a donor and go straight from acquisition to solicitation? Then at best you will get a “go-away gift” (i.e., just enough that the prospect can say “I gave, now go away!”), at worst you’ve insulted them and lost them permanently. What happens if you fail to steward a donor for her gift and share the impact and your gratitude? Then at best, you have to rebuild a relationship and at worst you’ve lost them permanently. 

And what happens if you take each step? The virtuous cycle of life for a nonprofit…funding that makes fulfilling its mission possible…. that is what happens.

So take each step. Think about each step. DO NOT skip a step. We owe it to the frogs, errrr, the nonprofits! 

Sonja Carter, JD previously served as the Senior Campaign Advisor at the Heller Fundraising Group. Sonja's expertise lies in capital campaigns, planned giving, major donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship.