Many big-gift fundraisers still overlook donors from a variety of demographic groups, even though about 14 percent of U.S. millionaires are from minority populations. And that number will likely grow.
Yet nonprofit leaders and fundraisers who want to better reach supporters of different backgrounds often don’t know how to do so.
One piece of this puzzle is simple, says Armando Castellano, a trustee for the Castellano Family Foundation, which supports Hispanic causes in Silicon Valley and founder of Quinteto Latino, a nonprofit that promotes Latino classical music. “If our boards were diverse and our executive staff were diverse, you would not need to go to a webinar on this [topic],” said Castellano, who joined a recent Chronicle online briefing on how to appeal to donors of varied races and ethnicities. “It would be so natural.”
Six out of seven of Quinteto’s trustees are Hispanic, and the organization’s donors are diverse, too. “It was not hard [to attract these supporters] because we have a diverse staff and a diverse ensemble, and we very intentionally serve diverse communities,” Castellano says.
Achieving internal diversity is also key to holding onto donors of color, says Raj Asava, a Texas philanthropist from India who, along with his wife Anna, works to encourage giving by other Indian Americans. Asava says he might make a first gift to a cause he believes in even if it lacks diversity, but if he didn’t see more diversity among its leaders over time, he would stop giving.
If you lose one disgruntled supporter from the Indian American community — and probably from any demographic group — you’ll likely see more donors of that background fleeing as word spreads among them, he says.
This “viral effect” among communities is important to remember, Asava says. “Every Indian American that we bring on board, they also become your ambassadors.” If you can recruit one influential person, he says, this individual can help “spread the net” and bring many other donors to your doorstep.
The Chronicle spoke with several fundraisers, donors, and other experts who shared insights and guidance on how to build ties with supporters of diverse backgrounds and win their support. Here’s what they advise.
Make a long-term commitment to this work. Consider hiring an outside expert to help you approach it in a careful and authentic way, says Chantal Bonitto, a veteran fundraiser who started an inclusive philanthropy program at Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “There are many times that organizations focus on this work, fail fast, and drop it,” she says. “This is a long game, not a short game. And if anyone wants to do this as a short game, just don’t do it.”
Advance diversity, equity, and inclusion internally before seeking diverse donors. Ensure your organization’s top leaders — not just its lower ranks — reflect the kind of people you want to reach, Castellano says. You have to put them in power, listen to their ideas, and be willing to change how you do things, he says.
Consider recruiting employees or trustees from minority groups in “clusters” rather than one at a time, says Misa Lobato, director of prospect management and analytics at the Rhode Island School of Design. This can help prevent tokenism and create a supportive network for these individuals.
You may also want to survey your employees about how they perceive DEI at your nonprofit and whether they think the organization is ready to focus on diverse supporters, Bonitto says. “If they are not feeling good inside of the organization, you lose their integrity, and you’re not able to build trust and deepen relationships with those donors,” she says.
Learn about the group you are aiming for. Talk with leaders, volunteers, and others from that group to understand what they care about, how they communicate, and how your work intersects with their lives. Some of these conversations may be tough, says Angelique Grant, senior consultant and vice president for Aspen Leadership Group, a consulting firm that focuses on recruitment, diversity, and leadership at nonprofits. “But it’s important to listen and not defend or respond with facts and information about your organization.”
It could also be helpful to read studies and attend conferences about donors from different demographic groups, Lobato says. For example, see recent reports by the Donors of Color Network, an affinity group for philanthropists of color that looks at how and why donors of diverse backgrounds give.
Check your assumptions. For example, people often think Hispanics don’t give, says Ana Gloria Rivas-Vázquez, director of the Hispanic Development Unit at Catholic Relief Services. “Hispanics do give and quite generously,” she says. “But not always in ways that fit neatly within U.S. models of philanthropy.”
Informal giving is common among Hispanics, she says, such as sending money to family members in Latin America and helping friends and family here at home with child care. Rivas-Vázquez recommends that fundraisers acknowledge that this giving occurs and avoid making assumptions about people’s giving capacity based solely on income.
Gather demographic data on your donors. Without these insights, you can’t assess how supporters of different races and ethnicities are interacting with your nonprofit, Lobato says, such as whether they are responding to your fundraising appeals or requests for visits. It’s best to let people self-identify, she says, rather than making assumptions based on “identity proxies” such as names, photos, or associations. Use a donor or alumni survey to collect this information or include questions about identities in your event registration forms, invitations, or direct-mail response devices.
Choose smart questions that will help you get a more accurate picture of your supporters, Lobato says. The Rhode Island School of Design’s network includes people from many Asian countries, she says, so the institution would need to go beyond asking simply if they identify as Asian. “We would want to identify groups in terms of nationality, but then also perhaps in terms of religious affiliation because that’s a huge part of what informs people’s philanthropic experience and their life experience,” she says.
