Email
Call
24/7 Customer Support
24/7 Customer Support
Sep 4, 2024
Improving Donor Retention: Tips from the Experts
Looking for inspiration to keep your donors coming back? With barely four out of 10 donors giving year over year to an organization, improving donor stewardship and relationship building is essential to sustaining and growing your mission.
We’ve brought together a panel of partners, ready with tangible steps to help your team build relationships with your event, restricted funds, and annual campaign donors. We asked our panel, “What ideas do you have for nonprofits to increase their donor retention?” Experts from our on-site event management, donor engagement, and marketing partners shared tips for communication, in-person opportunities, social media, and more.
Explore more tips to help you improve donor retention, segment donor data for better targeting, steward your relationships, and more in our Go-To Guide for Donor Retention.
Segment and Focus Donor Engagement
After year-end (even now, entering tax season works!), take all of your donors who gave $1,000 or less—these are the most likely to lapse. For these donors, create a series of four emails, following this framework:
First Email
Thank donors for their gift (make mention of the specific amount they gave last year), and don't be afraid to describe, in detail, how meaningful or helpful the donation was and how it furthered your mission
Second Email
Share your organization's vision and how you want to expand your reach. Tell donors how difficult all of that is to do when you can't plan well. But with the runway and funds, your nonprofit can not only ensure your main programs are covered, but you can also start to budget and plan for your moonshot. Tell them this runway is created by people in your monthly giving program. Invite donors to, instead of giving the same amount as last year, give that amount divided by 10 and become a monthly sustainer this year.
Third Email
Tell donors more about your monthly giving program, how you communicate with members, and information on donor benefits. Share the value proposition of why a small, consistent monthly gift is more powerful than a larger one at the end of the year.
Fourth Email
Remind your donors of all that your organization accomplishes through your current programs through their partnership. Remind them of the vision you shared in the second email. Propose that, if they join your giving program, you don't have to pick between which one to make happen. The power of a monthly, consistent gift means you can continue to fulfill your programs while having the space and support to plan how to make your long-term vision a reality.
Segment and Focus Donor Engagement
Donors who see and understand the tangible impact of their donations are the ones who are most likely to stay involved with the organizations they support. And what better way to communicate donation impact than by making each dollar go twice as far with corporate matching gifts?
Not to mention, nonprofits that follow up regarding matching gift opportunities in the hours or days after a donor gives also benefit from the additional touch points in their engagement strategy. Matching gift reminder emails, for example, keep your cause at the forefront of donors’ minds for longer—and those who participate in matching gifts feel an increased sense of commitment and connection to the organization. The result is that matching gift donors are more likely to be retained over time.
Creating Meaningful Experiences
Nonprofits should focus on maintaining active and engaging communication with their supporters. Regular updates on projects, impactful stories, and donor spotlights via social media and enewsletters keep your mission at the forefront of their minds.
Additionally, involving donors in volunteer opportunities fosters a deeper connection to your cause. Make your events stand out by offering unique and memorable experiences that donors look forward to annually. This approach not only reinforces their commitment to your organization but also encourages ongoing support.
Engage Donors Throughout the Year
Nonprofits need to make sure to keep their donors engaged throughout the year. By sending updates on what the organization is up to and how their donations are being used, people feel connected.
As personal as you can get with the updates is best, but even a general email can support relationship building. By being able to let the donor know what progress has been made by the donation they had given, the donor can see the impact they've made.
Connect Donations Made with Real World Impact
Keep your donors up to date with where their dollars are going. If you asked for donations to build a park, send out photos of the build in process. Include videos of the kids eagerly anticipating their new park and what this will mean to them. You can also include videos of the team of builders and how much they enjoy creating something that will have a lasting impression on the next generation.
Anything that helps your donor know that their dollars are not just attached to your organization but a living, breathing person. You can build further engagement if you invite the donors out to the build, and let them paint or dig. This makes it personal for them and increases engagement and therefore retention.
Build Rapport Before, During, and After Events
Build a rapport with event attendees by sharing how their donation has positively impacted your organization's efforts, throughout the year after your event. This can be done with personalized thank you letters and emails, as well as on social media throughout the year.
Conclusion
As you look to increase donor retention and engagement, turn back to these expert tips from our panel of partners for inspiration. At GiveSmart, we’re grateful to power thousands of donations annually. Check out how our donor management software best supports your nonprofit’s donor stewardship and retention.
Related
Leveraging Fundraising and Donor Data: Tips from the Experts
Feeling drowned by data? With nearly three out of four organizations being concerned about their…
How to Avoid Being Ghosted by a Donor
Improve Your Donor Retention with Strategies Informed by The Fundraising Effectiveness Project Are you feeling…
Navigating Fundraising Data: How Custom Reporting Can Help
Understanding your fundraising data set is integral to fundraising success. The right reporting helps you…
