You want to make a difference through your giving, so you provide significant support to the nonprofit organizations that matter most to you. However, you may not truly know what those nonprofits need to do their best work. The power imbalance that exists between donors and nonprofits means important things are often left unsaid. At the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP), we’ve collected candid, anonymous feedback over 15 years from more than 100,000 nonprofit leaders that can help.

Based on our research, here are five things that nonprofits want their donors to know but may not be telling them directly.

1. Understanding the needs of the constituents that nonprofits are serving is essential for donors and nonprofits alike.

WHAT NONPROFIT LEADERS SAY:

It is fundamental [for donors] to understand the needs of the people we’re serving because, otherwise, they cannot make informed decisions about the best priorities for where to spend their money.

2. Strong relationships between donors and nonprofits are grounded in understanding and openness.

WHAT NONPROFIT LEADERS SAY:

They form a true partnership with us….They truly care not just about the program they are funding but about the entire organization, and they want us to succeed.

3. Generous, unrestricted financial support best enables nonprofit leaders to strengthen their organizations.

WHAT NONPROFIT LEADERS SAY:

Unrestricted dollars would provide us with the ability to invest in our infrastructure: technology, staff development and retention, and advocacy.

4. Most nonprofits want to assess their performance so they can learn and improve, and they could use more support to do this.

WHAT NONPROFIT LEADERS SAY:

[The donor] is very interested in how, what, and how often we measure how we’re doing and [has] always been willing to fund endeavors related to data collection and analysis.

5. Providing support beyond money can help nonprofit staffs strengthen their skills, make important connections, and better pursue their missions.

WHAT NONPROFIT LEADERS SAY:

Provide knowledge of best practices and additional resources that are available to supplement the work [you] are funding.

Read the full article about what nonprofits want donors to know by the Center for Effective Philanthropy.