Category: Donor Retention

9 NONPROFIT EMAILS THAT WORK

Sleeknote recently shared a blog that spoke to the special email difficulties nonprofits face and offered 9 emails, actual emails, that work. Take a look and get some good ideas!

UNIQUE FUNDRAISING EVENTS

Summertime is a perfect time to entertain and thank your Major Donors! It is also a perfect time to entertain and evaluate unique fundraising events to add to your annual calendar. Delight your donors with these unique ideas!

DOES YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE DELIVER DONOR HAPPINESS?

July 4th and lots of peeps are on vacation! Seems a great time to ask the question, how’s your customer service? Who and How are your donors being communicated with this summer?

Need Some Creative Ways to Thank Your Donors?

How about some great ideas for thanking your donors that will keep you showing sincere gratitude while building a solid connection and future relationship? check it out!

Thanking Your #GivingTuesday New Donors

Everyone agrees that #givingtuesday is a new donor goldmine but that gold will quickly disappear if you’re not instantly welcoming and thanking those wonderful peeps qui

ULTIMATE DONOR THANK YOU CHECKLIST

You’ve got the donation, but your work is not done. Sending a great thank you letter is the most important step in keeping your donors for the long term.

Thank you letter checklist

You’ve got the donation, but your work is not done. Sending a great thank you letter is the most important step in keeping your donors for the long term. Lisa Sargent has compiled an essential thank you letter checklist for the Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration website, www.sofii.org.

Here are some important questions to ask about your thank you letter. Hint: All your answers should be “yes!”

1. Is your letter personalized? Do you mention the gift amount?
2. Do you start with something other than “Thank you for your gift”? Use an exciting lead.
3. Do you tell your donor when and how they will next hear from you?
4. If this is a repeat gift, do you also thank the donor for their past generosity and continued contributions or support?
5. If this is a gift membership, do you thank the giftee and talk about what this kind of gift makes possible? And do you send a thank you letter to the giftor as well?
6. Do you say something new or timely in the PS? Upcoming opportunities to meet with you make a perfect PS.
7. Do you include a contact number or email for your donor to use if they have a question?
8. Do you need to thank them for something specific? Examples of this include a membership, a holiday gift, or a memorial.
9. Do you reference something specific such as a gift you’ll be sending or a certificate you have enclosed?
10. Do you mention your Facebook or social media page in your letter? Include a call to action directing them to your page.
Now that you have confirmed that you have included all the essential information, here are some additional guidelines for writing a successful thank you letter.
1. Keep the letter short. It should be three to four paragraphs plus your PS.
2. Include required tax deductible language.
3. Use the word “you.” Don’t use “we” or “our,” because they make it happen and your thank you should focus on the donor.
4. Thank them more than once in the letter.
5. Proof your letter. Read it out loud and have someone else check it for grammar and spelling.
6. Hand sign them all if you can. If you have too many donors, determine the dollar amount that you will hand sign. Phone calls are also great additions when thanking your top donors!
7. DO NOT include an additional ask or a request to upgrade to monthly giving. Instead, it is acceptable to include a reply envelope.

WHY DONORS GIVE MORE

Want to know why Donors Give More? The Burk Donor Survey provides some revealing answers!

Want to know why Donors Give More? The Burk Donor Survey provided some great info about donors and guess what? 21,000 donors completed this survey and 1/3rd of those donors said they could give more! Better watch for some handy tips as you get ready now for year-end fundraising!

Why Donors Give More

We can really boost our fundraising with a little insight into our donor’s minds. Fortunately, The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported the results from The Burk Donor Survey. The report includes some great information about why donors give or don’t give and how to inspire them to give more.
21,000 donors completed the survey and a third of them said that they could give more!!!

Research

Your donors are researching what you are doing. Here is where they are finding their information:
• 54% look at your website.
• 42% consult an online charity watchdog.
• 27% search online for information about your group.
• 26% ask people they trust about your organization.
• 23% review news media reports about your group.
The research your donor’s conduct has a big impact on their decision to make a gift.
• 41% decide not to donate after seeing a charity’s website.
• 41% say a charity’s results determine whether they make a gift.

Donor Quotes

“I would prefer to give more to fewer causes where I can see the results.” Donors want to make an impact!

“Non-profits would do better focusing on success stories … then by trying to make those of us who are considering donating feel privileged and guilty.” Stories are important!

“I dislike being bombarded by donation requests.” Be strategic in your appeals!

“A number of causes left me feeling personally unappreciated.” Saying thank you is essential!

Giving MORE

So why do donors give more? Here are the two biggest reasons donors gave:

• 41% were impressed with the efforts of the nonprofit.
• 26% responded to a special request for support.
How can you inspire your donors to give more? Here are the top five answers:
• 22% would give more if the charity demonstrated an extraordinary need for support.
• 22% would give more if they saw reduced administrative and fundraising expenses.
• 21% would like you to stop sending unwanted gifts and trinkets.
• 19% would give more if the charity sent fewer solicitations.
• 15% would like more information on what gifts accomplish.

Remember, 31% of donors said they could have given more. And 41% of donors under the age 35 said they could have given more. Don’t leave this money on the table! Every little effort – your stories, your website, your donation page, your thank you notes – it all adds up and will pay off.

A WINNING NEW DONOR WELCOME KIT

Most new donors will never give again, 70% to be more specific! So how do you keep them and turn them into loyal advocates for your cause?

Follow these brilliant steps from the New Welcome Plan Save the Children has put together! It Works!

And put together a welcome plan now in time for those #GivingTuesday new donors you are going to acquire this year!