THE ENGAGING DONOR and the THE CHEERFUL DONOR
In this DonorWerx series, we are covering the nine personalities based on the popular Enneagram Test used in corporations for understanding what drives decisions and decision-makers. Let’s explore two of the personalities from our Donor Personality Test: the Engaging Donor and the Cheerful Donor.
These are Type Two (Engaging Donor), known to be generous and demonstrative, and Type Nine (Cheerful Donor), known to be receptive and reassuring. The following tips will help you plan your church outreach and fundraising according to their specific needs.
Type One: The Engaging Donor Personality
Generous and demonstrative, they aim to please others and can be possessive. Selflessness motivates them. Church pastors must help them find the balance between all the elements for spiritual growth.
The following terms describe an Engaging Donor best:
- “Heart of gold.”
- Emotionally driven.
- Caring.
- Sentimental.
- Empathetic.
- Natural around people.
- Enjoys hands-on outreach events.
- Often busy with social events.
Tips for Appealing to the Engaging Donor
The following tips will be useful when approaching the Engaging type of donors to give and support your church:
- Ask them if they want to get involved with hands-on help. Encourage their emotionally driven personality to get in touch with others. Invite them to take part in the activities that they might find enjoyable, where they can best serve.
- Keep them updated and feeling like part of the church. For example, send monthly and annual donor newsletters with the needs and programs of the church.
- Send personal greetings to show your care. Always treat them as individuals, not just one of the dozens of donors to the church. For example, send a LinkedIn greeting to congratulate them on their work anniversary.
- Invite them to speaking engagements to share their insights with other members of the church or community.
- Ask them to consider teaching a skill during one of your church leadership workshops.
- Value their time by always asking permission to subscribe them to your church emails—above all, never just send them materials without their consent.
- Never take them for granted. Stay connected to them through visually appealing content and provide ways for them to get involved without sacrificing too much of their time.
- Appeal to them through an outreach event such as an end-of-the-year dinner gala or an art auction. This will encourage their philanthropic side and display their passionate personality.
Type Nine: The Cheerful Donor Personality
Now let’s explore a personality type on the opposite side of the spectrum, but just as valuable. We know Type Nine personalities for their receptivity and reassuring personality. Cheerful Donors are often at the center of social circles. That is to say, they are more of a supportive type.
The following terms describe a Cheerful Donor best:
- Natural givers.
- Often concerned with the greater needs of the world around them.
- Love creating peaceful environments.
- Prioritize beauty and comfort.
- Invest in solid relationships and connections.
- Giving in any way possible, to anyone in need.
- A wonderful friend.
- A listening ear.
- Contented.
- Known for happily sharing their abundance.
Tips for Appealing to the Cheerful Donor
The following tips will be useful when approaching a Cheerful Donor to give and support your church:
- Don’t take their cheerfulness and willingness to help for granted. Make them feel seen and appreciated. Convey to their friends and family how their giving has furthered the missions.
- Acknowledge their love of beauty and their influence. When inspired, the Cheerful Donors will use their influence to keep being beacons of hope and light in the world.
- Help them stay balanced. Because they give to their hurt, teach them to balance between giving and receiving.
- Train them to connect with the right social circles. People who can help them stay grounded spiritually will be excellent influences on the Cheerful Donors.
- Give them a strong sense of community in the church. Knowing that they have the church to lean on gives them peace of mind.
- Strengthen their inner stability. Constantly assure these types of donors that their voice and presence matter to God. Teach them to honor their gifts through contributions in any form, whether monetary or giving of their time.
How DonorWerx Can Help
With various types of donors, you need a plan to organize leadership and execute your outreach strategy. Managing a church takes specific leadership skills, but also the right technology to grow your giving.
To assist your church leaders in fundraising, we at DonorWerx have created online courses, plans, and outlines for your donor journeys. Find out about how our digital library was built for thriving churches. Schedule a Discovery Call with us at DonorWerx today. We can help you better understand donor personalities while improving your church’s ability to grow members and donors.
+++
6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully [a] will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
