Donor Love: Stewardship Best Practices That Keep Donors Giving

How do you love your donors? You should be able to count the ways! If you can’t, it may cost your organization time, effort, and money.

It’s Valentine’s week, and we all have love on the brain. But in the nonprofit world, every day should be Valentine’s Day for your donors. Donor love is a crucial component of effective donor retention.

If you’re in development, you’ve likely spent a lot of time fretting over your organization’s donor retention rate – the percentage of your donors who give year over year. Why is this number so significant? It is much easier — and less expensive — to keep a donor you already have than it is to recruit a new donor.

There are a number of factors that influence a donor’s decision to make an ongoing financial commitment to your mission. Chief among these is communication. It not only matters what you say to your donors, but how you say it, and how consistently you say it. 

Emotional investment leads to financial investment. Your donors are more than checkbooks. They are the lifeblood of your organization, and you cannot fulfill your mission without their support. Your goal should be to help them feel like absolute superheroes — because they are.

After a donor gives, donor love shows up in what you do next. There are three fundamental actions you can take to significantly increase the likelihood of receiving another gift next time you ask.

1. Acknowledgement

A letter should go out within 48 hours of receiving a gift (this is usually an automated email for online gifts). The letter should include some gratitude language, as well as pertinent information about the donation that the donor may need for tax purposes. Do not wait to send these. You don’t want your donors to think that either their donation is floating around in the ether and has not been received or, worse, that you don’t find their contribution worth your effort to acknowledge.

While these letters are important, they should just be the tip of the donor love iceberg. Even if your letter says, “thank you” multiple times, donors know this is a form letter that gets sent out to everyone who gives to your organization. You want to build a personal connection with your donors, and a form letter — no matter how well-written — is decidedly impersonal.

2. Thoughtful Thanks

After your acknowledgement letter goes out, it’s time to bring out the big guns: a personal thank-you. This can come in many different forms — a handwritten note, a phone call, or even a personalized video. All these things require someone to take time out of their day to make a personal effort to show appreciation. That effort demonstrates to your donors that their support matters.

You can score bonus points if these communications come from a board member, volunteer, or even a client who has benefited from your mission. There is nothing inherently wrong with a staff member performing this task. However, look at it from the donor’s perspective: Staff are paid to do it, whereas others are doing it out of the kindness of their hearts. Which carries a greater impact?

This initial thank you is the most important, but should not be the only time you thank your donor between asks. Every communication you send should convey gratitude. In addition, consider sending birthday cards, holiday cards, or other unexpected notes throughout the year to let your donors know you are thinking of them and that they are important members of your community.

3. Impact Reports

Don’t just stop at thanks. When donors give, they are making an investment in your mission. It is imperative that you inform them how their investment is paying off. They should receive regular updates on the impact of their gift.

Monthly or quarterly email newsletters are great, but don’t forget the donors for whom you do not have email addresses. You do not have to send snail mail newsletters at the same frequency as emails, but you should absolutely ensure that everyone in your donor database is receiving some form of update between asks. Let’s look at it from the donor’s perspective again: They donate, receive an acknowledgement and thank-you note or call right away, and then don’t hear a word from you for months before receiving another ask in the mail. Would that make you inclined to give again?

A quick note: Be thoughtful about the language you use. Do not frame any donor communications as “the work your organization is doing,” but rather as “the work that the donor makes possible.” This is called “you” language, and it keeps the narrative focused on the donor’s heroism.

Start implementing these donor love best practices now and watch that love come back around by this time next year in the form of stronger donor relationships and higher retention rates.

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of NonProfit PRO.