Valentine-Monterey-Aquarium-300x300.jpg

10 Strategies to Celebrate Nonprofit Donors on Valentine’s Day

Last year, you posted about sending donors valentines, which I came across a bit too late in the game, so I sent emails. But, this year, I kept that idea and planned for it, and sent handmade valentines to my top level donors. I felt like I was in 2nd grade with my glue stick and doilies, but the response has been amazing! Not only did my colleagues get in on the action, but I have received nothing but great comments via email and phone calls. Definitely a practice I’ll do every year. Thanks for the great idea! 

— Rebekah Cross, Special Gifts Officer, Guiding Eyes for the Blind

I love a good celebration.

And nothing is more worth celebrating than a holiday, and your donors!

You’ve still got time to send a little love your donors’ way! It’s been a tough, and for many a lonely, isolating and “othering” few years. Chances are good we’re still in for a long season of time during which donors could really use a little extra love from you. Many folks — your donors included — are love starved right now.

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 roughly  8 out of 10 first-time donors and close to 6 out of 10 of all donors.

Don’t be one of those “take the money and run” organizations!

If donors only hear from you when you want something from them, they’re not likely to give more. Or even give again.

Be generous! Show donors how much their support means to you.

Really, donor love should be like breathing for you. In and out. Out and in.

  • They love you, and show you (usually by giving a monetary gift).
  • You love them, and show them (usually by offering an intangible “feel good” like prompt, personal and repeat gratitude).

You’ll be amazed at how a little love can go a long way.

This year why not dedicate Valentine’s Day to giving, not asking?

If you can’t send valentines to every donor, select a segment or two.

Think about those donors for whom you’d like to show some special love, because they showed you some. Show them you noticed! They could be:

  • Major donors.
  • Monthly donors.
  • Donors who’ve given faithfully for five years or more.
  • Donors who increased their giving this year.
  • First-time donors of $100+.
  • Donors who also volunteer.
  • Board and committee members.
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Three San Francisco Hearts: Heart Wood; Magic Hecksagon; Heart Still Beating

Beyond Money: Why Belonging Is the Key to Sustainable Philanthropy

“Philanthropy, at its core, is not a financial system — it’s a behavioral one. Donor trust, like patient trust, is built on consistent signals of safety, empathy, and responsiveness. When those signals break — when follow-ups don’t happen, gratitude feels mechanical, or communication becomes sporadic — relationships weaken.” — Sanjay Bindra Bindra makes a neurochemistry case…

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Man running with money

Giving Tuesday: Don’t Take the Money and Run

Man running with money

The Day After

The absolute worst thing you can do the day after Giving Tuesday is nothing.

As tempting as it is to let out a sigh of relief that it’s over, resist that temptation.

It’s not time to relax yet.

Nothing comes of nothing.

And a huge part of your goal with Giving Tuesday should be to strengthen your bonds with donors.

That’s the real something you’re after.

It’s not just about the money you raise today.

Your goal with any fundraising strategy is to retain and, ultimately, upgrade these transactional donors. The name of the game in the business of sustainable fundraising is lifetime donor value. [Here’s a great book on the topic: Building Donor Loyalty: The Fundraiser’s Guide to Increasing Lifetime Value.]

Run towards, not away.

Treat Giving Tuesday as a Special Event

Like it or not, Giving Tuesday is a ‘special event.’ That means embracing both pre-planning and post event strategies. This, of course, is labor-intensive during a really busy time of year.  Which is why I recommend #GratitudeTuesday as an alternative,than adding yet one more event to your to-do list. If you’re on board with a traditional #GT strategy however, youve likely put a fair amount of planning, resources and time into this event. This involves the attention of more than one staffer and/or volunteer. And it sucks time away from almost everything else in the week(s) leading up to it.

It can be a real drain.

Your job is to put a stopper in that drain so all your hard work doesn’t simply swirl down the drain and disappear. Would you work super hard to create a delicious soup you simmer over the stove for hours, maybe even days, and then take one little taste before you pour it out and start all over again with a new one? Endless work. And no one really gets to enjoy the meal.

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Organizational Strategic Priorities graphic

Why Aren’t Nonprofits Retaining More Donors?

Organizational Strategic Priorities graphic

Where does retention fall within your priorities?

EIght years ago,Tom Belford of The Agitator penned a post entitled “Donor Retention … Why Is It So Hard?”

At the time I thought: Great question!

Alas, things haven’t improved. It’s still hard.

Why, oh why, oh why?!?!

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,

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woman holding man's hand for safety

4 Nonprofit Strategies to Build Donor Trust & Lasting Relationships

woman holding man's hand for safety

Trust is Built By What You Do

 

In my last article, I wrote about why establishing and building trust should be part of your nonprofit and personal mission.

Because trust is the foundation of all lasting relationships.

If you don’t build trust, or if you somehow manage to destroy it, you’re going to lose your donor.

It’s an uphill battle, requiring a proactive approach.

Sadly, most nonprofits do a profoundly poor job of this.  By now you’re likely familiar with the stats on donor retention from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project.  The most recent report revealed only 13.8% of first-time donors renewed. Only half of all donors renew, which is still an appallingly low rate — but certainly speaks to the importance of securing a second gift..

