donor engagement

How Are You Building Relationships With Your Donors?

Ann Green Communications, donor engagement, donor relations, donor retention, donor-centered, gratitude , , , , ,

Why does making a donation often feel like a transaction? Organizations get so caught up in the raising money part that they forget about building relationships with their donors.

Giving Tuesday is the worst example of this, with Year End close behind. Generally, it happens way too often.

Remember this – Building relationships is just as important as raising money. 

The concept of relationship fundraising has been around for a while, even though it’s not always implemented. Many nonprofits seem to focus too much on meeting their revenue goals, which of course is important.

That said, it’s hard to keep raising money if you don’t build a good relationship with your donors. The two go together. Every single interaction with your donors needs to focus on building relationships. That includes fundraising appeals. It’s possible to raise money and build relationships at the same time.

Follow this formula – ask, thank, update, repeat. Thanking and updating should naturally evolve into building relationships, although that doesn’t always happen.

If your giving is declining, you should have more success if you can move away from transactional fundraising and focus on building relationships. Here are some ways to do that.

Stop using transactional language

First, the word transaction should not appear anywhere in your fundraising. Sometimes I see the words “Transaction complete” after I make an online donation. That’s not giving me a nice, warm, fuzzy feeling at all. I made a gift, not a transaction.

Even more prevalent is the word receipt, which is often used instead of thank you. After a donor makes a gift they should feel appreciated. 

An email subject line is one of your first chances to connect with your donor. How would you feel if this is what you saw? 

“Your recurring donation has been processed”

“Donation tax receipt”

“Transaction Receipt from…… for $…”

This again emphasizes the transaction. Payment information should not be the lead of any type of thank you. Where are the words thank you?

It’s not easy to find good thank you email subject lines. Here are some that stand out.

“Thank You For Helping Globe Santa Deliver Joy This Holiday Season”

“Thank You for Spreading Holiday Cheer!”

“Thank you for investing in Peace!”

“Thank you for supporting Malala Fund, Ann”

“Your monthly gift in action” 

The last subject line leads into an email message that emphasizes how the donor is helping that organization make a difference, which is a good example of building relationships.

Make a point to change your thank you email subject lines so they include these very important words – Thank You.

When organizations lead their fundraising appeals by saying “It’s our year-end appeal” or “It’s GivingTuesday,” they’re not connecting with their donors by concentrating on why donors give. 

Many donors don’t care that it’s your year-end appeal. They care about your work and want to help. Instead, say something like – How you can help families in the community put food on the table. 

Make relationship building part of your fundraising campaigns

You need to build relationships before, during, and after each of your fundraising campaigns. Keep this in mind – Your Fundraising IS Your Relationship.

Before your next appeal, send your donors an update to let them know how they’re helping you make a difference. This is especially important if you do more than one fundraising campaign a year. You don’t want your donors to think the only time they hear from you is when you’re asking for money.

Segment your donors

One way to help ensure you’re focusing on relationships is to segment your donors and personalize your appeal letters and other types of donor communication. 

Don’t send the same appeal to everyone on your mailing list. What is your relationship with these individuals? Maybe they’ve given once or many times. Perhaps they’re event attendees, volunteers, e-newsletter subscribers, or friends of board members. Mention your relationship in your appeal letter. For example, thank a long-time donor for supporting you for the last five years.

Monthly donors get their own appeal letter. This doesn’t happen enough and it’s one of my biggest pet peeves. Build relationships with these committed donors. Recognize they’re monthly donors and either invite them to upgrade their gift or give an additional donation.

Let your donors know how much you appreciate them

Your focus on building relationships continues when you thank your donors. Many organizations do a poor job of this. Send a handwritten note or make a phone call, if you can.

Welcome your new donors. Let them know how much you appreciate this new relationship. If you don’t, it’s likely to be a short relationship.

Be sure to also shower your current donors with appreciation so you can keep your relationship going. Recognize the value of your long-time donors and do something special for people who have supported you for several years. 

Make sure your donors get a heartfelt thank you, not something that resembles a receipt.

Thanking donors is something you can do at any time of the year. I think one of the best ways to connect is by sending a handwritten card. These cards can be generated electronically, if it’s not feasible to write them. This will make more sense for large organizations. I recently received a nice card thanking me for giving a year-end gift in addition to my monthly donations. It makes a difference if you can connect in a more personal way.

Holiday cards are also a good way to reach out, but don’t put a donation envelope in one. You have other opportunities to make appeals. Make it 100% about showing appreciation.

You can send thank you cards at other times of the year, too. If money is tight, spread out your mailings over the year so each donor gets at least one thank you card.

Don’t miss out on opportunities to build relationships

There are many ways you can build relationships with your donors throughout the year. 

You can give donors other opportunities to connect, such as volunteering, participating in advocacy alerts, signing up for your email mailing list, and following you on social media. You could also offer tours of your organization (either in person or create a video tour).

Newsletters and impact reports that focus too much on the organization are the equivalent of being at a party where someone just talks about himself and you may as well not even be there. If you do it well, a newsletter, impact report, or another form of an update can be a good relationship-building tool.

I’m amazed that after I attend an event, support someone in a walkathon, or give a memorial gift, most organizations don’t do a good job of building a relationship. I could be a potential long-time donor. Personally, I would never give a memorial gift or support someone in a charity walk if I didn’t believe in that organization’s cause. Don’t miss out on a potential opportunity to build longer-term relationships.

It takes time to build relationships, which is why you need to include donor engagement and stewardship as part of your fundraising strategy. Organizations with strong major giving and legacy programs see more success, but these initiatives don’t happen without good donor relationships.

Hold a relationship-building day

My main objection to giving days, such as GivingTuesday, is they focus so much on asking. What if we put all the time and energy we focus on giving days into a relationship-building day?

I’m not saying you can’t participate in giving days, but instead of the relentless begging, follow the formula above and build relationships before, during, and after your campaign.

Of course, you could choose not to participate in a giving day and have an all-out relationship-building day instead.

Build relationships all year round

It’s easier to stay focused on your donors when you’re sending an appeal or thank you, but this is just the beginning. Many organizations go on communication hiatus at certain times of the year and that’s a huge mistake. Ideally, you should keep in touch with your donors every one to two weeks, once a month at the most.

Always stay focused on relationships. Good relationships with your donors will help you raise more money and keep your donors for a long time.

How to Make 2025 a Successful Year for Your Nonprofit

Ann Green Communications, donor engagement, donor relations, donor retention, donor-centered, gratitude, monthly donors, planning , , , , , ,

Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe it’s already 2025. I hope 2024 was a successful year for your nonprofit organization. If it wasn’t, you can work to make 2025 a better year. And if you were successful, you want that to continue.

Many individuals make New Year’s resolutions and set goals. Your nonprofit should do the same. As with personal resolutions, you want your goals to be realistic and attainable. If you’re a small organization, you may not have much luck pulling off a huge gala.

Here are a few ways to help you ensure a more successful year.

Have a plan in place

You must have fundraising and communications/marketing plans. If you haven’t put together these plans yet, do that now! Go one step further and create a fundraising calendar, as well. 

Your plans need to be specific, too. I know you want to raise more money and hopefully improve your donor engagement, but how will you do that?

