Fundraising Tip: Three Steps to Grow Your Donor Retention Rate

These can be done even if you are a one-person fundraising shop!

For those of us in nonprofit fundraising, any time is a good time to focus on whether or not someone who gives will give again. So here’s a kind reminder from me to you to support your efforts with keeping donors. 

These steps can be incorporated into what you are already doing. They may be a reminder to you or a new idea. 

They work. 

And as we know, keeping a donor is much easier than finding a new one. 

Here we go!

Step one: Thank promptly. I know most of you already know this, and hopefully are already doing it. Thanking promptly builds a stronger relationship with your donor. The stronger the relationship is the better chance you have of the donor deciding to donate again. 

Step two: Let your donor know how you spent their donation and the impact of that. I like to do this three or four months after the donation. This of course depends on your capacity. I have seen even the smallest of fundraising teams be able to accomplish this. Sometimes you have to be a little creative. 

Step three: Connect with your donor throughout the year, without making an ask. When I started in nonprofit fundraising there was a common phrase “Don’t use your donors like an ATM”, and this is still an issue. This means don’t continually ask. Build a relationship with your donor. 

There you have it. It really is this simple. My challenge with this has only been making sure I take the time to do this, to prioritize it. 

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Take a risk. Be of service. Support your friends and colleagues. Be kind.