Don't Ignore Your Lover/Donor After the First Date
Reinforcement for donors is critical after the first donation is made. Large numbers of donors never return to give again. The chart above provides a snapshot of how the relationship with a donor builds over time, and what sorts of actions to take during the ensuing phases to move the donor to commitment.
To keep donors after the first gift, Sargeant suggests that organizations provide feedback and reinforcement at these times:
Critical Timings for a regular giver (those who opt for giving monthly, quarterly, or annually.
- Post sign up
- Pre first debit
- Post first debit
- Second and third months
Critical Timings - Cash
- Post sign up
- First 4 - 6 weeks
- First 12 months
How you interact with the donor at these crucial times is less important than that you just do it. You could send a welcome packet, a thank you letter, a newsletter. You could call, email, send an invitation to an event, or invite the donor to tour your facility. Ask them to volunteer in some small way, tell their friends about you, or even to fill out a survey. Just about any engagement counts.
The ultimate lesson from Sargeant's presentation was that many of the factors that affect donor retention are within a nonprofit's control. Taking the time to follow up and make a plan for subsequent contact is the key.
Sometimes organizations are so focused on acquisition of new donors that they neglect the even more important task of motivating those donors to come back for the second gift and beyond. It can never be said enough that retention is less expensive than acquisition. So, turn that first date into a long term, loving relationship.
There was much more to this webinar that is of great value, especially how to calculate lifetime donor value. The slides from the webinar are available here and the recording is here.
Meanwhile, find out more about donor commitment, customer service, and thanking donors with these related resources:
