More than money: Why your donor is a key audience
By Lisa Ritchie, Communications Strategist and Founder of EngagingDev
Where does your donor agency sit in your program communications matrix?
When working on communications strategies for development programs, I stress the importance of treating the donor agency as a strategic audience. This is often initially met with confusion, even disagreement – but I persist.
Your donor agency belongs at the top of your communications matrix. For me, that is a non‑negotiable.
While donor interest or involvement in your program may ebb and flow based on the priorities of the day, it is important to keep them engaged and never lose sight of their influence.
Why is your donor agency a key audience?
The donor staff your programs engage with are often diplomats and decision-makers. And if they are not, they are reporting to people who are.
This is where their influence lies. Programs should equip their donor counterparts with the information they need to report accurately on program activities, progress and impact.
Importantly, we want our donor counterparts to advocate for our programs. This increases program visibility, understanding and longevity.
Donor agency staff wear many hats
Yes, donors provide funding. But their role is broader: they progress the national interest; build and sustain diplomatic relationships; and advocate on social and economic development issues.
To deliver on these responsibilities, donor staff must:
Report internally on program progress and be able to justify and defend budget spend and requests.
Have access to evidence of program progress to do demonstrate credibility internally and with partner governments and the public.
Be able to leverage the program diplomatically to progress and celebrate shared success with partner governments, while also pursuing sometimes sensitive discussions.
Your donor deserves priority considerations in your communications matrix.
What programs gain from strong donor communications
When we communicate effectively with our donor teams, 3 things happen:
Program credibility grows: They become champions, able to defend and explain your work inside their own systems.
Flexibility is unlocked: Strong communications create confidence in program approaches, giving donors the space to support adaptive approaches.
Future investment is possible: Programs that communicate strategically often pave the way for scaling, extensions or new funding.
In short, donor communications directly contribute to a program’s influence, leverage, longevity and impact.
How to communicate strategically with your donor agency
To strategically communicate with your donor, seek to:
Paint the big picture: Rather than simply ticking boxes, focus on communicating how and why outcomes matter.
Be honest and constructive: Share wins, but also lessons learned. Candour signals credibility, and donors often rely on program teams to share what does and does not work, particularly as it pertains to context and diplomatic partners.
Link program activities and outcomes to policy priorities: Align messages with the donor’s broader priorities and policies – whether geopolitical, sectoral or thematic – so program outcomes clearly connect to what matters most for them.
Prepare and respond: Understand your donor team's internal reporting process and their 'sphere of influence', and be prepared for the last-minute, ad-hoc requests.
The takeaway
Strategic donor communications will build trust, strengthen alignment and build relationships focused on program outcomes rather than contractual compliance.
By sharing more than just the ‘good news’, you can position your program as a credible, trusted and essential partner that delivers. In turn, your donor counterparts are positioned to positively influence program perceptions, direction, reach and longevity.
And that makes it one of the most important communications investments a development program can make.