Thanking donors is the best and easiest way to improve your overall fundraising results. Here are some ways you can show your donors the love by thanking them:
- Thank donors promptly. Don’t let weeks (or hours if it’s online) go by without thanking a donor.
- Thank donors for the same things you asked them for. If you asked them to feed a hungry child, don’t thank them for fighting world poverty.
- Call your donors to thank them. Especially first-time donors. You will stand out in their lives if you do this, and they will be much more likely to stick with you.
- Have a newsletter. Make sure it’s all about the great things your donors make possible — not a brag-fest about your organization and staff.
- Have a donor-focused, action-oriented brand. Build your brand around the concrete ways your donors can change the world by giving to your organization.
- Reach out to donors regularly, just to thank them. Most of us only encounter cranky, disgruntled donors when they complain. We don’t see the delightful side of most typical donors.
- Share the stories of heroic donors. Not only those who give large gifts but those who give in notable and sacrificial ways. Make these stories famous within your organization and among your donors!
These are proven ways to keep donors longer, encourage them to upgrade, and generally get more engagement and connection.
Learn more about how to connect with donors in a meaningful way by taking our most popular online course, Irresistible Communications for Great Nonprofits. It’s available for members of The Fundraisingology Lab. Check it out.
2 Comments. Leave new
I think we should remember that a thank you has to be more than a pre programmed SMS or email if we wish to keep it real and genuine. Automation is good but it does not replace a call or an email, wherever possible.
This is a great reminder, thanks!
Thank you Jeff, and Sean, and Christiana All true. And hand written notes also build donor loyalty (as you know).