I’ve got some good news and some bad news. Which do you want first?
The good news is that for most nonprofit orgs, donations increase at the end of any given calendar year. The bad news? You’ll never see 70% of those donors again. Sorry for the buzz kill.
Over on the Software Advice Non-Profit Blog, Mathew Mielcarek who — to be clear –laid down the buzz kill first, gives some advice on effectively engaging and retaining those donors.
Everyone knows I like me a well-done thank-you note. But I also appreciate that Mathew helps us look beyond the thank you note, calling our attention to how that first gift offers insights that can help you engage donors in a more relevant way. Those insights might seem blasé, e.g. gift amount or billing city/state, but when you’re paying attention, a little bit of boring can go a long way in terms of donor happiness…and therefore retention.
Creating an engagement approach based on donor details can keep your pitches from falling flat (and if they do, there’s always this).