Do your fundraising efforts reflect your expectations?

Recently, I learned of an interesting comparison of fundraising efforts and expectations. 

A donor and active volunteer has a general interest in animal nonprofits and an community issues nonprofit. On the whole, she's been more active with the latter.

An animal nonprofit recommended to her by a a friend recently sent a holiday mailing with seven inspiring stories of animal lives saved, each ending with a thanks to her for making the saving possible. There was an incidental mention of a 1:1 matching gift campaign in this holiday communication.  

The community issues nonprofit asked the donor via email to commit to soliciting 30 contacts she hasn't been in regular communication with as part of a large endowment campaign. Apparently a major volunteer commitment doesn't even merit a phone call. This ask came on the heels of another email requesting "dues" from this donor and others like her, implying an obligation to give. Neither email communication contained any information on how gifts would be used.

In summary, this donor felt a huge disparity between fundraising efforts and expectations among the two organizations. She felt appreciated by the first organization and dismissed as not worth any effort but expected to give much by the second organization.

Guess which nonprofit received the donor's year end gift given in lieu of family Christmas present exchange?

As 2014, approaches, take a look back at your fundraising communications. Do your fundraising efforts reflect your expectations?

Photo credit above: http://www.flickr.com/photos/qisur/