Recently, I was tasked with planning something of the utmost importance: my upcoming trip to Chicago with my sister. You see, while I’ve been to Chicago several times, this will be my sister’s first time. And so, as the oldest and most experienced with the city, it was left to me to plan what we would do.

Because of the limited time we were going to be in the city, I had to start figuring out what was most important to me and my sister, since there was no way we could do it all. For me, it was a day at the Art Institute of Chicago. For my sister, it was shopping on the Magnificent Mile.

These two priorities factored into every decision I made, from when we would leave to which hotel we would stay in. Because I knew what each of us wanted, I was able to plan in a way that would make those goals attainable.

When it comes to planning, it is important to make sure you are asking your donors what they want and expect from your United Way, and that your donor’s passions play a clear part in your planning for the future. Donors want to support something that they are passionate about and can see clear results of their contribution. I think it would be fair to say that no donor is going to give more money because you have a goal of increasing how much you raised during campaign. That’s not their passion. What they will give more money for is an issue that aligns with their passions and that you are making clear progress on.

So, if your donors are passionate about ending hunger, then your strategic planning should include a goal to end hunger. If donors are passionate about early childhood literacy, then your strategic planning should include a goal of increasing literacy. You need to allow the passions of the community to guide how you plan for the future of your United Way.

But how do you collect donor passion data? And what do you do with it afterwards to help with the planning process? On November 16, 2021 at 2 p.m. ET Perspectives Consulting and Andar Software will be hosting a free 60-minute webinar discussing exactly how to collect the data you need and what to do with it once you have it.

My sister and I are thrilled about our upcoming trip. But a lot of the excitement comes from knowing that we have a plan that matches both of our passions.