Category: Donor Stewardship

Why Donors Give More?

Wondering Why Some Donors Give More

Why Do Donors Give More?

Ever wondered why some donors give more?

We did some sleuthing and found we can boost our fundraising with a little insight into our donor’s minds.

Fortunately for us, The Chronicle of Philanthropy published some great detective work  from The Burk Donor Survey. This report gives us some very reliable information on why donors give or don’t give and how to inspire them to give more.

21,000 donors completed the Burk Donor Survey and a third of donors said that they could give more!!! Interested in knowing more?

 

  DONORS ARE DOING 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.

  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.(CLK for video)

Thanking Your Donors With Sincere Gratitude

– Thank You Donor Letter Checklist

You’ve got the donation, but your work is not done. Thanking donors with sincere gratitude is now the important task at hand!

In fact, writing and sending a great thank you letter is the most important step in keeping your donors for the long term.

Here’s some help from an expert, Lisa Sargent. Lisa has compiled an essential thank you letter checklist for the Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration website, www.sofii.org and here are some highlights.

Before you send that Thank You letter, ask yourself these important questions

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 gifted and talk about what this kind of gift makes possible? And do you send a thank you letter to the gift or 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.

Confirm that you have included all the essential information!

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. Handsign all letters if you can. If you have too many donors to thank (lucky you), 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.

Check out this YouTube Playlist for more donor fundraising tips: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTRcyFzYNeuQ1AP2aOqCQzbqiojDSrWrb

Build lasting wonderful relationships with your donors.

Call and check in and watch your retention grow!

Here are more great tips: https://callhub.io/improve-donor-stewardship/

Retention is the 2017 Game Plan


Keep Your Donors!

Did you know that 8 out of 10 of your New Donors will not give another gift?

There is a lot of good work you can do now to reverse a drooping retention rate!

And here’s more Retention Info: https://bloomerang.co/blog/new-study-shows-donor-retention-rates-are-in-decline/

Re-Energize Donor Retention Rate in 2017

Retention rates have been down for non-profits since 2008 and are not improving at 46%.

8 out of 10 New Donors now only give one gift and are gone!

Here are strategies and tactics to reverse that retention rate now!

How to Make the Major Gift ASK

How do you make your donor “Asks”? Does it unnerve you or are you ready to go with enthusiasm, energy, and confidence?

I just finished reading ASKING by Jerold Panas and loved it and share some of his Asking advice with you in this video.

Have great questions for 25% of Ask appointment and 75% designated for Listening! 🙂

Donor Journey to Increased Retention Rate and Lifetime Loyalty

The Donor Journey begins with that first donation!

Did you know that Individual donors account for 72% of all giving? Just think of how much more you could raise if you could retain and upgrade all of your donors. The sky is the limit! It is essential that you take the necessary steps to not only keep your donors but to encourage them to give more.

Retain Your Donors

Your current donors are your low-hanging fruit, your easiest targets. You already know they are invested in your cause and they care about your mission. However, if you don’t handle them correctly, they could very easily take their donations elsewhere. Here’s how to keep them:

  • APPRECIATE THEM!
  • Organize a call unit to make phone calls to thank them for their past donations. Mention how grateful your organization is for their support in each appeal letter. Make sure they feel special and valued.
  • TELL THEM HOW THEY MADE A DIFFERENCE.
  • What did you do with the last gift your donor sent you? Did it pay for 10 children to attend camp? Buy food for 20 families? Sharing the tremendous impact that your donor made on the lives of others will not only make them feel good about their last gift, it will make them eager to give again!
  • Click For Detailed Retention Steps from Capital Business Solutions!

UPGRADE YOUR DONORS

A sure way to raise more money for your cause without even having to find more donors is to get your current donors to give more. Some donors tend to send the same check year after year, while others may jump around based on their personal situation. Here are a few ideas for getting them to upgrade:

  • SUGGESTED GIVING LEVELS
  • How will your donor ever know that you could really use $150 instead of the $100 they’ve been sending every year? Simply suggesting a higher gift amount is sure to get your donor to at least consider upgrading. As long as it is done respectfully and thoughtfully, you’ll never offend a donor by suggesting a higher gift amount.
  • USE SPECIFIC DATA
  • Use specific numbers, goals, and costs when suggesting a donor increase their gift. Tell them why you need it and what it will do. Justify your ask.
  • MOVES MANAGEMENT
  • The most important thing you can do to upgrade your donors is developing a good moves management program. Look through your donor data and chart out who you plan to upgrade and how you plan to get there. Then, of course, make sure you follow your plan!
  • Click here for Detailed How-to Upgrade Information  from Bloomerang!

  • How to Handle Downgrades

    Some donors are going to downgrade. That’s life. Maybe they were hit with unexpected bills, a job change, or felt like they needed to spend more of their donation dollars somewhere else. Regarding these donors with care and respect is vital. Don’t lose these donors!

  • RECOGNITION 
  • Develop a recognition society based on longevity of giving. This will make your donors realize that they are still important to you. They’ll want to keep on giving to stay in the “club.”
  • COMMUNICATION
  • Keep the lines of communication open. Make sure they are still receiving information about your programs and the impact of their donation. You could even explore other methods of giving from in-kind gifts to planned giving.
  • Click here for Detailed Help With Managing Donor Downgrades from Sharpe Group!