On August 24, 2006 the International Astronomical Union declared that Pluto was no longer a planet, demoting it to the status of a "dwarf planet." How sad for Pluto.

Reflecting on this re-classification, I have been thinking about a donor's relationships to charitable organizations in astronomical terms.

For instance, if your organization is the donor's sun, you are the center of her philanthropic universe. She is proud to introduce you to her friends. She refers to the organization by saying "us" instead of "them."  It is lovely to be the sun.

If you are a planet, you show up on the radar once a year, and the donor writes a check. (Be careful - you are at risk of getting the Pluto treatment. Try to become a little more like the sun.)

If you are a dwarf planet, the donor sends a check occasionally, when she is feeling prosperous, and otherwise keeps you at arms length. Let's figure out how you can become a planet!

Pluto is a just an ice-covered rock, and was unable to prevent its demotion. But the good news for your organization is that you can influence how your donors see you. A sincere "thank you" is a great place to start. After making a gift, a donor is basking in the afterglow of his generosity. If you can catch him basking, and start a conversation, you could be on the way to becoming a sun.

A recent survey of the wealthiest donors in the country inquired why they had stopped giving to organizations they used to support. The most frequent answer, checked by 59% of those surveyed, was "we were too frequently solicited or asked an inappropriate amount." Ouch. That's almost twice as many as the number that indicated that their interests had changed. What does this tell us? You are twice as likely to lose donors due to organizational clumsiness than to donors' attention drifting. So remember what happened to Pluto, and treat your donors right.

*The 2010 Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy, written by Indiana University's Center on Philanthropy.  It's worth the read -- shoot me an email if you would like me to send it to you.