The Power of Relational Fundraising And What It Takes to Bring It to Every Donor

In today’s philanthropic landscape, donors expect to feel seen, valued, and connected to the causes they support. The traditional approach to donor engagement—one reliant on managed gift officer portfolios—has long struggled to extend the personal, relationship-driven experience to the majority of donors.

Relational fundraising is the key to donor retention, re-engagement, and increased giving. It provides donors with meaningful interactions that foster loyalty and inspire greater generosity. This week, I shared a recent Chronicle of Philanthropy article with my team, emphasizing the importance of bringing relational fundraising to more donors.

In a recent LinkedIn post, the article’s author, Allison Fine, President of Every.org, says, “The ‘relational’ part means pivoting away from the default habits of one-size-fits-all appeals with its corresponding low response rates. Being ‘relational’ means being in conversation with your donors and treating every donor as an individual with their own unique strengths, gifts, social networks and, of course, financial capital to contribute. The ‘at scale’ part requires the smart, strategic use of technology, including AI, to segment and customize communications and appeals to potential and current donors…”

Executing a relational fundraising strategy for the 95% of donors who aren’t in managed portfolios has essentially been impossible—until now. Autonomous Fundraising, powered by Virtual Engagement Officers (VEOs), revolutionizes how institutions connect with their donors in a personalized, authentic way.

The results speak for themselves:

• 30% of donors who gave through the VEO increased their giving from last year—demonstrating that deeper engagement leads to greater generosity.

• VEOs are recapturing lapsed donors up to 3x faster than traditional approaches, proving the power of timely, personalized outreach.

• Nearly 500 re-engaged donors who did not give last fiscal year have now contributed under VEO management.

• Almost 4,000 positive engagements show that donors appreciate and respond to meaningful, relational interactions.

• A 54% retention rate—with more than three months left in the fiscal year for most partner organizations—demonstrates the power of relational fundraising at scale.

• Major milestone of exceeding last years’ portfolio performance achieved by multiple organizations.

  
  

Autonomous Fundraising allows organizations to move beyond the limitations of traditional gift officer portfolios. It expands relational fundraising to more donors to give them the personalized attention they deserve. As the sector continues to evolve, those embracing Autonomous Fundraising will be the ones who build deeper donor relationships, drive greater impact, and secure a sustainable future for their organizations.

The future of fundraising isn’t just about technology—it’s about using technology to bring donors closer than ever before. The shift to Autonomous Fundraising isn’t just an innovation; it’s a necessity for organizations that want to thrive in the modern philanthropic landscape.

If you're looking to deepen donor relationships and make relational fundraising a reality at scale, our team is happy to connect.