Recently Tom Belford of The Agitator penned a post entitled “Donor Retention … Why Is It So Hard?”
Great question!
I’d like to explore this a bit, and I hope you’ll join me.
First, are you finding it difficult?
If so, why do you think that’s the case?
If not, and you’re being successful getting repeat gifts,
DetailsYour nonprofit has a variety of different constituencies. You need to devise communication strategies that connect with all of them.
Because, guess what?
All of your ‘customers’ are potential donors.
Which is why you should take mastery of nonprofit content marketing seriously. It’s not something you should simply delegate to marketing staff.
They need your input. And you need theirs.
Let’s consider your different nonprofit ‘customers’ for a moment.
They begin with actual users of your services… then range to volunteers… social media followers and advocates… community leaders with whom you interact… and philanthropic donors. Then there are your most likely potential ‘customers’ in all of these categories, including
DetailsValentine’s Day offers the perfect opportunity for donor stewardship!
And you’ve still got time to send a little love your donors’ way.
Why might this be something for you to consider, amidst all the other “to-do’s” on your plate?
If you don’t do a lot more donor loving, you’re going to do a lot more donor losing.
I hope by now you know donor retention is the name of the game. It costs so much more to acquire a new donor than to keep an existing one. Yet too few nonprofits have serious, intentional donor stewardship programs in place. Because of that, on average, nonprofits lose more than 8 out of 10 first-time donors and more than 6 out of 10 ongoing ones.
Don’t be one of those organizations whose donors only hear from you when you want something from them.
Be generous, and show them how much their support means to you. Do this frequently, like it’s part of breathing for you.
They love you, and show you.
You love them, and show them.
You’ll be amazed at how a little love can go a long way.
There are 364 other days each year on which you can fundraise.
This year why not dedicate Valentine’s Day to giving, not asking? Think about those donors for whom you’d like to show some special love, because they showed you some. Show them you noticed! It could be:
Major donors.
Monthly donors.
Donors who’ve given faithfully for five years or more.
Donors who increased their giving this year.
Donors who also volunteer.
Board and committee members.