But make sure to explain why you’re seeking this information now — and be transparent. “Create the context that the institution is making a concerted effort to understand its constituency, to ensure that it’s inclusive in its practices, and inform how it moves forward,” Lobato suggests.
List multiple-choice options in a way that does not promote a hierarchy, she says, such as in alphabetical order. And always let people opt out of answering these questions or write in their own responses.
Identify potential supporters. Search for public information about influential people from the group you want to reach. Places to start include professional organizations, chambers of commerce, lists of minority-owned businesses, and executive teams at top companies.
It can also be smart to do a “culture dive” to figure out where people from this population gather, Asava says. If you are seeking Indian American donors, he suggests finding and connecting with their places of worship. “If you win them over, suddenly, through that one religious organization you are reaching 1,000-plus people,” he says.
If you are focusing on Hispanic donors, check your database to see if you already have supporters of this background who have made gifts of $500 to $1,000, says Rivas-Vázquez. This level of giving by a Hispanic donor may signal a deep interest in your mission, she says.
Build trust. When talking with potential donors, show you understand and are genuinely interested in their culture, Anna Asava says. She notices when fundraisers ask thoughtful and specific questions, show an awareness of upcoming dates that are important to local people, and display “cultural sensitivity.”
Whether you are reaching out to Indian Americans or other immigrant groups, the Asavas say, share information upfront about how gifts are used, including details about your organization’s efficiency and its spending on general operating expenses. “We know the value of a hard-earned dollar,” says Raj Asava. “And to give that dollar away to a cause, we do our due diligence; we will kick the tires and slam the door before buying the car.”
Adapt your outreach approaches to the donor’s culture and values. For example, relationships are typically very important to Hispanics, Rivas-Vázquez says, so you’ll probably need to plan on having longer and more frequent visits with big donors from this population than you would with donors of other backgrounds.
To attract Indian American donors, you would be wise to take a multigenerational approach, says Raj Asava, because multiple family members often weigh in on decisions about giving. “Try to figure out ways to engage their children, their spouses, the senior citizens, and you will immediately get them connected to the cause,” he says.
Many Indian Americans are well-educated and logical, he says, so if you can explain to them logically why this cause is important to them, their community, and humanity — in that order — you can win them over. But when meeting with potential supporters from this population, the couple says, go with the goal of starting a conversation and inspiring questions, rather than talking at these individuals about your work.
Ensure that your communications are inclusive and welcoming. “Tell stories from a narrative of grace, dignity, humanity, respect, and partnership as opposed to a white-savior model,” Bonitto says. It may help to share your materials and messages with someone from the community you serve to get their input.
It’s important not to approach communications in a shallow way, Grant says, such as putting photos of diverse people on your materials to “check a box,” rather than sharing something of substance. For instance, you could feature a trustee or major donor of color and tell the story of why that person gives and how the contribution advanced your mission.
Use language and labels carefully. If you’re focusing on Hispanic donors, you should understand that preferences for identity labels — such as Hispanic, Latina or Latino, and Latinx — vary, Rivas-Vázquez says. People often prefer to be identified by their country of origin rather than by a broader term. You also should be careful about calling Hispanics “donors of color,” she says, as many identify as white.
Instead of using labels, consider using Spanish words or phrases strategically to signal that you are speaking to this population, Rivas-Vázquez suggests. For instance, the Chicago Community Trust created a fund dedicated to Hispanic philanthropy and named it the Nuestro Futuro, or “Our Future,” fund.
Don’t assume your communications to Latino audiences should be entirely in Spanish, she says, because many speak English well and could think such an approach means you don’t realize that. But sprinkling in Spanish words in smart ways could help you build a bridge to this population, she says.
You can also create “points of connection” through images that touch on common shared values like family, Rivas-Vázquez says. “If you’ve got a photo with three generations, that might speak to us more than if you don’t,” she says.
Spell out how your work benefits the lives of people from the group you are trying to connect with. Convey that in a way they can relate to, Grant says. For example, if you are seeking to engage Black donors in a campaign focused on fighting breast cancer, show how this disease affects Black women in comparison with other demographics. “And oftentimes a diverse staff can help communicate that on a different level and sometimes a deeper level,” she says.
Explain why diverse donors should give now. Keep in mind that some of these supporters may wonder why your organization hasn’t approached them before since they have long been giving, Grant says. When soliciting big donors from minority groups, she says, get to know each person individually and link your work to things that matter to them. Try to get at their motivations for giving by asking questions such as:
- What is important to you philanthropically?
- What do you hope to achieve with your giving?
- How would you like to contribute to our mission?
- Which other causes have you supported, why did you give, and what were the results?
Be patient. “Not everything you try will work,” Rivas-Vázquez says. “But the important thing is to test it and learn from it.”
