It’s important not to lose touch with people who matter. In the case of non-profit organizations, these people are the donors, who are essentially your cause’s volunteers and promoters. However, people involved in fundraising tend to focus more on Donor Retention—which is fine, of course, as it’s crucial to focus your attention on first-time donors who could bring hope and vitality to your cause.
Unfortunately, you’d have to invest more in terms of time and other resources in recruitment. That’s why it’s also important to spend some time and energy on donor retention. Focusing not only on donor acquisition but also on donor retention is how your organization develops a solid relationship with donors that could last a long time.
Besides, about three out of four donors never return, so an organization’s donor retention program shouldn’t be neglected. This article will discuss how to improve donor retention rates; but first, a discussion on what is donor retention and why it matters.
Donor Retention: Why It Matters
Donor retention is a way to keep track of the number of donors that you and your organization can consistently rely on year after year. Donor retention has always been a concern among non-profit organizations. In fact, organizations lose donors more than they acquire. As a result, non-profits have to work doubly hard to acquire new ones. Unfortunately, their revenues show little to no improvement.
But the good news is, improving your efforts on donor retention can produce results. Even a 10% improvement in donor retention rates can generate an increase in the projected value of about 200%. Seen in this light, retention is more valuable than acquisition. Donor retention results in building an enduring relationship with important donors.
A basic step for donor retention is sending a thank-you letter. To send a proper thank-you letter that acknowledges a donor’s generosity, check this post.
Donors invest more than money—they could also volunteer for your organization, become a member of your board, or talk about your cause to their circle of friends. In other words, they are much more than sources of funds. Donor retention involves nurturing a relationship that could turn a one-time commitment into a life-long association.
Regular donors also tend to increase their donations. Donors, generally, don’t make their biggest donation the first time they donate. Their most significant gifts and donations are the results of a relationship that was built over time.
More importantly, retention takes less time and money than acquiring new donors. It could easily cost five times as much to sign in a new donor than to retain an old one. Increasing efforts to find new ones to make up for lost donors isn’t always the best approach.
Below is a list of strategies to increase donor retention.
Strategies For Donor Retention
Use these strategies to increase your donor retention rate and make your fundraising a success.
- Make Donors Feel More Involved
Donors are a big part of your organization. Make them feel that way by getting them more involved. Inform them of the organization’s progress, the success stories, and the struggles you’re facing. Be honest with them. When asking for favors, be straightforward. Beating around the bush won’t do you any good. They might interpret that as unnecessary equivocation.
You know that their donations are an essential part of your organization’s growth. Remind them of that. After all, there’s a reason why they’re contributing to your cause. They believe in what you’re doing. Inform them about what you need, how they could give, and how their donations would help advance your cause.
Adopt a more targeted and precise approach. Relying on luck and hoping things would go your way isn’t a viable strategy. Give a precise picture of the situation, give clear instructions, and get them more invested.
- Utilize Technology
To get better results, you’ll need extra help in running operations and dealing with donors. Luckily, there are tech tools you can use to improve your organization’s productivity and performance. For example, donor management software is perfectly suited for administrators of any nonprofit organization.
Using different applications for different tasks wouldn’t be very efficient. Getting organized can be a nightmare. With donor management software, all your tasks will be handled by a single program. An admin could easily manage multiple tasks with the help of these types of software, thus, saving time and money.
However, keep in mind that you’re going to need software made to streamline all facets of a nonprofit organization’s operations. Choose software that’s not just a database. You plan to improve donor retention, so you’re going to need more than a list of donors—you’ll need all the assistance you can get from technology in managing your donors.
- Make Use Of Your Data
As a nonprofit, it’s important to know how to make the data available work to your advantage. For example, knowing your strong points and areas for improvement can you help you greatly in making informed decisions, not only in your organization’s overall performance but in donor retention as well.
Here are some examples of using your data to help with donor retention:
- Utilizing Constituent Relationship Management (CRM): The CRM software you’re using should be able to track donor data and donations. This will assist you in making a personalized approach to donors in your email drives and tracking donor activity. Moreover, it helps in letting donors know that their past generosity isn’t forgotten.
- Identify Trends: Recognizing trends in fundraising can be a big boon; you can check on past donors and reconnect with them.
- Email Metrics Evaluation: Check email metrics so you’ll have an idea of how and where to improve your email campaign. You can check metrics like click-through rates (CTR), unsubscribe rates, and open rates. Your email list could also be segmented so that only relevant content reaches the right people.
Proper use of data is your secret weapon. Data is always available, so you might as well maximize its use. With accurate and relevant information, you can share content that will keep your backers in the loop.
- Effective Strategy For Your Annual Fund
The annual fund is a classic way to raise funds. Typically, it’s used to cover the operation costs of a nonprofit. It’s also used to develop and strengthen relationships with various donors. Suffice to say, the annual fund is one of your organization’s most essential revenue-generating events. It’s an important reminder of the significance of your cause to your donors.
Take the time the develop a well-thought-out event, one that could pull in donors. An effective annual strategy will produce positive results, so be sure you’re prepared. Remember, an organization with an annual fund generally has a better chance of retaining donors compared to those without.
Conclusion
Donor retention is never easy, but it’s nevertheless essential for any organization. There are, however, steps you can do to entice donors to return. Donor retention is crucial to any organization, considering that finding new ones takes considerably more resources than retaining old ones. Find new ones, but make sure to implement strategies like the ones mentioned in this article to build an enduring relationship with your donors.
