And welcome to building trust based relationships with community college donors. I'm Meredith Schneider, a senior consultant at Graham Pelton, joined today by my colleague Anthony. Everyone, I'm Anthony Heaven as Meredith just mentioned and we're excited to talk about building trust based relationships with community college donors and the higher education practice group leader. And this year, we've really been thinking strategically about not just our space relationships, but also about community college fundraising. We know that between 2020 and 2021, community colleges experience a 52.5% increase in giving and then excluding, of course, those transformational gifts from Mackenzie Scott. The figure is almost 4%, with the most significant increase being alumni giving at 10.8%. So we know that, of course, fundraising within community colleges has increased. We know that there's an increased focus on community colleges in light of the traditional education, as well as that increasingly important workforce development component within our nation. And so here today, we want to talk a little bit about building trust based relationships with community college donors and how to think strategically about that. So we're going to open up with a quote, whether a friendship, a family relationship or business, a personal partnership, any bond is built on trust. Without trust, you have nothing with it. You can do great things. This is a great foundational principle because we know that, as the court mentions, trust is essential for all relationships, and we know that trust increases the momentum of the relationship. It also increases the sustainability of the relationship. So what does this look like when we think about donor relationships at community colleges? So just to set some expectations about what we'll be doing today, we're going to start with covering some content area. So we are sharing our perspective on trust. This is our perspective. We know that there are other perspectives out there, but we also want to share some common themes across research on trust. And so you'll see that sprinkled throughout our presentation as we dive in. And then in terms of takeaways, we want to share some practical and very some some tools that can be implemented as well as the secret to true success and building trust based relationship with community college donors. So we'll start with key questions for this session. So the first one is why is trust important? How do we build trust? And then we know that this question can actually be answered in two questions. Can you do what you say you're going to do? And will you do what you say you're going to do? As well as how we answer these questions is at the core of building trust, right? So when you think strategically, we're going to provide some answers for these questions, but you really have to search for what are your answers to these questions and how do you endeavor about building these trust based relationships with your donors? Our starting point, Meredith and I just finished having a conversation about this, but how do you define trust? So we know that some sources say it's a firm belief in reliability, truth, ability or the strength of someone or something else in a short reliance on the character ability, strength and or truth of someone or something to have a place confidence to have workplace confidence in and depend on. And of course, there's many more words and definitions that are important to note, but these are the ones that we will start. We will start the conversation with. So when you think about the words within those definitions, what comes up? So a firm belief, reliability, truth and a short reliance, confident on and of course, many more. And so how you define trust will impact how you intentionally work to build trust. Right. So we know that your process will directly coincide with what you view as the definition of trust and how you move within that space. And what are some other key words that come to mind when you define trust? So for me, I know for me, reliability is one of the key ones. Truth ability also speak to me, but also in terms of trust, I think about foundation, right? A foundation is like the trust has to be at the foundation of the relationship. And so that's another word that speaks to me. And as you're going through this activity and thinking about trust, we want for you to generate your own lists of words that speak to you. So when we think about trust and influence versus manipulation, right, we know that trust builds influence. Think about a relationship that you have with the donor. We know that relationships aren't built overnight. We know that you don't have one meeting and get to an ass. And sometimes it does occur that way in this great when it does, but typically there's a donor lifecycle and we know that the more trust that you build in this donor lifecycle will will directly influence your fundraising results. But also having that trust builds influence because people will talk about organizations, institutions and people that they trust. They will share that you're trustworthy, they will share your process, etc. and it will build influence and not just within the context of their relationship, but within the networks of the folks that that that donors were connected to. So what is the key difference within trust in influence versus manipulation? So we know manipulation usually hinges on I win and you likely lose. So it's about what I can do and how I can get a win out of this, Right. It's about me first versus being about a joint, a joint win win strategy. And we know that influence that course is that win win strategy is them. First is thinking about what are their intentions, what are their motivations, how can we best meet them where they are to create this win win for them? Of course, their intent, the donor motivation, intent, but also our institutional needs. Why is stressed important right at the core? Trust actually helps to create momentum or progress towards the mutual goal. So think about the