Imagine this scenario: Your organization received a donation from a donor once or twice but have not received anything this year. Some nonprofit professionals may say well that donor is gone, time to find a new one. WRONG! Studies show that it costs less to retain, or re-engage, a lapsed [...]
Current donors are warm leads. When a donor has given to you once, you at least know they have some sort of linkage, interest or connection to what you do. They’re not with you for the long term yet, but getting them to give again isn’t like making a “cold [...]
With calendar year-end giving time right around the corner, most nonprofits are gearing up for the major push to bring in year-end donations. If that’s where you are at this point, you may be wondering how you’ll ever pull it off. The following three-step strategy will help you build a [...]
Alfie Kohn, the awesome education and parenting expert says this over and over as a sort of golden rule of parenting. I would argue that it’s great advice for any person in any relationship, but especially for fundraisers looking to connect with donors. When you’re talking, you’re focused on yourself, [...]
I’ve been preaching for 25 years about the importance of service quality in building donor loyalty. No, not the quality of service that your charity provides to its beneficiaries, but the quality of service that the fundraising team provides to its donors. Increasing donor satisfaction with that can massively pump [...]
Ever wonder what your donors are thinking? Sometimes, we slip into a mindset of “them and us.” Where we’re the insiders who work and donors are the outsiders who give. And while both are important, they must be different, right? Maybe not so much. And your fundraising success may depend [...]
My friend hates the word ‘donor.’ She isn’t a fundraiser...No, she’s a real person in the real world. And when she gets letters asking her to become a donor her mind strays to giving blood or donating her kidney. This blew my mind...how can the word ‘donor’...so ingrained in my [...]
Ever hear of this? A “Second Gift Strategy?” If yes, good for you! You’re likely beating the average when it comes to donor retention. If not, listen up! This may be the single most important thing you’ll learn all year. You. Must. Prioritize. On. First-time. Renewals. Got it? PRIORITIZE renewing [...]
You know what is an unsung holiday for loving on donors? Valentine's Day. You know who is not expecting to hear from you on Valentine’s Day? Your donors! Why not surprise them with some donor love? I’ve outlined 21 ways to show you care including a spotlight on a couple [...]
I’ve written on the subject of strategies to renew lapsed donors. Because folks who’ve demonstrated a willingness to support your cause are too valuable to let them fade away without making a concerted effort to win them back. What about nipping this problem in the bud, before your donor leaves [...]
In article #1 of this four-part series on donor retention and gratitude we discussed the benefits of thanking donors in a manner that resonates with them personally. In article #2 we looked at what will make your thank you stand out. In article #3 we looked at how donor retention [...]
Everyone involved with you deserves your gratitude. After all, without them you’d have no purpose. The key to showing meaningful gratitude is to think specifically about what you’re grateful for. And this will be different, both for different segments of donors and even for specific individuals within those segments. You [...]