If you want to improve on these retention rates (and you definitely can!), I’m going to suggest you develop a plan to build trust.

Trust is built not simply by what you say, but by what you do.  Not just once, but consistently over time.

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10 Common Nonprofit Major Gift Asking Mistakes to Avoid

When you’re not aware you’re making a mistake, it’s hard to avoid it.

So let’s get curious. I’m going to ask you to close your eyes for a minute to imagine a donor you’ve been wanting to ask for a major gift. I’m going to ask you to visualize a space where you’re meeting. Put them in your office, their home, a café or even a Zoom screen. Choose what’s comfortable, and where you think you’d be most likely to meet with this donor within the next month or so.

Okay… do you have your donor and your meeting space in mind? Excellent!

Now, before closing your eyes, commit to visualizing these four things:

  1. You’re in the room together.
  2. You smile. They smile back.
  3. Someone else is in the room with both of you. . Imagine you brought them with you. Who are they, and how does it feel having them there to support you?
  4. Bolstered by the smiles and good company, what do you say to open the conversation?

SELF-EXERCISE: Okay, are you ready to close your eyes? Even if this feels a little weird, why not give it a try? (1) Pick your donor… (2) your meeting space… (3) your additional person supporting you in the room… and (4) open the conversation. What are you saying to them? What are they saying back? Don’t think in terms of pitching what they can do for you, but in terms of promising what you can do together. Play this scenario out just a bit, until you get to a place of comfort or discomfort. Then open your eyes.

What did that feel like?

What felt comfortable to you? Uncomfortable? Did it feel more comfortable and pleasant than you may have imagined?  Smiling people, committed to the same cause, hanging out in a comfortable space together…. from such a space can come many good things.

  • What did you say to open the conversation?
  • How did that feel?
  • If it felt good, why?
  • If it didn’t feel good, why?
  • What might feel better?
  • Do you think it might feel better to the donor too?

REFLECT and JOURNAL: Take a few minutes to quickly journal some answers to the questions posed above. Whatever comes to mind first is great; don’t overthink this. I guarantee this will help you shift the energy for the next time you move into this space – in real time – with a donor.

A Mistake is Just a Misjudgment

It’s not fatal; you can correct it. But first you have to recognize it happened!

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Event guests wearing masks

Nonprofit Event Fundraising: They’ll Never Forget How You Made Them Feel

Event guests wearing masks

 

In Part 1 we looked at establishing event goals and objectives; then determining if an event was the most efficient and effective way to achieve desired outcomes. In Part 2 we reviewed 4 top event planning tips. In this last article of a three-part series on event planning we’ll look specifically at how to make the event “stick” emotionally.

1. Overall, we’ve recognized most events are less about actual monetary return on investment (ROI) than they are about return on engagement (ROE). In other words, if you’re doing an event purely to raise money there are other more cost-effective fundraising strategies.

2. However, events done right are an excellent awareness-raising, branding and donor cultivation tool. You just have to go into events fully cognizant of what success will look like, both from your organization’s and your donor’s perspectives.  Only armed with this understanding can you create events that will be worth your while.

3. Today we look at ways to make events – once you’ve decided to hold them – fulfill both your and your donors’ dreams. This is where you deliver on becoming unforgettable — in a truly great way — so the next time you reach out you are warmly embraced. In other words, this is the first step to getting event attendees to stick with you over time.

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Valentine-Monterey-Aquarium-300x300.jpg

10 Strategies to Celebrate Nonprofit Donors on Valentine’s Day

Last year, you posted about sending donors valentines, which I came across a bit too late in the game, so I sent emails. But, this year, I kept that idea and planned for it, and sent handmade valentines to my top level donors. I felt like I was in 2nd grade with my glue stick and doilies, but the response has been amazing! Not only did my colleagues get in on the action, but I have received nothing but great comments via email and phone calls. Definitely a practice I’ll do every year. Thanks for the great idea! 

— Rebekah Cross, Special Gifts Officer, Guiding Eyes for the Blind

I love a good celebration.

And nothing is more worth celebrating than a holiday, and your donors!

You’ve still got time to send a little love your donors’ way! It’s been a tough, and for many a lonely, isolating and “othering” few years. Chances are good we’re still in for a long season of time during which donors could really use a little extra love from you. Many folks — your donors included — are love starved right now.

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 roughly  8 out of 10 first-time donors and close to 6 out of 10 of all donors.

Don’t be one of those “take the money and run” organizations!

If donors only hear from you when you want something from them, they’re not likely to give more. Or even give again.

Be generous! Show donors how much their support means to you.

Really, donor love should be like breathing for you. In and out. Out and in.

  • They love you, and show you (usually by giving a monetary gift).
  • You love them, and show them (usually by offering an intangible “feel good” like prompt, personal and repeat gratitude).

You’ll be amazed at how a little love can go a long way.

This year why not dedicate Valentine’s Day to giving, not asking?

If you can’t send valentines to every donor, select a segment or two.

Think about those donors for whom you’d like to show some special love, because they showed you some. Show them you noticed! They could be:

  • Major donors.
  • Monthly donors.
  • Donors who’ve given faithfully for five years or more.
  • Donors who increased their giving this year.
  • First-time donors of $100+.
  • Donors who also volunteer.
  • Board and committee members.
Details
Leave a commentDonor Retention