The Engaging Donor and the Decisive Donor (Type 2 and Type 4)

When growing your donors and planning your giving strategies, one of the first steps is understanding your donors. This is similar to the way any company or organization strives to understand its target market. You must know their needs, understand their personalities, and try to create solutions to their problems.

Doing this gives them value and a reason to keep coming back to your church. Building a relationship with them through clear communication is part of being a wise pastor. In our Donor Personality Quiz, we learned about the Nine Donor Personality types. You may have recognized them in your congregation.

Here is a quick recap of both:

Type Two: The Engaging Donor

We generally see the Engaging Donor as generous, and these types aim to please others. The only downside is that they can be possessive—and this negative trait might pass over to how they handle money. Church pastors must help Engaging Donors focus on church outreach programs that appeal to their social, selfless side.

Most Notable Traits:

• “Heart of gold”
• Emotionally driven
• Caring
• Has deep feelings
• Sentimental
• Empathetic
• Natural around people
• Enjoys hands-on outreach events
• Often busy with social events

For a recap of all the Nine Personality traits of donors, read our extensive blog post and take the  Donor Personality test here.

Type Four: The Decisive Donor Recap

The Decisive Donor, as the name implies, likes being in charge through decision-making. It is possible that you have a few of these personality types on your church boards and in your leadership groups already. Or, that you can identify the following traits in the donors whom you are growing to support the church.

Most Notable Traits:

• Romantic
• Creative
• Self-conscious
• Influential
• Clear-sighted
• Firm
• Critical
• Moody
• Passionate
• Curious
• Information-hungry
• Decision-makers
• Leaders
• Strong

Now, we take a closer look at the Engaging Donor (Twos) and the Decisive Donor (Fours). There are some similarities and stark differences to be aware of.

The Engaging Donor and the Decisive Donor: Similar but Different

Personality types Two and Four are often confused, mainly because they are both Feeling types. Each has the tendency to put great emphasis on the ups and downs of their personal relationships. This extends to their relationships with other church members, and their communications with you as pastors and spiritual leaders.

On the original Enneagram, Type Fours are known as “Romantic.” This says a lot about their decision-making. They want to believe in an ideal world, even though this idea is often overly romanticized. However, they remain empathetic and authentic when expressing their feelings. So much so that it makes them appear to be self-absorbed.

One downside to the Type Four personality is a tendency to depression. Be careful and calm around these donors if they are going through a difficult time in life. Be aware of their feelings and do not expect them to give a huge donation if they are experiencing financial difficulty. This will only lead to withdrawal from the church.

While Twos look for people to rescue, Fours are the type who will look for someone to rescue them. Twos remain aware of others’ feelings but can be unaware of their own needs. Fours stay in tune with their own emotional states but can often seem aloof or out of touch with others’ feelings. They might seem as if they are the center of their own universe.

How to Appeal to Both Types of Donors

Dealing with emotionally driven people can be a challenge. Use caution and keep researching these types of personalities to understand them better.

Engaging Donors will be a good fit if your church has a lot of social events. They are generous with their time and gravitate toward other people naturally. However, the key here is remembering that they can be greatly driven by their emotions. Teach them, during your Bible studies or outreach events, to find a good balance in their lives between sentiment and realism.

Like the Engaging Donor, the Decisive Donor makes decisions based on feelings. However, they can be careful to do their research before deciding—especially with important financial matters.

How DonorWerx Can Help

Partnering with DonorWerx gives you access to resources for donors. We have pastor guides, made-for-you templates, software, and tips for your donor journey. Contact us today to find out more about our digital platform and the ways technology can help your church thrive.