There are a few topics we call “soapbox issues” at FourPoints. Mention one, and Kara and I will have an opinion. By “opinion,” we mean strong feelings and maybe a few strong words.
One of those topics? Fundraiser gift credit.
I don’t want to use a strong word like hate, but we do. We hate this conversation, especially when it turns into a competition over who gets to claim a gift.
That doesn’t mean there’s never a reason to talk about credit. Fundraising teams need accurate records and fair ways to measure their work. But too often, the conversation gets tangled in complicated rules, competing interests and long meetings. And don’t even get us started on how finance tracks versus how fundraising tracks. Regardless of the source, the constant battle pulls people away from the work that matters most: building relationships with donors.
Here’s one example. A major gift officer we know asked an older donor for a $30,000 gift. She had given to the organization for years and saved her unused direct mail envelopes. Guess what she did? She mailed a $30,000 check in a direct mail envelope that was 18 months old.
I wish I were making this up, but ten people from three departments spent an hour meeting to decide who got credit. You might want to read that sentence one more time, just to believe it’s true.
That’s ten people, for an hour each, focused on assigning credit for a gift the fundraiser had cultivated and asked for. Imagine what they could have done with that time if they’d spent it building donor relationships or improving systems to make giving easier and more joyful.
Direct mail and relationship fundraising can work together
If you know us, you know we love Direct Response and Direct Mail. A direct mail piece may prompt a donor to give. And a fundraiser may have spent months getting to know that donor, understanding what matters to them and showing how their generosity could make a difference.
Both efforts can contribute to a gift. We don’t need to ignore one to recognize the other.
One practical option is to give the direct mail team “soft credit.” That lets the team track how its appeal performed without taking credit away from the fundraiser who built the relationship and made the ask.
Another simple approach is to set a clear point when responsibility changes. Gifts received before a donor is assigned to a fundraiser can be credited to Direct Mail. Gifts received after the assignment can be credited to the fundraiser, given the fundraiser has reached out within a certain number of recent months. The details will vary by organization, but the principle is simple: make the rule clear before there’s an issue.
Accountability matters. So does perspective.
Fundraisers should document their work. Notes in the CRM can show that a fundraiser was building a relationship, making an ask or following up on a commitment. Those notes support accountability and help the organization understand what happened.
But sometimes, the effort to assign credit turns into a forensic exercise. Someone scrutinizes every phrase, reconstructs every interaction and spends hours sorting out who did what and when. At some point, the time spent investigating a credit decision costs more than it adds.
We believe in fair recognition. We also believe in keeping the focus on donors and the mission. A credit policy should support both.
Keep the focus where it belongs
Here’s our advice: make the guidelines clear. Use soft credit when it helps teams see the full picture. Set clear policies for adding and using notes in the CRM. And when a question comes up, resolve it through a reasonable process that doesn’t swallow everyone’s day.
The goal isn’t to win a credit debate. It’s to build an organization where people work well together, donors feel cared for, and generosity can make a difference.