4 Ways to Tell Your Donor, ‘You Made a Difference’

One of the top reasons why donors stop giving is that organizations never tell them how their giving made a difference. 

Most nonprofits, like yours, do a great job of talking about all of the great solutions and programs they have. You probably are also good at talking about problems and needs, and at sending out appeals to raise money. You may also be pretty decent at sending initial thank-you receipts, but you may have a hard time reporting back and specifically telling the donor about the impact of their gifts.

Reporting back on impact is so important in building a relationship of trust with your donors. It’s not enough to simply say, “thank you.” It’s not enough to share a problem and break the donor’s heart about the need in their community. 

When I do our communications planning with nonprofits, I make sure to regularly incorporate you-made-a-difference updates. Here are some of the ways you can say to your donors, “You made a difference.”

1. Share Real-Time Program Updates

Next time you visit your program team, do a quick selfie video to share what’s going on that day and how the donor has made it possible with their generosity. Or give them a video tour of a new facility they helped to fund. You can also ask for your CEO to record a message to donors to share some of the latest news and what’s coming up next. Or share a clip from a recent internal update. 

Video is a great way to help your donors feel connected to your programs, and it doesn’t need to be super polished. One fundraiser sent out a 15-second selfie video via text message to share what he was experiencing at the program that day, and had an amazing response from donors who appreciated the real-time update and felt included in his celebration.

2. Personalize an Official Impact Report

A lot of organizations prepare an official impact report through their marketing or communications department, sharing the statistical impact through data. You can personalize these reports by adding a handwritten note to your donor to thank them specifically for their support which makes your programs possible. 

3. Highlight a Personal Story From the Community Your Organization Serves

When your program team shares incredible stories about the lives and communities that your mission has touched, ask for permission to share those stories so that donors can hear more about the real impact of their generosity. 

And this also doesn’t need to be a glossy marketing piece. You can send it in an email or even clip it from your organization’s newsletter. For example, “Hi Dawn, I read this story and wanted to share — what an impact you’re making on this community. Thank you for your support.”

4. Host a Private Event to Connect Your Donor to the Program Team or Bring Your Donor to the Scene

One of the best ways you can develop connections and show impact is by bringing your donors together with the team fulfilling the work, or those impacted. Some nonprofits host small group events with donors who have a similar passion area and the program team that is executing that work. These can be powerful opportunities for donors to hear about the work being done and see how their gifts are being used.  

I cannot stress enough how important it is to show your donors how they’re making a difference. Without this piece, you will struggle to create meaningful partnerships with your donors. Why? Because when a donor doesn’t think you need or want them as a partner in this work, they’ll start giving somewhere else. 

I encourage you to block some time in the next few weeks to think about how you can meaningfully report back to your donors. Start with your top tier and begin working this into your regular planning sessions. You’ll be surprised by what a difference this will make. 

The preceding post was provided by an individual unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of NonProfit PRO.