The Pentera Blog
Q&A with Pentera CEO Claudine Donikian: Claudine and Alex Brovey of Northwell Health Discuss Working with Donors in Uncertain Times
By Claudine A. Donikian, President & CEO, Pentera, Inc.
Pentera CEO Claudine Donikian recently spoke with Alex Brovey, senior director of gift planning at Northwell Health Foundation, about her experience with donors during these uncertain times due to the coronavirus. Here are excerpts from their conversation.
Claudine: Alex, in these unprecedented times, Pentera has sent out some recommendations to our clients regarding how to work with donors. I also wanted to speak with clients and some people in the field regarding their recent experiences for additional thoughts. What have you been hearing from donors?
Alex: We are reaching out to our donors, and we have been getting a number of calls from donors. It seems as if they just want to talk to someone; my sense is that some are calling because they want to be reassured. One donor called me two days in a row. He asked questions about estate planning; he is legitimately doing his estate plan. But he hasn’t ever called me two days in a row, and I have known him for ten years. It’s about reassurance.
Claudine: That makes a lot of sense given how uncertain things are right now. One of the things we are telling our clients in regard to stewardship is that this may be a good time to reach out to your donors and connect with them—not to ask for gifts unless they lead the conversation that way. How are you handling donor outreach in your office?
Alex: Yes, with people spending more time at home and perhaps contemplating life and their plans, it is a great time to reach out to donors. Check in with people and see how they are feeling. After all, what is the definition of stewardship? It means you care about your donors. The part of stewardship that is most important is the caring piece. Now is the time to let that shine.
Claudine: We are telling our clients that if they can’t visit in person because of a travel ban or people practicing social distancing, then scheduling calls and possibly even Facetiming donors, or other technology, might be the preferred alternative—even with local donors. This is generally a vulnerable population.
Alex: We are reviewing our legacy society list and calling people. Technology today allows us to spend time with our donors. It allows us to see each other and look into each other’s eyes without being there in person. You would be surprised how many older donors are on Facetime or texting us.
Claudine: What kind of things do you say on your calls?
Alex: “I’m just checking in on you. How’s it going?” I am starting with our single donors. I just want to see if they are aware of current recommendations regarding the virus. Most are in their 70s and 80s, and some have health conditions. They want reassurance that this, too, shall pass. I say, “I’d like to be able to check in on you again. What is the way you prefer? E-mail or phone or text?”
Claudine: What about your publications, your marketing newsletters? We are advising our clients, at least for now, to continue to send the educational information that donors are accustomed to receiving.
Alex: Stay the course. Don’t pull things already in progress. This might be a time when donors read the newsletter cover to cover. The newsletter arrives in the mail, it looks familiar, attractive, a nice shape, a nice size … It sends a double message: the information it contains and also that we’re taking care of you.
Claudine: The planned giving office is offering a service, a resource, by sending these materials. It’s important to remember that the marketing materials at their core are educational. It’s concretizing the service you are providing.
Alex: Exactly. It’s a subtle reminder of our mission as a health care organization.
Claudine: What final thoughts do you have for us?
Alex: Northwell hospitals and sites are in many communities—and we continue to care for people’s health needs, whether related to the pandemic or not. Our office is closed, but we are still working. I’m having calls forwarded to my cell phone. We contact our donors to show we care. We all might be self-isolating during this time, but we are not isolated.
Biography of Alexandra P. Brovey
Alex has worked in gift planning for more than 20 years at four nonprofit organizations (Penn State, Pace University, Stony Brook, and Northwell), with campaigns ranging from $100 million to $1.3 billion. Earlier in her career she focused on estate planning and administration as a member of the Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New York bars.
Alex is a president emeritus and mentor of the Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York in New York City. Alex is a past board member and treasurer of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners and recent chair of CGP’s Leadership Institute. She is a frequent lecturer across the United States on topics related to charitable giving and has had articles published in several national publications.
Alex has published a trilogy of books, Zen and the Art of Fundraising, that focuses on skills and related stories of how to be a successful fundraiser. She is working on a middle school book series.
Alex earned a B.A. from The Pennsylvania State University, Phi Beta Kappa, a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, and an LL.M. in estate planning from the University of Miami School of Law. Alex is an alumni interviewer for Georgetown Law and a career coach for Penn State University.
