When a Donor Says Yes… But the Gift Never Comes (Ep. 65)

A donor tells you they’re going to give $5,000.

Great.

Except a week passes. Then another week. Eventually you start wondering: Do I call them? Send an email? Leave it alone? And at what point does following up become pushy?

This is one of those awkward fundraising situations that almost every nonprofit leader eventually encounters, but very few people teach you how to handle.

In this episode of the Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast, Matt Stockman walks through a practical approach for following up when a donor says they intend to give, but the gift never arrives.

The key principle is simple: when someone tells you they intend to make a gift, they have given you permission to follow up. They have not given you permission to pressure them.

You’ll learn how to:

Determine whether the donor actually made a commitment or simply expressed interestClarify vague statements like “I’d love to help”Assume positive intent instead of assuming the donor changed their mindKnow when and how to follow upGive donors room to tell you if their circumstances have changedRecognize when it is time to release the expectationProtect the donor relationship even if the gift never arrivesAvoid making financial commitments based on money you have not actually receivedMatt also shares simple language you can use in a follow-up conversation so you can get clarity without making the donor feel pressured.

The goal of following up is not to collect money at all costs. The goal is clarity.

Did they forget? Do they need the giving link again? Do they have another question? Did their circumstances change? Or did they simply decide not to give?

Any of those answers is better than spending the next three months wondering what happened.

Clear fundraising does not have to be aggressive fundraising. Done well, these conversations can actually strengthen trust because donors discover that you are comfortable talking about money while also demonstrating that the relationship matters more than any individual gift.