Type Six: The Principled Donor

Continuing with our in-depth study of various donor personalities, today we look into the sixth type of donor. In churches and communities, this type is known as the Principled Donor.

If you want to ensure successful church growth, it all starts with understanding your congregation. Knowing what appeals to them and how you can guide them spiritually is the first step. That way, you can organize church outreach programs that appeal to certain types of donors.

When you start to bring that congregation along toward the concepts of giving, tithing, and supporting the church, the need to understand them becomes greater. You simply cannot treat all of your donors and potential donors the same. You cannot launch a fundraising strategy, expecting everyone to give at the same level.

Because each donor is different, you must teach your church pastors and managers to tailor the way they appeal for help and financial support for the church. By getting to know the various donor personalities, you are better able to appeal to them in a way that they understand.

In our Donor Personality quiz, we learned about the Type Six personality, more commonly known in church and nonprofit communities as a Principled Donor. Let’s recap all you need to know about this very valuable donor type.

The Principled Donor Recap

Principled Donors are known for being engaging and responsible, although they can also appear anxious and suspicious at times. The following traits might best describe this type:

• Loyal yet skeptical.
• Always stand their ground on principles.
• Hard-working and responsible.
• They never go back on their word—even when it comes to tithing and donating to the church.
• Heavy emotional connections to their giving.
• Motivated by deep beliefs.
• Gravitate to leaders who serve by example.
• Passionate about family and community.
• Often support long-term missions rather than one-time goals.

… do you recognize any of these highly principled types in your church?

How to Motivate the Principled Donor

Often, the Principled Donor has the potential to become a regular tither and supporter of the church. This is because their style is not fly-by-night church missions and nonprofit programs. They look for ways to help make a lasting change.

These are the ones who will get behind sustainable projects. For example, they are more likely to give money toward an educational program rather than a feeding program. The funds they donate must go to a worthy, long-term cause. If they can support your church by tithing regularly, this makes them feel good—as long as your church can prove solid outreach strategies and growth.

You can see how the Principled Donor wants to grow alongside you. They are not looking for churches that give short bursts of inspiration or can only offer “thoughts and prayers.” They look for pastors who are committed to serving the world, who live authentically, and who practice what they preach.

This type of donor, the Principled Donor, knows the value of working behind the scenes to make a difference in the world. They don’t look for showy churches or loud pastors who can entertain but not make an impact.

In short, if you want to appeal to this type of donor, the growth starts with you as the church leader. You can motivate them by being a good example of what a church leader should be.

Strive to deepen your communications—whether in person or online—to grow the church projects and have an influence for good on those around you. This way, you motivate the Principled Donor to know more about the church values, and what principles you stand on as well.

Character Example: 

Let’s look at a power couple who set the example for Type Six Donors: George and Amal Clooney. Most people know them as Hollywood celebrities. However, they use their influence to change the world for the better in very personal, yet impactful ways.

Amal is the president of the Clooney Foundation for Justice, founded in late 2016 to advance justice in courtrooms, communities, and classrooms worldwide. The Simon Wiesenthal Center recently honored Amal and George Clooney with its Humanitarian Award at its 2020 virtual gala.

At the 17th Annual Texas Conference for Women at the Austin Convention Center, Amal said: 

“As women, there is a bond we all share. It’s not a bond of geography or culture, but of shared experience. There are struggles that only women face. The worst thing we can do as women is not stand up for each other. [But] if we are united, if we keep up the fight for each other’s rights, there is no limit to what we can do.”

How DonorWerx Can Help: Get More DonorWerx Solutions for Your Church

When you decide to grow your church, you need partners who can help you reach your goals. At DonorWerx, we are growth-minded: We do purposeful work that generates more response and revenue. We also teach pastors to be meaningful communicators. Check out our resources for this and emotionally relevant content.

Together, let’s embrace opportunity and never allow limits to define what’s possible for your church.