You know from past experience that you may need to make changes to your plans. In 2020, organizations that were able to make changes to a plan already in place were most successful.

Take a look back at 2024 to see what worked and what didn’t in your fundraising and communications/marketing. Incorporate what you’ve learned into your 2025 plans. 

Be sure your fundraising plan includes a diverse stream of revenue. Individual giving has proven to be successful. A lot of small donations can add up! Start or grow your monthly giving program (more on that below). Also, look into mid-level, major, and legacy giving. 

You can apply for grants and hold events, but those sometimes require more effort than it’s worth. Invest in strategies that make sense for your organization.

Revisit your fundraising and communications/marketing plans regularly and make changes as needed. Do this at least every two to three months.

Make sure that donor relations and donor retention are part of your fundraising plan. Those are key to your success.

Pay attention to your donor retention

Donor retention continues to be a problem when it should be a priority. You’ll have more success if you work to keep the donors you already have instead of focusing on getting new ones.

First, if you don’t already know it, figure out your retention rate. Do this after every fundraising campaign.

If it’s low, you can fix it, usually with better communication. It’s easier and less expensive to keep your current donors than to find new ones so once again, make donor retention a priority.

That said, you may have some new donors who saw a need and felt a connection to your cause. Don’t let these donors slip away either. 

Your goal should be to have donors who support you for a long time.

Go all in on monthly giving

I’m a huge fan of monthly giving and think every nonprofit needs to go all in on it.

Why? First, the retention rate for monthly donors is around 90%. These donors are committed to your nonprofit. 

Organizations that have monthly giving programs receive a steady stream of revenue throughout the year. Donors who opt for monthly giving find it’s easier on their finances. Even gifts of $5.00 or $10.00 a month can make a difference for your organization. Dedicated monthly donors also step up and give additional donations.

It’s doable for organizations of all sizes, especially small ones. Work on starting or growing your monthly giving program so you can have a bunch of highly committed donors. A good way to start is to invite your current donors to become monthly donors.

Monthly donors are also potential mid-level, major, and legacy donors. Remember the importance of individual giving.

Do a better job of communicating with your donors 

There are many ways to do a better job of communicating with your donors. Start by making this the year you say goodbye to boring, generic communication. Stop using jargon, such as at-risk and underserved. Tell more stories and go easy on the statistics. It makes a difference if you can put things in human terms so you can do a better job of connecting with your donors.

Better communication also means more frequent communication. Donors want to feel appreciated and know how they are helping you make a difference. Be sure to implement the ask, thank, report, repeat formula. 

You want to segment and personalize your communication, too. Address your donors by name (not Dear Friend) and recognize their past giving or if they’re a monthly donor.

Better, more frequent communication will help you raise more money. Having a communications calendar will help you with this. 

Work on building relationships

You may think the most important component of fundraising is raising money. While that’s important, so is building relationships with your donors. 

It’s hard to raise money year after year if you don’t build a good relationship with your donors. Every single interaction with your donors needs to focus on building relationships. That includes fundraising appeals. It’s possible to raise money and build relationships at the same time. 

Stop thinking of the donations you receive as a transaction and instead think of them as the start or continuation of a relationship. 

Good relationships with your donors will help you with retention.

Create an attitude of gratitude

A big part of building relationships is showing gratitude to your donors. Many nonprofits do a poor job of this. 

You need to start by sending a heartfelt thank you immediately after you receive a donation and then find ways to thank your donors throughout the year. Put together a thank you plan to help you with this.

Start the New Year off by making fundraising and communications/marketing plans, if you haven’t already done so. Prioritize donor retention, monthly giving, showing gratitude, and building relationships with your donors. This will help bring you more success in 2025.

Improve Your Donor Engagement by Creating a Communications Calendar

Ann Green Communications, donor engagement, donor relations, gratitude, planning , , , ,

I always like to emphasize the importance of keeping in touch with your donors throughout the year. I hope that’s a priority for you, too.

Your donors want to hear from you and don’t just want to be blasted with fundraising appeals. The good news is that better donor communication (thank yous and updates) can help you raise more money. This is especially important if you’ve fallen behind in your revenue goals. Remember the ask, thank, report, repeat formula.

Ideally, you should communicate with your donors at least once or twice a month throughout the year. I know that might sound impossible, but it will be much easier if you put together a communications calendar (also known as an editorial calendar).

I like the term communications calendar because it emphasizes the importance of communicating with your donors and other supporters all year round.

Some of you may already have a communications calendar, which is great. Now is a good time to update yours for 2025, if you haven’t already done that. For the rest of you, here are some suggestions to help you get started. Even though it will take a little time to put together, it will be worth it in the end because you’ll be able to do a better job of communicating with your donors.

This is not just a job for your marketing department. All departments need to work together. Figure out what information you need to share and when you need to share it. You want a consistent stream of information – not three email messages in one day and nothing for three weeks.

As you put together your communications calendar, think about how you will use different channels and which audience(s) should receive your messages. You may only send direct mail a few times a year (and I hope you do use direct mail), but send an e-newsletter once a month and communicate by social media several times a week. You’ll often use several different channels when you send a fundraising appeal or promote an event.

Start big by looking at the entire year and then break it down by months and weeks. You’ll keep adding to your communications calendar throughout the year.

Your communications calendar is a fluid document and these past few years are a good example of how our world is constantly changing. It’s important to keep things current.

Here are some categories you can use in your communications calendar. Some items will be time-sensitive and others won’t be.

Updates

Your donors want to hear how they’re helping you make a difference. Your print and e-newsletters should be included in your communications calendar. If you don’t do a newsletter, make a plan to share updates another way – maybe by postcard, email, and/or social media. Sometimes short updates are more effective.

Current events/News stories

At the beginning of 2020, most of us couldn’t predict the year we were about to have. There’s still a lot going on and here in the U.S., be prepared for uncertainty.

Many donors will expect you to address current situations. Keep them apprised of how all this is affecting your clients/community. Sometimes staying silent isn’t the best option.

Legislation

Advocacy alerts are a wonderful way to engage with your supporters. Be on the lookout for any federal or state legislation that’s relevant to your organization. Encourage people to contact their legislators about an issue or a bill. Then report back to them with any updates and thank them for getting involved.

Time of year

Is there something going on during a particular month that’s pertinent to your organization? Perhaps it’s homelessness or mental health awareness month.

Thanksgiving, the holidays, and winter can be a difficult time for some people. How can you weave that into an engaging story to share with your supporters? This may be another hard winter for many people.

Keep in mind your organization’s anniversary doesn’t mean much to your donors unless you can tie that in with how they’re helping you make a difference. You could, however, reach out to your donors on the anniversary of their giving.

Fundraising and recruitment

Be sure to add your fundraising campaigns to your communications calendar. You’ll want to have a separate fundraising calendar, too. Of course, your campaigns are important, but you also want to show gratitude and send updates during this time without inundating your donors with too many messages. Planning ahead will help you strike this balance.

If your organization has specific times it needs to recruit volunteers, add that to your calendar, as well. 

Thank your donors

Make this a priority! Find different ways to let your donors know how much you appreciate them. You can combine a thank you with an update. Do this at least once a month. Create a separate set of thank yous for your monthly donors, too.

