Donor retention: How to keep your donors engaged and willing to give

The end of the year is a flurry of fundraising. From Give to the Max Day to holiday appeals, everyone knows they’ve got to reach out to their donors. But what’s really important is what comes next. Donor retention is all about keeping your supporters engaged and willing to give.  

1) Get to Know Each Other 

When someone donates to your organization, joins an event, signs a petition, or opts into your emails, it’s an expression of who they are.  Pay attention to who is doing what, and consider how you can maximize where they’re connecting with you.  

Tip: Always add the person’s name and origin to your CRM; it's the key to knowing each of your donors more personally. 

2) Offer a Gift in Return 

Reciprocity is a common value; when someone does something for us, we feel we should do something nice in return. So when you receive a donation, go beyond a thank-you letter or even handwritten card by giving donors something they’ll love. What's valuable? What can your organization give? Time, expertise, connection.  

Consider: Might there be a program, event, special message, or publication that would give your donors the gift of time, expertise, or connection? 

3) Invest in Multi-platform Communications 

Nonprofits often rely too heavily on email to communicate with supporters. Similarly, it can be tempting to lean on social media as an easy way to get your message to many people at one time. We get it—it's easy, fast, and inexpensive. However, the online environment is more crowded and less trustworthy than it used to be.  

When you do use email and social media, elevate your image and message to make it worth the donors' time to engage.  

Even better: Add in-person events (free for the donor!), phone calls (affordable for you!), and print (annual report, postcards, event invites, oh my!) to your rotation. A diversity of touchpoints positions you as a reliable resource and helps your message get through.  

4) Actually Ask! 

Believe it or not, research shows that the #1 reason donors don't give again after their first gift is because they were simply never asked. Or they didn't see the ask you did send because it wasn’t direct, personal, or diversified in its delivery.  

It’s very easy to avoid this mistake! Make sure you're directly asking donors and prospects for their support at least three times a year, and indirectly every chance you get.