intersection of what is important to them and to you. And that's where trust matters, right? Think about the gifts agreement. You can have a donor that wants to create some sort of program at the community college, as you know, that you don't have the infrastructure to create that program, but you still proceed to brokering that relationship in accepting their philanthropy. And then on the back end, you can't execute what it is that they what their donor intention is. Then you're breaking trust, right? So the intersection of what is important to them and to you and how it impacts your institution is important. So here's another thought. When two or more people come together to take an action you want or to move in a direction that you want, it requires trust, right? And to some degree, each step that you take requires even more trust. Right? We know that when you're starting building those relationships with your donors, that sometimes is a low trust situation, right? They don't really know you yet. They don't know how the institution conducts business or how the institution will forward. But as soon as you start having more conversations, you start getting into their motivations, their intentions. You start talking about what a philanthropic gift can look like and how they want to impact the that the community college. Every single step, every single conversation hinges on more and more trust being required to move for. So we think about it in that way. Trust can be described as the most important resource or organization can have, right? We know that how they trust their organizations outperform outperform their peers by 400%, according to a study in years. And why is that important? Because organizations and individuals can actually control how intensely they seek to build trust. And so this is something that you can control within your community college and how you do this actually can lead to you performing better as an organization and having a greater level of impact. I think you also have to consider a cost benefit analysis is of trust. So what? Why is trust important? What is trust increases? What increases what other things happen as stress increases and thinking also on the inverse, what happens is trust decreases. So assess it. As trust increases. We know morale increases, productivity increases. And these are just two examples of other areas in which you can see an increase as the trust relationships actually increase within your donor, within your donor community. But simultaneously, if the trust continues to decrease, we know it can lead to increased costs, more problems, less philanthropic impact. That's your institution. And so it's important to think about what is the cost benefit analysis and how you can use this to create a trust based operation. So trust versus performance, how do these interact? Right. So we again, we know that 400% increase in performance for organizations that do that are trustworthy, right? We also know that as you're continuing to build that trust with your donors, it increases influence, right? Which spreads throughout their connections, throughout the other alums that they're connected to from your community, college, etc.. And so it's, I think is important for us to think strategically. Right? We know we live in a field that's driven by performance metrics. Do we lose sight of trust because of those performance metrics? Right. What role does the culture play in this? And when I think about this, I think about the fact that fundraisers are driven to fundraise, right? They want to have the metrics, want to have the gifts closed, etc.. But it's important to have trust at the center of that relationship. So as you can, again, create something that the donor is proud of that they support and that honors their motivations and intentions. Right? Because again, once you have that as the foundation, it will enhance the rest of your community college, it will enhance their impact. It will enhance the sustainability of that relationship. And of course, it supports you as you steward those donors. And so now as we talk about the second phase of this presentation, I want to pass to my colleague Maria. Thank you. Anthony. And so the next question is how do we build that trust? There are numerous theories and models that try to help us understand this further, but I'm going to propose that we keep two principles in mind simplicity and the other person's perspective. Simplicity is key because trust building relationships should not be an overly complicated process. It should be accessible and understandable to everyone, and we want to embrace the other person's perspective. Trust is a two way street, so it can't be achieved solely by imposing our own viewpoints on others. And so empathy and active listening are are really key to building trust. And so how do we build trust? There's two fundamental questions that lie at the core. Can you do what you say you're going to do and will you do what you say you're going to do? So let's start with the first one. What competency and ability do they have the skills, knowledge and capabilities to follow through with credibility? Are they honest and transparent? Do they communicate openly? Do they avoid exaggerations and false claims? And keep in mind, as gift officers, we need to make sure we're following that. Do we have previous results? What does history tell us Where we were being trustworthy in the past? With clarity, Are we clearly defining objectives, setting expectations, and with commitments? Do we follow through or overpromise and under-deliver? And so intentionally building trust requires a proactive approach. So now let's address our second question. Will you do what you're saying, what you say you're going to do? And so character, integrity, motive, intent, this will all impact how we answer those questions. Our character is the foundation of trust. It's about being honest, ethical, demonstrating, moral strength in our actions and decisions. And integrity is closely tied to character. So this is the consistency