You could even go one step further and create a separate thank you calendar.

Events

Perhaps your organization holds events. Besides your events, are there other events in your community that would be of interest to your supporters? If so, you could share that on social media.

Ongoing content

If you’re making a difference, you have stories to tell. Share a story at least once a month. Client stories (either in the first or third person) are best. Your stories need to be relevant to the ever-evolving current situations, so you may need to create some new ones.

You could also profile a board member, volunteer, donor, or staff member. Be sure to highlight what drew them to your organization.

Put together a story bank to help you with this.

Don’t stop communicating with your donors

As you hear about other relevant information, add it to your calendar, so you can stay connected with your donors/supporters throughout the year.

Here is some more information to help you create a communications/editorial calendar.

Editorial and Content Calendars

Use This 2025 Nonprofit Calendar to Plan Your Content Strategy

Get your nonprofit organized with an editorial calendar

How to Encourage Donations on Your Nonprofit’s Website

Ann Green donation page, donor engagement, donor-centered, fundraising, monthly donors, website , , , ,

Your website can be a great marketing tool, but it can also help your nonprofit raise funds. Learn how to encourage donations on your nonprofit website. 

By Ira Horowitz

Your nonprofit’s website is more than just a hub for your online presence—it’s a versatile platform that can help you connect with supporters, amplify your mission, and make a lasting impact. 

However, one of its most important functions is as a tool for fundraising. If designed correctly, your website can be an unstoppable force in driving donations. When your website is optimized for online giving, it can make donating a seamless and rewarding experience for your supporters. This is essential because 63% of donors prefer to give online!

Below we will explore actionable tips and strategies to help you design or revamp your website to turn it into an effective fundraising powerhouse. Whether you’re looking to inspire first-time donors or make recurring donations easier, these insights will guide you toward creating a site that encourages generosity. 

1. Create prominent donation buttons. 

Donation buttons are a critical part of a well-designed nonprofit website. They act as clear calls to action, guiding visitors toward supporting your cause. A strategically placed, well-designed button can simplify the donation process, reduce hesitation, and increase conversion rates. The more prominent and appealing the button, the more likely visitors are to notice it and act.

How to Create Effective Donation Buttons 

  • Use contrasting colors. Choose colors that stand out from the rest of your website but still align with your branding. For instance, if your site has a neutral color palette, a bright green or orange button can grab attention. High-contrast buttons improve click-through rates because they are easier for users to spot.
  • Write clear and action-oriented text. Use direct language that tells users exactly what to do, such as “Donate Now,” “Support Our Mission,” or “Give Today.” Avoid vague terms like “Click Here.” Action-oriented text creates urgency and communicates purpose.
  • Place buttons with care. Place donation buttons in high-visibility areas, such as your website header, at the top of your homepage, and near impactful content like success stories or impact videos. Repeat them in the footer and on pages dedicated to your programs. Consistency ensures users can donate no matter where they are on your site.
  • Ensure all buttons work and lead to the correct place. Test each button regularly to confirm it works and links directly to your donation form. Broken or misdirected links can frustrate visitors and lead to lost donations. 

Regular website maintenance is crucial to ensuring all donation buttons are functional and optimized. Schedule time each month or quarter to conduct a review of your website and make necessary improvements. 

2. Simplify the donation process. 

A smooth, quick donation process can significantly increase conversion rates. When potential donors face a complicated or time-consuming form, they’re more likely to abandon the process. By reducing friction and making it as easy as possible for someone to give, you encourage more people to complete their donations.

How to Improve Your Online Donation Process 

  • Ensure your donation form is user-friendly. The design and functionality of your donation form are key. It should load quickly, be visually appealing, and work seamlessly across all types of devices. Intuitive forms with clear instructions create a positive user experience and encourage completion.
  • Only ask for necessary information. Keep the fields to a minimum. For instance, instead of requesting detailed personal information, stick to essentials like name, email, and payment details. The simpler the form, the quicker donors can complete it, reducing drop-offs.
  • Keep the form to one page. Avoid making users click through multiple steps to finish their donation. A single-page form keeps the process straightforward and ensures donors aren’t overwhelmed or confused by navigating between pages.
  • Test the form before pushing it live. Before launching your form, test it thoroughly to ensure it works flawlessly. Check for broken links, errors, and compatibility issues across different browsers and devices. Simulate user scenarios to confirm that the process is as smooth as possible.

3. Provide multiple donation options. 

Donors come from diverse financial backgrounds and have unique preferences when it comes to supporting causes. A one-size-fits-all approach can alienate potential donors who may need options tailored to their giving capacity and circumstances. By offering multiple ways to give, you make it easier for everyone to contribute, increasing donor satisfaction and your chances of securing ongoing support.

How to Offer Different Opportunities for Donors 

  • Provide suggested giving amounts. Include preset donation amounts, such as $25, $50, or $100, to guide donors and simplify decision-making. Highlight what each amount accomplishes (e.g., “$50 feeds a family for a week”) to create a tangible connection between their contribution and your impact.
  • Add the option to give a recurring gift. Allow donors to set up monthly, quarterly, or annual gifts. Recurring donations provide a stable income stream for your nonprofit while making it easier for donors to contribute smaller, manageable amounts over time.
  • Enable donors to give in honor or memory of someone. Offer an option for donors to dedicate their gift to a loved one. This personalization adds an emotional element to the donation and creates an opportunity for them to share their contribution with others, further expanding your reach.
  • Include multiple payment options. Make it easy for donors to pay by offering a variety of methods, such as debit and credit cards, PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, and other digital wallets. The more flexible your payment options, the fewer barriers donors face when contributing.

4. Be transparent about how donations will be used. 

Transparency is key to building and maintaining trust with donors. When people understand exactly how their contributions are used, they feel more confident about giving and are more likely to continue supporting your organization over the long term. 

Tips for Donation Transparency 

  • List current needs or priorities on your donation page. Clearly outline your immediate funding priorities, such as specific programs, campaigns, or goals. For example, detail how a $50 donation supports educational programming or how $100 provides meals for families. This specificity shows donors how their contributions directly address your mission.
  • Share financial information on your website. Include access to annual reports, IRS Form 990 filings, or detailed financial summaries. Offering insight into how funds are allocated demonstrates accountability and reassures donors that their money is being used effectively.
  • Include elements of social proof. Add donor testimonials, photos, or videos showing how previous contributions have been used. Quotes from past donors about their positive experiences or stories from beneficiaries create a compelling narrative about your impact. This social proof can influence potential donors to trust and contribute.
  • Publish an annual impact report. An annual impact report is a powerful tool for showcasing your achievements and financial transparency. Highlight metrics, success stories, and detailed breakdowns of how donations were used to further your mission. Make this report visually engaging and easy to find on your website.

Transparency is essential to growing trust amongst your audience. It can be enhanced by sharing impactful donor stories and expressing gratitude. 

5. Leverage matching gifts. 

Matching gift programs allow your organization to capitalize on donors’ generosity without requiring them to give more out of pocket. These programs, offered by many employers, will match an employee’s charitable contributions, effectively doubling (or even tripling) the impact of each gift. 

