Face it. There are lots of worthy causes for donors to support. I’m sure yours is a good one too, but… you’ve got a big problem.
Once you manage to acquire, or even renew, a donor, how are you going to win them back again? A huge part of donor retention hangs on how well you say thank you.
Many of the gobs and gobs of nonprofits out there do a lousy job of showing gratitude. So lousy, that many of their donors don’t repeat. That’s why donor retention rates are so abysmal.
But you have to stop making excuses and start making a plan.
Excuses, Excuses, Excuses
Here are what respondents to my survey reported:
- Lack of time and talent
- Lack of a plan
- Lack of knowledge, skills and resources
- Leadership inertia or apathy
- Aging donors
- Lack of ability to get thank you’s out fast enough
Balance Gains Against Losses
If you don’t yet have an intentional “Stand Out” donor retention and gratitude plan, I encourage you to share this take-away with your ‘powers that be.’
“Growth in giving is increased both by maximizing gains and minimizing losses.”
The First Step to Renewal is Thank You
The best way to begin improving donor retention is with an easy-to-execute commitment – and a written plan – to say thank you more effectively.
Never acquire a donor until you also have a strategy for keeping that donor.
An Easy-to-Execute ‘Stand Out’ Nonprofit Thank You Plan
- If donors give online, send a thank you that way. And not just an automated-looking receipt.
- If donors give via snail mail, send a thank you that way. And don’t delay!
- No matter how donors give, think about ways to deliver planned acts of kindness throughout the year.
- Develop a system to collect and save impact stories.
- Put all of your donor gratitude strategies into written “Donor Acknowledgement Policies and Procedures.”