between our words and actions. Also, others will gauge our trustworthiness based on our motives and intentions. Are we generally seeking the greater good, or do we have a hidden agenda? And with consistency, our actions align, making our promises over time? Or are we fluctuating how we're behaving? And so now an essential aspect to consider is self-awareness. Do we understand how others perceive us, particularly in these crucial characteristics of trust? Self-awareness allows us to reflect on our actions, seek feedback, be open to growth, align our actions with intentions, and build authentic relationships. So by cultivating this self-awareness, we empower ourselves to improve and strengthen these characteristics. And Meredith, this is so important because when we think about, you know, some people fund raising, sales and sometimes there's a negative connotation associated with car salesmen, right? And so as we're building trust within these relationships, we have to be careful how folks, donors perceive us in our roles. Do they perceive as this being trustworthy? Do they perceive as as being brokers of their impact, or do they perceive us as just being out for ourselves and how we can raise money for our institution in disregarding their intent, their motivations, etc.? Exactly. And so let's talk a little bit into the key tactics and skills that will guide us to building this trust. So we need to put aside our egos and really focus on the needs and perspectives of others, just like you mentioned that to me. And so by actively listening and considering viewpoints, we can create a space for that genuine understanding and a nonjudgmental approach fosters an environment of acceptance and openness. And so we'll refrain from passing that quick judgment. And we encourage instead honest communication, which will only strengthen that connection. And truly building trust means that we're going to consider the collective welfare, not just our individual gains for how much money we've raised that fiscal year, but the collective welfare of the institution, of our donors, of our community. And so by prioritizing others and working towards these common goals, we create that sense of unity and mutual respect. Also, validation is a powerful tool in building trust. We want to acknowledge and appreciate the efforts, ideas, emotions of others to really demonstrate that we value their contributions and respect their experiences. And lastly, we want to be generous with our time and resources because it shows our commitment to supporting others. So whether that's offering assistance, guidance, simply being available or not, the person our donor will call, pick up the phone and call when they have a question. That type of generosity, it really bonds our trust. And so incorporating these tactics and skills will nurture authentic relationships. And remember, it's an ongoing process that requires a continuous effort. So let's talk into a few other key skills. A powerful way to foster trust is being open and vulnerable, so users using phrases like I made a mistake. I need help with this. I would like to apologize. It shows that we're we acknowledge our imperfections and we're aware of how others relate to us. It creates that atmosphere of authentic honesty. Also listening is that as an indispensable skill. So by giving our full attention and actively listening, we can show that we value their thoughts and feelings, especially when it comes to donors that demonstrates respect and empathy and makes them feel understood and heard. This fully deepens that sense of connection, and we also need to understand the different preferences and communication styles of our donors. Think about some colleagues or others who we work with. We want to tailor our interactions with them so that they better resonate with those we're speaking to. And so we're also going to talk about trying value questions, and you may wonder what this means. So when asking high value questions, we're showing our interest in others and their perspectives. So these questions really go beyond that surface level and delve deeper into insights and allow us to really understand the motivations and aspirations of those we engage with, which we know is so important when working with donors. So by using the sports news or previous interactions, we can really tailor questions that resonate with their interest and passions. If we know a donor loves to sail, we can ask them about that sailing trip, and it shows that we're really interested in what we generally value and remember our donors and make them feel as though we care, which we do. High value questions are also designed to elicit specific information that we are seeking from our donors. So I've got motivations, aspirations, their preferences. We can then use that knowledge to tailor our engagements further and move to a deeper level of connection and potential solicitation. So when we ask high value questions, we offer our donors a chance to really reflect on their experiences, the values, their causes, what they care about. And so this provides a meaningful experience for them. It gives them the opportunity to share their stories or insights, and that only furthers an emotional connection, investment in this relationship. And so as we incorporate these high value questions, keep in mind that building a relationship is truly a journey. We need to actively listen to. Our donors show genuine interest and adapt our approaches based on our answers. And so the secret to success in building trust is you. How do you seek to build trust? Take a moment to reflect on that approach and how can you build trust with donors, team members or others? Consider how you apply these strategies we've just mentioned and in various contexts, whether it's showing appreciation to our donors, actively listening to them, collaborating with others, or one, every interaction really presents an opportunity to build on that trust. And what do you need to work on when you intentionally build trust based relationships? So I'll recognize none