Steps to Securing a Matching Gift 

  1. Educate donors about matching gifts. Make donors aware that many employers offer matching gift programs. Include information about these programs on your website, in email campaigns, and during donation drives. Use phrases like, “Your donation could go twice as far!” to spark interest and encourage participation.
  1. Embed a matching gift database on your website. Simplify the process by integrating a matching gift database directly into your website. These tools allow donors to quickly check if their employer offers a matching gift program and learn the steps to apply. Many databases also include details on company policies, eligibility requirements, and submission deadlines. 

Creating a nonprofit website that drives donations effectively is not just about design—it’s about understanding donor behavior and meeting their needs with intentional features. From compelling calls-to-action and simplified donation processes to flexible giving options and transparent communication, every element plays a role in fostering trust and inspiring generosity. Additionally, leveraging tools like matching gift programs can further amplify the impact of individual contributions.

Not only will you enhance the donor experience, but you’ll also cultivate long-term supporters who feel connected to your mission and confident in your stewardship of their contributions.

With 15 years of experience, Ira Horowitz is an expert in nonprofit online communications and online fundraising. His work has resulted in increased funds and resounding supporter engagement for hundreds of organizations.

Ira oversees Cornershop Creative’s project management team and works with clients to provide them with the best possible final product. He also manages all of their strategic engagements and helps guide nonprofits to determine their long-term strategy goals for online communications.

How Will You Welcome Your New Donors?

Ann Green Communications, donor engagement, donor relations, donor retention, donor-centered, planning , , , , ,

Year-end fundraising is in full swing. I hope your campaign is going well so far. Perhaps you also participated in Giving Tuesday. The latter often brings in new donors, which you never want to take for granted. 

These donors saw a need and found a connection to your cause. Or maybe they were drawn into whatever Giving Tuesday promotion you initiated, but I like to think they wanted to help you make a difference. 

You may have or will see an increase in donations because of the recent U.S. election. For example, if you work with immigrants or other populations that will be affected by the incoming administration. These donors are sometimes referred to as rage donors.  If that’s the case for you, these are donors who feel passionate about your cause and you don’t want to lose them.

Unfortunately, many of your new donors won’t stick with you. The retention rate for first-time donors is around 20%. We can and must do better.

This is why it’s so important to get a second donation, also known as a golden donation. Once you get that golden donation, you’re more likely to have long-time donors who will keep giving. One way to ensure this is to make your new donors feel welcome.

Start with a special thank you

According to fundraising expert, Dr. Adrian Sargeant, “The thank you is the single most important piece of communication that your donors get. They have a higher recall of it than the appeal that generated the gift.”

Keep that in mind, especially for your new donors.

If someone donates online, it’s hard to tailor the thank you email specifically to new donors. But you can do that with a phone call, handwritten note, or thank you letter.

Try to call your new donors or send a handwritten note. This will make a great impression on them. Get together a group of board members, other volunteers, and staff to help you. If that’s not possible, create a thank you letter specifically for your new donors.

*Make sure these are brand new donors. A good CRM/database will help you avoid any missteps.*

Create a welcome plan

A week or two after the initial thank you, send a welcome package. You can do this by mail, email, or a combination of both. Try to send at least one welcome message by mail. Mail is always more personal and your donors will be more likely to see it.

Welcome your new donors. Thank them again and show them other ways they can connect with you. Invite them to subscribe to your newsletter, join you on social media, and volunteer.

Your welcome package should include a warm introductory message and a few facts about your organization, but don’t brag too much. Keep it donor-centered and be personable. You could also direct people to your website for more information about your nonprofit.

Be careful about how much information you send. Donors want to feel welcome, not overwhelmed.

I don’t recommend sending unsolicited swag. Personally, I don’t like it, but some donors might. You could offer your new donors a gift and they can let you know if they want to receive it, but it’s not necessary. What donors really want from you is to know how they’re helping you make a difference.

Create a series of messages, also known as a drip campaign. Set a timeline. The first sequence of messages can be sent about once a week. After that, you should continue to communicate regularly (at least once a month) and follow the ask, thank, update, repeat formula. In a few months, you could invite your new donors to give monthly. Monthly donors are committed donors.

Welcome emails have high open rates. Impress your new donors right away, so they’ll be more likely to donate again.

Who are your new donors?

They could be event attendees, volunteers, or newsletter subscribers. If you know, refer to that in your thank you note, letter, or phone call. If not, send a short survey with your welcome package and ask, “How did you hear about us?” or “What drew you to our organization?” 

Another question to ask is whether your donors prefer print or electronic communication. Short surveys are also a good way to connect throughout the year. The more you know about your donors the easier it will be to communicate with them.

Make your current donors feel special, too

While I’ve been focusing on new donors in this post, retention rates for current donors aren’t anything to celebrate. The overall donor retention rate is around 45%, so we have some work to do.

Remember the golden donation, but don’t stop there. You want a third (would that be platinum?) and a fourth, etc. donation.  

If you’re not acknowledging a donor’s past support, you’re making a huge mistake. Imagine how you would feel if you gave to an organization for over five years and they never thank you for your long-time support.  Unfortunately, this happens way too often.

These valuable, long-time donors could leave at any time, so ignore them at your own peril. Make sure they also get a special thank you from you.

Keep it up throughout the year

It’s so important to communicate with your donors regularly. Plan on special mailings or emails specifically targeted to new donors. Remember to try to send something by mail if you can. A better use of your print and mailing budget is to send thank you notes instead of swag.

Think of other ways to do something special for your new donors too, such as an open house or a tour of your facility, either in person or virtual.

Of course, don’t ignore your other donors. You could do something special when you get that all-important second gift. Keep reaching out – at least once or twice a month. 

Show appreciation and share updates. A huge factor in donor retention is a good donor relations plan that you’ll carry out regularly as long as your donors support you, which hopefully will be for many years.

Focus on Generosity and Building Relationships on Giving Tuesday

Ann Green donor engagement, donor relations, donor retention, email, fundraising, planning , , , ,

Your email inbox can look downright scary these days. This was especially true during the long U.S. election season. Soon we’ll be bombarded with Cyber Monday and Black Friday ads. And then there’s Giving Tuesday. All of this can be too much, too much, and many of these messages look like spam.

In an ideal world Giving Tuesday wouldn’t be associated with political emails and Cyber Monday ads. According to the Giving Tuesday website, “Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of radical generosity.” In theory, that sounds nice, but in reality, it’s a day when nonprofit organizations unleash an onslaught of transactional fundraising appeals by email, text, and social media.

We’re all feeling overwhelmed after the election. It’s likely both you and your donors are upset with the outcome. Even so, no one likes being barraged with transactional messages.

Your donors deserve better. Focus on generosity and building relationships. 

Beginning in 2012, Giving Tuesday has taken place the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. This year it will be on December 3.

I’m not going to tell you whether or not you should participate in Giving Tuesday. Perhaps you’ve participated in the past and it’s been successful (one way to measure if it was successful is if those donors give again), or maybe it wasn’t. Perhaps you’re planning to participate for the first time. Maybe you’re on the fence. 

