Helping Donors Abroad Connect With Your Work

Helping Donors Abroad Connect With Your Work

A donor can understand every word of your update and still struggle to understand the work. A familiar local institution may need explaining. A program milestone may mean little without context. An invitation may arrive at a time when joining is impossible.

These details deserve attention when we steward donors abroad. The people abroad reading our messages may experience our organization almost entirely through the communications and conversations we create for them.

As fundraising professionals, we need to approach international donor relationships with curiosity. We need to understand what connects each donor to the mission and how to make that connection meaningful from a distance.

5 practical places to begin deepening donor relationships

1-Start with the connection that brought them to you

A donor's country of residence tells you relatively little about why they give. Someone living in London may know your community well. A supporter in New York may have encountered your organization through a friend and be learning about the work for the first time.

For a nonprofit located in another country, or even continent, a donor's connection might come through family, heritage, a visit, or a particular interest in the mission. Each offers a different starting point for conversation. Ask what first drew them to the organization and which aspects of the work they would like to follow.

You can then choose relevant updates without assuming that every donor abroad shares the same knowledge or motivation. Someone who knows your country well may still need an introduction to the specific community you serve, or region you are impacting.

2-Let cultural awareness guide your questions

Tone, formality, and recognition deserve attention when working across countries. Expectations may differ among donors in the United States, the United Kingdom, Central Europe, and Israel. Those observations are useful prompts for inquiry; individual preferences still need to guide the relationship.

Learn how the donor likes to be addressed (are you on a first-name basis, or is more formal the way to go?) Ask before recognizing a gift publicly. Find out whether they appreciate brief personal updates, detailed reports, or a conversation with someone close to the program.

One donor may welcome a short video message. Another may prefer an email they can read and revisit. Record those preferences so colleagues can use them too. This makes personalization possible even when more than one person manages the relationship.

3-Explain the local context behind your impact

Read your next update as someone who has never visited your organization. Where would they need an explanation? Look closely at acronyms, place names, institutional references, and descriptions of the people you serve.

For example, an Israeli nonprofit reporting an expansion into a new municipality could explain who will gain access to the service, what was previously unavailable, and how the expansion addresses that gap. The place name alone cannot tell that story.

Pay attention to practical details as well. Identify currencies clearly and use measurements your audience can understand. If you provide currency equivalents, make clear that they are approximate. Choose language and spelling appropriate to your readers.

Your case for support can help you maintain consistency. Return to the need, your response, and the change you are working toward. Explain how the update relates to that larger purpose, then adapt the examples and level of detail to the people receiving it.

3-Create opportunities for conversation from a distance

A small online conversation with a program leader can give donors access to questions and perspectives that a written report cannot anticipate. It can also help your team hear what interests or concerns supporters abroad.

Design the session around a clear purpose. You might invite a few donors to hear what the team has learned during a program's first year, followed by time for discussion. Ask for questions in advance so participants can help shape the conversation.

Consider time zones when scheduling and offer a short written recap to people who cannot attend. During the session, explain local references and leave enough room for donors to speak. Afterwards, respond to unanswered questions and follow up on anything you promised to share.

This can be a manageable starting point for a team with limited resources. Pilot one conversation with a small group, learn from it, and decide whether the format is useful enough to repeat.

4-Ask donors what would make stewardship more useful

Before investing in a new report or event series, invite a few trusted donors to respond to a sample. You could ask:

• What would you like us to explain more clearly?

• Which parts of our work would you like to hear more about?

• How would you prefer us to keep you informed?

  
  

A short survey, a personal email, or a conversation can all help. If you use a survey, make space for donors to suggest something you have not considered. Follow up where a response opens an important question or points to an unmet expectation.

Then show donors that their input has influenced your decisions. If they ask for clearer explanations of program outcomes, improve the next update and let them know their feedback helped.

Start with one communication you already plan to send. Ask a donor abroad to review it, make a useful change, and carry that learning into your next interaction. Over time, these decisions can help donors feel closer to the work and more comfortable taking part in it.

If you are developing your international donor engagement, I would be happy to explore how your communications and stewardship can reflect the people you want to reach.

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Tanja Sarett, MA, CFRE, CVF, is an international fundraising consultant, facilitator, and executive coach based in the US and Israel, and the founder of Synergies in Philanthropy Consulting.

Synergies in Philanthropy Consulting provides strategic, creative, and hands-on fundraising + resource development consulting for nonprofits, charities, foundations, and Israeli amutot across the U.S., Europe + Israel. We help organizations strengthen fundraising, expand into new markets - particularly the United States - and build sustainable donor relationships. Our approach combines deep fundraising expertise with donor intelligence, compelling messaging, innovation, facilitation + coaching to turn strategy into action.