of us are perfect and there's always room for improvement. And so really reflect on what you might need to build these intentional relationships, whether that's enhancing your communication skills, being more consistent and follow through or displaying greater empathy. Taking ownership of that growth is really essential. And it's about about the secret to success. As you and I reflect, as we have this conversation on my time as a fund raiser and one of my favorite questions to ask donors or one of my favorite responses to a donor question is I don't know the answer to that, but I'm going to go find it for you right. To communicate that vulnerability and to let them know that I don't just want to give you a random answer. I want to make sure it's tailored to specifically what you're asking me. And the other point that I really want to illustrate, that you you know, that you already so eloquently said is that it's important for us to ask those high value questions. One of the things I always, always strive to do, especially in relationships, especially in donor relationships, is I want to be able to know that donor prospects so well that if I hear of an opportunity, I can say, Hey, this might be of interest to X person, right? Or if I hear of an opportunity for stewardship, this would be aligned with what they enjoy or what they find value in. And so I want to ask those high value questions to make sure that I know who you are. And I'm able to easily think about you in context of all of these various opportunities that may present themselves. So thank you so much for sharing that with us. Exactly. Anthony. And I will add, when you when a donor asks a question that you don't know the answer to and say, I don't know the answer, I'd like to follow up a key to building that trust is following up and delivering exactly what you said you would answer. And so that's just another way of how we can continue to build trust with our donors. So just a few other thoughts. You often hear that strategy times execution equals results, but let's not overlook the critical role that trust plays in this equation. Think of trust as like the umbrella to this equation. So alone trust within the team can hinder execution and ultimately lead to subpar results were. On the other hand, a high trust team can really act as that multiplier, enhance execution and drive exceptional outcomes. Also, credible leaders are the linchpin to a good organizational culture, and so we want to make sure that we're fostering a culture of trust which will be crucial for success. And lastly, trust is not this elusive magic trick, but it's really something we can deliberately cultivate using all of these strategies and tactics we've outlined. And so keep in mind that when trust is strengthened, it might seem magical. And so we have a few thought provoking questions we want to consider on the topic of trust. So trust is a really multifaceted concept as we've addressed, and we might wonder if trust is something earned over time or through consistent actions, reliability, or is it freely given from the start? Or can it be nurtured from through continuous efforts that we build and maintain? And so there's different perspectives on how we approach trust to build these interactions, and also how do we repair trust once it's broken? It's challenging, but not impossible. And so acknowledging that there was a breach, taking that responsibility and really demonstrating sincere efforts to make amends are crucial ways to help repair trust once it's broken. And then lastly, as leaders and individuals, we have the power to really influence this trust building process. And so continue to show vulnerability, a willingness to lean in, to create these meaningful relationships. And I'll just encourage all of you to ponder these questions and really consider how they might relate to your own experiences and interactions. So here are a few resources that might be helpful to dive in a little bit deeper to this subject. There are so many resources out there on trust. We're just sharing our perspective and here's a few that we find helpful, but continue to explore what other resources might be out there for you. And if this is so great and as you were talking and I was listening to your explanation, I started thinking about one of a meaningful experience for me was that a donor, a donor prospect actually didn't have a great experience at one of the institutions that I worked at. And as we were talking and grappling with that experience, we started from a place of distrust with the institution. Right? And even though on advancement side we didn't create that distrust, it was based off of the experience at the institution. We had a valuable opportunity to be a broker of trust and to really build that bridge, to connect them back to the institution and so I want for everyone who watches this to think about not just, you know, the beginning of those relationships, but as Meredith mentioned, those relationships are where trust has been broken, whether via someone on our team or just their institutional experience and how you can serve as a catalyst or bridge between them and connecting them back to the institution and rebuilding that trust. And sometimes those relationships and from a personal perspective are so meaningful to be a part of that process and to see them regrow that trust with the institution. And so as we like to say, you know, an angry donor is not fully disconnected from the institution, there is some passion there and there's always a way or typically there's a way to reconnect them or to rebuild that trust with them. But you have to think strategically about that. Exactly. And so with that, we're so grateful for your time today. Please feel free to reach out to Anthony or myself if you have any questions. And we really hope you can use these tactics and strategies to successfully build trust based relationships. Thank you.

trust-based relationships

community college donors

workforce development

reliability

win-win strategy

continuous improvement