Keeping Sponsors Happy

While registering for an upcoming conference this weekend, I noticed something that can drive a sponsor crazy. Like all donor relationships, paying attention to details can be the difference between a one-time gift and long-term giving. As fundraisers, we cringe when we’re notified that we misspelled a donor’s name. We pride ourselves for knowing better. And that’s why I was disappointed to see the following during my registration experience.

First you see this:

And then as you continue your registration, you see this. Can you spot the problem?

If you said, the Google map!, you were right. Google isn’t a partner. Microsoft is. Bing maps should be the tool! It’s these details that I’m talking about. Fundraisers should know better. It’s just good stewardship.

Have you experienced these types of missteps in managing donor relationships? If so, in what way? Here’s one of my own to start you thinking. At one event I managed, OfficeMax was a generous sponsor yet I had my volunteers using Staples clipboards. And guess who pointed that out? That’s right, my OfficeMax sponsor. It was that moment that I said to myself, “I will never miss that type of detail again. Ever.”