Whether you participate or not, Giving Tuesday is part of the nonprofit landscape and if you’re doing a year-end appeal, you’ll need to factor it into your campaign. If you do participate, you want to make it a better experience for your donors instead of the usual barrage of generic, transactional appeals. And, you don’t want your messages to resemble spam.

Here are a few things to keep in mind as Giving Tuesday approaches.

Just because it’s Giving Tuesday isn’t a compelling reason to give

I see so many messages that say donate because it’s Giving Tuesday. Many donors don’t care if it’s Giving Tuesday or if it’s your “annual appeal.” That’s often not why they donate. They give because they care about your cause and want to help make a difference. 

Given what’s likely in the next administration, nonprofits will need to work harder to combat any government funding cuts and policy changes. Your work is important. Focus on your need and the impact of your donor’s gift.

Let them know that with their help, Stacy doesn’t have to go to bed hungry or Jason can boost his reading skills.

People and communities are struggling, and it will probably get worse. You need to acknowledge this in your appeals.

It’s not just about the money

A successful Giving Tuesday campaign is about more than just raising a lot of money. You also want to build relationships and make your donors feel good about supporting your organization. This is where it often falls short.

I’m not a huge fan of Giving Tuesday or any giving days, for that matter, because they focus too much on getting donations. Many of these donors are first-time donors who don’t give again. The end result is you’ve just spent a lot of time and effort on getting one-time gifts. That’s not what you want. You need donors who will support you for many years.

Make it personal and segment your donors

Don’t just blast a bunch of generic, transactional appeals that resemble Cyber Monday ads or those relentless requests for political donations. I receive so many political emails, which are just “noise” that I end up ignoring. You don’t want that. You want to attract your donors’ attention in a good way. A more relationship-oriented subject line can help.

You also don’t want to send all your donors the same appeal. If someone donated last year on GivingTuesday, this is the perfect opportunity to thank them for that gift and ask them to donate again this year. If they donated two weeks ago, maybe they shouldn’t get an appeal right now.

Segment your donors. Acknowledge past donors and make a connection with potential donors. 

Focus on building relationships with your donors instead of just begging for donations.

Also, if you’re sending an appeal to your monthly donors, recognize them as monthly donors and ask them to give an additional gift (many of them will). They get their own thank you, too. Monthly donors are one of your most loyal types of donors. Be sure to make them feel special.

If you’re one of the few organizations that sends more personalized appeals, then kudos to you because that’s what everyone needs to do.

Use Giving Tuesday as a way to follow up with your donors

If you don’t want to launch a full Giving Tuesday campaign (understandable), it can be a great opportunity to follow up with people who haven’t donated to your year-end appeal. You should be sending regular reminders, anyway.

Send email, text, and social media messages before and on Giving Tuesday encouraging people to donate. You can use the Giving Tuesday logos, etc. if you’d like. Obviously, you’ll want to keep following up with anyone who didn’t donate on Giving Tuesday.

Remember, your donors will be barraged with messages on Giving Tuesday. Make yours stand out and be prepared to keep following up.

Put gratitude front and center

Let your donors know how much you appreciate their generosity.

Make sure you have an engaging thank you landing page and thank you email for your online donors. You could even create ones especially for Giving Tuesday. Then you need to follow that with a phone call, handwritten note, or thank you letter.

Do something special for your new donors, but don’t ignore any repeat donors. 

Go the extra mile and do a good job of thanking these donors – both right after they’ve made their donation and throughout the year.

We’re going to skip Giving Tuesday 

Maybe you’ll decide to skip Giving Tuesday altogether. If that’s the case, you may want to hold off on sending email on Giving Tuesday. Remember, other organizations will be participating and any messages you send will be competing with the onslaught of Giving Tuesday appeals. 

Before and after Giving Tuesday, use this opportunity to stand out by keeping your fundraising campaign focused on gratitude and relationship building. Year-end is a good time to ramp up your donor communication (examples include thank you messages, holiday greetings, and updates) so people don’t think you’re only asking them for money.

Give back to your donors

I think you’ll find your Giving Tuesday campaign, or any fundraising campaign, will be more successful if you focus on more than just the giving part. And a big part of a successful campaign is getting repeat donations. This means giving back to your donors, as well.

Always focus on generosity and building relationships, and don’t make it feel like a transaction.

The Importance of Showing Gratitude to Your Donors

Ann Green donor engagement, donor retention, donor-centered, gratitude, thank you letters, year-end appeal , , , , ,

Year-end fundraising coincides with the gratitude season, which includes Thanksgiving in the U.S. and the December holidays. This is appropriate since thanking your donors is part of the fundraising equation, even though many nonprofits don’t always realize this.

Now is a great opportunity to show some gratitude to your donors. You could hold a thankathon, especially if you haven’t launched your appeal yet. Traditionally, thankathons are done by phone, but you can use other channels, too.

You may be laser-focused on your year-end campaign and think you’re too busy to spend much time thanking your donors, but that’s precisely why you need to get on the thank you bandwagon. Showing some appreciation to your donors right now can help you raise more money for your year-end campaign (or any campaign). It will also make it more likely your donors will give again. Francesca Gino from the Harvard Business School calls this the Gratitude Effect.

You’re never too busy to thank your donors. Besides, don’t they deserve some special attention?

Showing gratitude doesn’t happen nearly as often as it should, but you need to spend just as much time thanking your donors and building relationships as you do on fundraising.

Here are a few ways to incorporate gratitude into your year-end fundraising campaign.

Say thank you in your appeal

Does your appeal thank donors for their past or potential gifts? It should. Remember, you need to show gratitude while you’re trying to raise money.

This is especially important around GivingTuesday and I’ll write more about that in an upcoming post.

Wish your donors a Happy Thanksgiving

One way to show gratitude is to send your donors a special Thanksgiving message. A lot of nonprofits already do this. If you’re not one of them, make this the year you start. If you can send a card or postcard, that’s great, but an email message is also fine. If you use email, be sure to address your donor by name to make it more personal and send it the day before when they’ll be more likely to see it.

In a recent post about running a multichannel campaign, I suggested skipping the reminder during Thanksgiving week and pour on the gratitude instead. 

There’s a lot of uncertainty right now and your donors will appreciate a heartfelt message from you. Let them know how grateful you are to have them as part of your donor family. 

Don’t stop with Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving isn’t the only time to show some appreciation. The holidays and New Year’s are coming up soon (sooner than you think) and that’s a good opportunity, especially for those of you outside the U.S., to express gratitude. But you don’t need a holiday or other special occasion. Just thank your donors and do it often. 

Whatever you decide, DO NOT include a donation envelope or any other type of ask with your thank you message. This is known as a thask and it’s guaranteed to deflate your donor’s good feelings in an instant.

Be ready to thank your donors as soon as you receive a donation

Every single donor, no matter how much they’ve given or whether they donated online, gets a thank you card/letter mailed to them or receives a phone call.

Planning ahead will help you thank your donors as soon as possible. I’m sure you’re spending a lot of time and effort getting your fundraising appeal out. Perhaps you’ve recruited other staff or volunteers to help you.

You need to do the same thing when you thank your donors. Get your board, other staff, and volunteers to help make phone calls, write thank you notes, or include a handwritten note in a thank you letter. This is also an opportunity for a thankathon.

