Donor Retention Archives -

Getting to the Second Gift: Welcoming and Retaining New Donors

The moment a donor makes a first gift is cause for celebration.

Whether it was your amazing donor acquisition campaign, your organization’s inspirational work in the community, or your powerful website, you’ve compelled someone to take action and make a gift!

But now the more important work begins: inspiring your new donor to give again.

From your pool of fresh new supporters, you’ll begin to weed out those one-gift-only donors and identify those with potential to become long-term and even lifelong partners in your mission.

A second gift is an important indication of a deeper interest in your organization’s work. It signals that a donor’s giving is more than an afterthought or obligation. These are the donors that are worthy of your focus and limited resources.

But second gifts don’t happen automatically – they must be thoughtfully cultivated.

Here’s how to build a communications system that will inspire new donors to take that next step towards becoming a life-long supporter. [Read more…]

Why you should abandon LYBUNTS and SYBUNTS.

Unless you are brand-new to the world fundraising, I’d be willing to bet you’ve heard the terms LYBUNT (last year but unfortunately not this) and SYBUNT (some years but unfortunately not this) in reference to donors who’ve failed to renew their support.

Despite the fact this jargon is deeply engrained in the nonprofit fundraising lexicon (your donor database probably has a canned report that will automatically pull a list of lybunts, for example), it’s misleading, problematic, and should be banished from your terminology asap.

Here’s why…
[Read more…]

The Smart Annual Giving Connection Podcast Episode 1: Moves Management

I’m thrilled to announce the launch of the new podcast, The Smart Annual Giving Connection. Each episode will explore a common annual giving question or challenge and will often feature guest experts or in-the-trenches fundraisers who’ll share their wisdom and experience. Hope you enjoy our first episode!

Download Audio Here

Moves Management is a concept that sometimes feels out of reach for many small nonprofits. Yet it is a crucial element of a strong annual fundraising program. In this episode, we discuss what moves management actually is, why it is important, why it is often neglected and how small to mid-size nonprofits can get started implementing some basic moves management activities without becoming overwhelmed.

Add to your favorite podcast player using the feed URL: https://smartannualgiving.com/podcast/feed/

Announcing The Donor Management Blueprint Course!

Smart Annual Giving is thrilled to announce the launch of our first online course!

The Donor Management Blueprint is a 4-module, multi-media course that shows you how to create a simple, manageable, data-driven system to guide your donors on their journey from potential donor… to new donor… to committed partner… to major donor. You’ll strengthen your annual fundraising and improve donor retention.

This course is designed to help you…

Understand your donor data – and use it to illuminate the big picture of your entire donorbase.
Increase gift amounts from your individual donors – of any gift size.
Identify and nurture your most valuable donors – from potential donor to major donor.
Create a strategic segmentation plan – and understand why this is critical.
Know exactly what and when to communicate to your supporters – no more indecisiveness!
Get the most out of your current donor database software – and finally use it to help you raise more money.
Increase donor retention for your best donors and overall.

Get the details of the 2018 Donor Management Course here!

Dig into Your Donor Data to Grow Your Annual Fundraising

There’s more to measuring your annual fundraising than how much money you raised. To get the full story, you’ve got to measure performance in terms of your donors as well.

Your donor data reveals critical information that you’ll need in order to improve your fundraising and make the most of the giving potential within your database.

It tells you which donors are responding to your outreach and illuminates how well your strategies and tactics are working.

Your donor data reveals your best, most valuable donors. [Read more…]

How Does Your Donor Retention Stack Up?

Have you taken a close look at your donor retention from last year?

Specifically, you want to discover what percentage of your donors from 2018 gave a gift in 2019 or so far in 2020. Measuring your retention rates each year is hugely important because it’s a critical indicator of weather your fundraising is improving… or not.

Here’s a quick reminder of how to calculate your own retention rates: [Read more…]

6 fresh fundraising and stewardship ideas

Recently, I’ve come across some inspired ideas for fresh donor communications and fundraising beyond the run-of-the mill, same-old-same-old you always read about.

Keep these in mind as you craft your annual campaign or next year’s fundraising plan: [Read more…]

Do your organizational and business donors need a unique approach?

In my hometown, there is a popular locally owned gift shop. Instead of charging a fee to gift wrap purchases, the store asks their customers to donate a dollar or two to a specific charity.

For many years, one specific charity was the sole recipient of these funds (along with a tremendous amount of publicity).

When I went to this store to grab a birthday gift the other day, I was surprised to discover that a different charity was now the gift wrap money recipient. [Read more…]

The elusive lapsed donor: devise a plan to get them back

We’ve all got them. Supporters who, for one reason or another, have slipped away.

Our lapsed donors, because they’ve already demonstrated they care about our mission, are clearly worthy of some significant effort and attention.

Yet many nonprofits do nothing more than mail the same letters and newsletters that everyone else gets, cross their fingers, and hope for the best.

If you attempt only one new thing for your annual fundraising this year, developing thoughtful, intentional ways to get your lapsed donors back will provide a great return on investment.

Follow these steps to get your lapsed donor re-engagement plan underway. [Read more…]

Using donor retention rates to improve annual giving

Once you’ve calculated your retention rate… what do you do with it?

It’s time to apply that information to your annual fundraising program.

Specifically, you’ll need to interpret what those retention rates mean for your organization. You’ll then be equipped to set reasonable retention goals for the upcoming year. Finally, you’ll map the strategy and tactics that will get you to your goal. [Read more…]