I think that every donor, no matter how small, needs to feel like his or her gift is valued. Obviously board members and other wealthy patrons are going to give the most money, but that doesn't mean that not every gift matters.

I worked at an arts organization who had specific events for smaller donors (and even a young professionals fund raiser) so that these people could come together and not feel overshadowed by the huge donors. I think that this was a good way to acknowledge the small donations, and make them feel just a worthy as the bigger donors, since most people think that the wealthy people get invited to special events.

I think that part of the reason that museums only recieve a few large donations as opposed to more numerous but smaller donations is that museums tend to scoff at small donations. For instance, I know of a small museum which encourages donations, but you can't even become a member of the museum 'friends' for under $5,000 a year. Most people, especially in today's economy, can't afford to give away that kind of money even if they want to. As a result these people don't donate anything because they feel that the museum wouldn't accept or appreciate it. If museums want more patronage from a large group of people they need to let people know that every little bit counts and that it's important to them. But they shouldn't make them feel as though a small amount doesn't matter to them; it only hurts them in the long run.

I think the best way to attract smaller, less wealthy donors is to make museums feel like they belong to those people. Non-profits are supposed to be available not for the owners but for the good of the community.

Sometimes museums are not welcoming for the community. They may seem too uppity or stuffy. They seem elite. That can be a turn off for less wealthy people for two reasons. First, they assume that the museum is already getting enough support from the rich. And second, they may not feel like their contributions would mean anything because they would be "small."

If museums want to attract more donations from lower income brackets they need to tailor parts of the museum experience to those people. Unless visitors have a connection with a museum they will not want to donate to it. Simple things can be done to build connections between the prospective donor and the museum. For example, creating more interactive exhibits is a simple way to get visitors engaged in *using* the museum regardless of how rich they are.

Museums must also make sure to show donors what their donations do! Make it known that each dollar counts!

Maybe arts orgs should take a lesson from the Obama campaign? http://tinyurl.com/dj4ovf

Wow, that's some tough love from Mr. Ellis.

In the past, some arts fundraising staff may have felt that the ROI on cultivating anyone but the super-rich was too small to justify.

I'm guessing one reason for the smaller return is our tendency to want to use one message for everyone. And for expediency, that message tends to be whatever resonates with the wealthy.