Make thanking your donors a priority

Your donors deserve more than just the same boring, generic thank you letter. The initial thank you right after you receive a donation is important. So is the next one and the one after that and the one after that….

Thanking your donors is not something you just do after you receive a donation. You want to thank your donors at least once a month. How many of you are actually doing that? 

Here are some ways you can show gratitude throughout the year.

  • Send a handwritten note.
  • Create a thank you video and share it on your website, by email, and on social media. Better yet, personalize it.
  • Send welcome packages to your new donors.
  • Invite your donors to connect with you via email and social media. Keep them updated on your success and challenges. Making all your communications donor-centered will help convey an attitude of gratitude.
  • Thank your donors in your newsletters and other updates. Emphasize that you wouldn’t be able to do the work you do without their support.
  • Hold an open house or offer tours. You can also create a virtual tour or other engaging video content to let your donors see your nonprofit up close and personal.
  • Thank your donors just because they’re great.
  • Keep thinking of other ways to thank your donors.

Create a thank you plan to help you with this.

Always choose kindness 

The world could use some more kindness right now. There’s so much going on and the divisiveness doesn’t help. As long as you’re sincere, I don’t think there’s such a thing as being too nice.

In the spirit of kindness, show some gratitude to your donors and make them feel special.

How Will You Thank Your Year-End Donors?

Ann Green direct mail, donor engagement, donor-centered, gratitude, planning, thank you letters, writing , , , , , ,

I imagine many of you are working on your year-end fundraising campaign. You may have started working on your appeal letter, which is great, but how much time have you spent thinking about how you’ll thank your donors? Maybe not that much. If that’s the case, you’re making a mistake because it’s just as important, if not more important, to plan how you’ll thank your donors. 

I highly recommend creating a thank you plan, which will help you show gratitude before, during, and after a campaign. 

Your donors deserve an amazing thank you. The problem is most thank yous don’t come anywhere close to being amazing. Many organizations treat thanking their donors as an afterthought and it shows. You can’t do that. It will hurt your chances of getting future donations. If you’ve been having trouble keeping your donors, doing a better job of thanking them should help.

There are many ways to thank your donors after an appeal – by mail, phone, email, on your website, or a combination of those. The more you can do, the better.

Thanking your donors is something you need to do well. Don’t shortchange your donors with a half-hearted, generic thank you.

Do an amazing job of thanking your donors. Make it a priority. Here are a few ways to do this. 

Start planning now

Don’t wait until the day after your appeal goes out. Give yourself plenty of time to plan. Write your thank you letter at the same time you write your appeal. 

Figure out what you’ll be able to do. I highly recommend a handwritten note or phone call. Can you do that for all your donors? If not, maybe you’ll break it down by new donors, long-time donors, or donors who have given a certain amount.

It’s important to thank your donors as soon as possible. I understand that handwritten notes and phone calls take more time, especially during the busy year-end season. If that’s the case, you can and should do those at other times of the year instead.  At the very least, your donors should get a letter, even if they’ve donated online. Thank you emails tend to resemble receipts, but we have the power to change that. Whatever you decide, remember to get started on the content now. 

In the past, the standard was to send thank you letters within 48 hours. If that’s too hard, don’t wait much longer than a week. Make sure you’re ready to go when the donations come in. 

Make your donor’s day with a handwritten thank you note

I love it when a nonprofit sends a handwritten thank you note. This is a rare occurrence, so if you do it, your thank you note will stand out in your donor’s mailbox.

Handwritten notes are great in many ways, but one advantage is you don’t have to write that much. In fact, you can do one in just a few minutes.

You could make thank you cards with an engaging photo or buy some nice thank you cards. Get together a team of board members, staff, and volunteers right after your appeal goes out to help you with this.

Think about how much your donors will appreciate this nice gesture. Here’s a sample note.

Dear Lisa,

Thank you so much for upgrading your gift to $75. We’re still seeing more people coming into the Westside Community Food Pantry. It’s difficult for many families in the community to afford groceries right now. Your generous gift will help a lot. We’re so happy you’ve been a donor for the past five years.

Phone calls are another personal way to show appreciation

Calling first-time donors is known to improve retention rates. But you could also call long-time donors to make them feel special.

Again, you want to get a team together to help. This is a great thing for your board to do. Here’s a sample phone script.

Hi Steve, this is Jennifer Taylor and I’m a board member at the Westside Community Food Pantry. Thank you so much for your generous donation of $50 and welcome to our donor family. Your gift will help feed more local families right now. Many of them are struggling to make ends meet.

Write that amazing thank you letter

If it’s impossible to send handwritten notes or make phone calls, you can still impress your donors with an amazing thank you letter. As I mentioned before, many thank you letters aren’t amazing at all and are mediocre at best. You’ll have an advantage if you take some time to create a great, donor-centered letter.

The purpose of a thank you letter is to thank your donors. Keep that in mind at all times.  

Don’t start your letter with On behalf of X organization…. If you’re sending it on your letterhead, it should be obvious it’s coming from your organization. Instead, start your letter with – Thank you, You’re incredible, or You did something great today!

You also don’t need to explain what your organization does. This often comes across as bragging by saying something like – As you know, X organization has been doing great work in the community for 20 years…. Someone who’s donated to your organization should already be familiar with what you do. 

And, don’t ask for another gift in your thank you letter. You did that in your appeal letter. You can ask again another time. Always keep gratitude front and center.

Write separate thank you letters for different types of donors. Welcome new donors and welcome back your current donors. Monthly donors should also get special recognition.

Your thank you letter needs to make your donors feel good about giving to your organization. Let them know how their gift is helping you make a difference. Include a brief story or example, such as the sample handwritten note or phone script I included above.

As with all writing, make your letter personal and conversational. Write to your donor using you much more than we and leave out jargon and any other language your donors won’t understand. Also, you must address your donors by name – not Dear Friend. Personalization is crucial when thanking your donors.

Your envelope makes a difference. Don’t use a boring, white #10 envelope. Make your letter stand out by using a colored or textured envelope. You could include a teaser that says Thank You and use a nice stamp (You can buy thank you stamps). Hand address the envelopes if you can and include a handwritten note inside that will help make it more personal. You could also include an engaging photo in the letter.

Yes, you do need to include the tax-deductible information, but do that at the end, after you impress your donors with your letter, or include it on a separate page. It’s easiest to include this with your thank you letter or email. Then you don’t have to send it again unless your donor requests it.

Create a more personal online thank you

The thank you plan I reference above gives you advice on how to create better thank you landing pages and email acknowledgments. These often come across as transactional. You need to think of the donations you receive as the start or continuation of a relationship, not a transaction.

Remember, even though your online donors will get an electronic acknowledgment, they should still get thanked by mail or phone. I like to think of the landing page, email, and what comes in the mail or by phone as the thank you journey. Don’t forget this is an ongoing journey.

I do want to emphasize the importance of a good email subject line. Stand out in your donor’s inbox and use language that conveys gratitude, such as Thank You, Lisa! or You just did something great! Steer clear of anything like Donation Receipt or Your Receipt from X Organization. It’s not that hard to do this and you’ll make a good impression.

Remember to make thanking your donors a priority, both now and throughout the year. You should be more successful if you do.

How to Reach New Audiences With Your Nonprofit’s Message

Ann Green brand identity, Communications, community partnerships, donor engagement, donor retention, planning, social media, website , , , , , ,

Want to reach new audiences to expand your nonprofit’s supporter base? Explore these ideas to engage with new groups of potential supporters. 

By Jay Love

Is your nonprofit looking to reach new audiences with your fundraising appeals, volunteer events, and advocacy opportunities? You’re in the right place!

Reaching new audiences is critical to growing your organization’s supporter base and fostering reliable revenue to fund your cause. In this guide, we’ve compiled a list of top ideas to help expand your reach and introduce prospective new supporters to your mission. 

The goal here isn’t that you should immediately start participating in every activity we’ve listed. Instead, browse these ideas to select a handful that would work best for your unique audience and staff capacity. 

1. Set up a giving referral program. 

Establishing a referral program for your giving opportunities incentivizes existing donors to engage with new supporters on your behalf, allowing you to leverage more extensive networks. If your nonprofit has a monthly giving or membership program, you can recruit current participants to promote the opportunity to their family members and friends. 

Offer incentives to current donors to encourage participation, such as:

  • Complimentary nonprofit-branded merchandise
  • Gift cards
  • VIP event access

Thank donors who participate in the program with a personal appreciation message and recognition on your social media pages and email newsletters. 

2. Participate in cross-blogging.

Cross-blogging opportunities require your nonprofit to partner with similar organizations to write posts for their online blog audiences. By participating in these blogging opportunities, you can introduce your mission to a new audience and show them why your organization is worthy of their support.

Reach out to other community organizations in your area, such as nonprofits or civic organizations, to ask if they’d be interested in a cross-blogging partnership. Outline the mutual benefits of this opportunity—by writing posts for your nonprofit’s blog, your partners will also be able to reach a new audience. 

In your blog posts, share engaging stories that illustrate your nonprofit’s mission. Make the stories more impactful by incorporating your unique perspective, referencing recent statistics, and including quotes from your beneficiaries. Include links to your organization’s website so readers can get more information. 

3. Engage with peer-to-peer fundraising donors. 

Peer-to-peer fundraisers allow your nonprofit’s supporters to raise money for your mission on your behalf, expanding your fundraising reach and engaging new audiences. Many organizations send a simple thank you message to new donors and leave it at that. However, we recommend actively engaging with peer-to-peer donors to show them the impact of their gifts and increase the chances they’ll become recurring donors. 

Qgiv’s peer-to-peer fundraising guide offers ideas for increasing retention by inviting new donors to:

  • Volunteer with you
  • Sign up for your email newsletter
  • Complete a survey to provide suggestions on the giving process

Asking new donors to complete a survey can be particularly effective, as you can uncover their giving motivations. While many donors likely gave to support their loved one’s peer-to-peer campaign, some may have a genuine interest in or passion for your mission. These donors are the most likely to stay engaged with your organization after the fundraiser ends. 

4. Offer valuable educational content through your website.

Whether you work in the environmental, healthcare, or community sectors, your nonprofit may have unique insights or information to share about your cause area. By featuring valuable educational content on your website, you can improve your site’s reputation and reach new audiences of visitors interested in the information you have to share. 

Filling your website with rich educational content can also improve your SEO results, increasing the likelihood of your pages appearing higher on search engines. 

Focus on educational content like: 

  • Educational courses
  • eBooks
  • Informational videos
  • Virtual webinars or panel discussions

Be sure to work with your organization’s subject matter experts (SMEs) to design your educational content and ensure its accuracy. Ask them to review your content and make updates as needed. 

5. Host community classes or workshops.

Community classes bring people together to learn a new skill or meet new friends in their area. These workshops are a valuable public service your nonprofit can provide to foster new connections and draw attention to your mission. 

Host classes that align with your nonprofit’s purpose. For example: 

  • A local animal shelter may host puppy yoga or dog training classes.
  • A local community garden nonprofit can host healthy cooking, gardening, or plant identification classes.
  • A nonprofit focused on helping community members gain technology skills can host a digital literacy workshop or coding classes.

These opportunities are also effective for engaging with various volunteers, some of whom may be new to your organization. New volunteers will be more likely to increase their involvement when your classes and workshops are fun and have interesting topics. Plus, volunteers are 66% more likely to donate to the organization they volunteer with than non-volunteers, meaning these individuals can be valuable potential donors. 

6. Collaborate with influencers.

Influencers are individuals who have large followings on online platforms like social media or blogs. They are regarded as authoritative figures on specific topics and can sway their audiences’ opinions with recommendations and endorsements. 

By working with an influencer, your nonprofit can reach its large, engaged audience to share your message and drive engagement with your involvement opportunities. Find an influencer relevant to your nonprofit’s mission to ensure their audience aligns with your existing one. For example, a nonprofit that helps fund school band programs could partner with a musician with a large TikTok following. 

Provide your influencer with the messaging you’d like them to use when discussing your nonprofit and a link to your website or online fundraising page. Also, research disclosure regulations so you comply with marketing laws.

7. Take an active social media approach.

In addition to working with an influencer, another way to engage with a wider online audience is to be more active on social media. Engage with your current audience and reach new potential supporters by following these tips: 

  • Comment on and share posts about your organization. Use social listening tools to track social media conversations about your nonprofit. Bloomerang’s nonprofit software guide highlights Buffer and Hootsuite as two social listening options. Then, engage with those posts by liking, commenting, and sharing them when appropriate. 
  • Post regularly. Use a social media scheduling platform to create posts in advance and schedule them to be published at regular intervals. For smaller organizations, posting around three to five times per week tends to be the most feasible. 
  • Host challenges with unique hashtags. Social media challenges can effectively engage your followers in fun activities and inspire them to share posts about your nonprofit with your followers. For example, you could start a #SelfiesforSeahorses challenge to encourage followers to share pictures of themselves using the hashtag to spread awareness of your organization’s sea life conservation efforts. 

When creating social media content, remember the 5 Cs of good nonprofit communications. Your messages should be clear, concise, conversational, and compelling, and they should establish a connection. Workshop your social media content with your nonprofit’s team to strike the right tone that aligns with your brand. 

8. Co-host events with community organizations. 

Partnering with other organizations in your community can offer mutual benefits. Your nonprofit can reach a new audience while providing your partners similar access to your existing supporter base.

Reach out to other organizations to see if they’d be interested in co-hosting events with your nonprofit. These organizations may include: 

  • Businesses
  • Other nonprofits
  • Civic organizations and clubs
  • Local schools and universities

With your community partners, you can host workshops, classes, silent auctions, fundraising 5Ks, festivals, chili cookoffs, or bake sales. Create branded event marketing materials for you and your partners to ensure consistent and professional branding. 

9. Host cause-merchandise fundraisers.

Branded merchandise can help your nonprofit reach prospective new donors without lifting a finger. When supporters wear or use your branded merchandise, they’ll spread awareness of your organization’s logo, colors, and other brand elements. 

Therefore, you should ensure the merchandise you create is highly visible. For example, you could sell: 

  • Branded t-shirts
  • Tote bags
  • Baseball hats
  • Mugs or water bottles
  • Bumper stickers

Promote your merchandise using social media, website, and email platforms to encourage supporters to purchase your products. You can even start a social media campaign asking supporters to share photos of them using or wearing your merchandise. Create a unique hashtag for that campaign.

As you can see, there are plenty of ways to connect with new audiences and spread your nonprofit’s message—it just takes some creativity and outside-the-box thinking. 

No matter which strategies you choose, track metrics to evaluate your progress. You can track social media engagement rates, merchandise sales, event revenue, new donor acquisition, and other relevant data points to better understand which strategies drive the most engagement among new audiences. 

Jay Love is a Co-Founder and current Chief Relationship Officer at Bloomerang.

Jay has served this sector for 33 years and is considered the most well-known senior statesman whose advice is sought constantly.

Before founding Bloomerang, he was the co-founder and CEO of eTapestry for 11 years, which at the time was the leading SaaS technology company serving the charity sector. Jay and his team grew the company to over 10,000 nonprofit clients, charting a decade of record growth.

He is a graduate of Butler University with a B.S. in Business Administration. Over the years, he has given more than 2,500 speeches around the world for the charity sector and is often the voice of new technology for fundraisers.


4 Key Lessons Nonprofits Should Learn from Businesses

Ann Green brand identity, Communications, community partnerships, donor engagement, donor relations, fundraising , , , , ,

Although nonprofits and businesses seem different, they share many similarities. Discover lessons nonprofits can learn from their for-profit counterparts here.

By Kyle Cannon

Although businesses and nonprofits operate in two different worlds, governed by their own unique rules, these organizations are more alike than one might initially think. Certain strategies apply to organizations in both industries—and nonprofits can experience major benefits from following in the footsteps of certain successful businesses.

To help your organization thrive long-term by building up good habits, this guide will cover four key lessons nonprofits should take from businesses. With these strategies, you’ll be well-positioned to secure loyal supporters, inspire increased generosity, and continue furthering your mission for years to come.

1. Give supporters a compelling reason to donate.

Much like a massage practice needs to convince customers to patronize its business, your nonprofit needs to give supporters a compelling reason to donate. While your organization isn’t necessarily focused on selling a specific product or service, your purpose is what supporters buy into. And it’s not enough to simply be a charitable organization—with over 1.8 million nonprofits registered in the U.S. alone, your organization needs to seriously consider how to set itself apart from others.

Here are a few tips for demonstrating that your nonprofit is deserving of support:

  • Emphasize your mission’s importance. For example, let’s say your animal shelter’s mission is to provide a second chance to animals in need by finding them loving families. You might explain that your mission is important because all pets deserve to be cared for and have a good quality of life.
  • Establish the issue you’re trying to address. Clearly outline what the issue is and why it’s important to fix it now rather than later. The animal shelter above might highlight high rates of animal abandonment in local communities and the negative impact these animals have on local wildlife to emphasize why it’s essential to rescue these animals and provide them with safe shelter.
  • Outline your impact. Explain how your nonprofit has already made a positive impact on its community. The animal shelter above might state that it has rescued over 5,000 dogs and cats since its inception and actively cares for over 300 animals at any given time.

If your nonprofit is well-established and has a base of loyal donors, research their giving motivations for key insights into why they support you. You can do this by sending out surveys or examining the data in your nonprofit constituent relationship management system (CRM). Use this information to improve the language you use around donating and make giving even more compelling.

2. Provide a positive supporter experience.

A crucial part of convincing consumers to make a purchase is the customer experience. Just think about how businesses offer generous return policies, leverage easy-to-use e-commerce platforms, and train employees to provide excellent service. Companies risk losing business when customers don’t enjoy the buying experience.

Your nonprofit can learn one key lesson from this: It’s crucial to establish a positive supporter experience that makes it easy for them to continue interacting with your organization. To that end, streamline how supporters:

  • Donate, such as by designing a responsive, mobile-optimized donation page that accepts various payment types
  • Volunteer, such as by offering a variety of volunteer opportunities that appeal to individuals with varying availabilities and commitment levels
  • Attend events, such as by creating an event page where supporters can RSVP and ensuring that your event-day check-in process is smooth and streamlined
  • Receive messages, such as by communicating with supporters regularly and through their preferred communication channels, whether that is email, social media, or something else

You may want to invest in software that helps you implement these best practices. This is also a key lesson your organization can learn from businesses—they’re not afraid to invest in tools that make their operations easier. Just as a spa might purchase massage software, your nonprofit can invest in a robust fundraising platform, nonprofit CRM, volunteer management software, or any other solution that aids you in your work.

3. Build a strong brand.

Branding is everything to businesses—it’s how they build recognition of their company and products. Just think about McDonald’s iconic golden arches or the stylized font of the Coca-Cola logo. As a nonprofit, you can follow the lead that businesses set and also focus on your branding to improve awareness for your mission.

According to MassageBook, there are two types of branding:

  • Visual. This includes your nonprofit’s logo, colors, and typography—essentially, any branding elements you can see.
  • Verbal. This refers to written choices you make, covering your mission statement, values, tone, grammar, and more.

Establish a thorough branding guide that describes how you’ll handle both visual and verbal branding elements. With the right strategy, you can help your nonprofit stand out in a sea of other charitable organizations. After establishing what your branding will look like, don’t forget to incorporate it into all of your marketing materials in a uniform manner to ensure that your audience immediately associates the material with your nonprofit.

4. Partner with like-minded organizations.

Businesses have long learned that partnerships with other organizations help them expand their reach, acquire more customers, and ultimately generate more revenue. Your nonprofit can similarly benefit from partnering with other mission-aligned organizations.

Here are a few types of organizations you should consider working with:

  • Other nonprofits. Other nonprofits with similar or adjacent missions may be happy to partner with yours to boost awareness of both your causes. For example, an environmental conservation nonprofit might work with an ocean conservation nonprofit to help the latter promote its upcoming event.
  • Foundations and grantmakers. Foundations and grantmakers provide financial support to nonprofits. To secure their support, you’ll need to undergo a grant application process and convince them that your nonprofit is worthy of their funds and will put them to good use.
  • Businesses. Corporate sponsorships aren’t limited to businesses—your nonprofit can also benefit from them! According to 360MatchPro, you can identify potential sponsors by exploring your network, researching local businesses, and using dedicated prospect research tools.

Keep in mind that a partnership should be mutually beneficial. As a nonprofit, this usually means that you’ll promote your partner’s brand, products and services, or mission alongside yours. For example, if you’re partnering with a nonprofit, you might host a co-branded awareness campaign to boost advocacy for both your causes. If you’ve acquired a corporate sponsor, you can include their branding on your event materials and specifically thank them in your end-of-event speech to help them get the word out about their brand.

And there you have it—four lessons nonprofits can take from businesses. Consider whether or not your organization is following these best practices and how you can implement them into your strategies to broaden your reach, acquire more donations, and work toward your mission more effectively.

Kyle Cannon is the product evangelist at MassageBook. He’s spent the past 8+ years developing a deep understanding of the joys and struggles massage therapists face daily, and he’s committed to helping them simplify and grow their practices every step of the way.