sgEngage

NOVEMBER 4, 2024

In that same spirit, we asked some of our favorite fundraisers to share their best piece of fundraising advice, as a way of paying it forward to other gift officers. Tracey Harrow, private elementary school Make a Special Swag Delivery to Major Donors “Members at the two highest levels receive physical gifts.

Tips 103

Tips Ideas Share Fundraising 103

Bloomerang

JULY 7, 2022

Best Practices for Donor Acquisition and Retention Through Direct Mail. Similarly, they found that donors with household incomes under $40,000 prefer the storytelling of direct mail (40%) to email (17%) more so than donors ages 65+ who prefer direct mail (36%) over email (30%) campaigns.

Mail 130

Mail Retention Donor Practice 130

Qgiv

DECEMBER 10, 2024

Donation request letters, whether sent via email or direct mail, are one of the most effective ways to reach donors and solicit gifts. Storytelling connects donors to your mission and introduces them to the people theyll help with their gifts. With a gift of [specific donation amount], you can [specific impact].

Template 98

Template Donation Help Raise 98

Allegiance Group

APRIL 3, 2025

Nonprofits cant afford to overlook the power of re-engaging lapsed donorsstrengthening donor retention practices is now more critical than ever. Last year marked the fourth consecutive year that retention rates declined year over year in Q3, with only 13.8 percent of new donors retained year to date. Contact Us What are lapsed donors?

Donor 52

Donor Tips Retention Mail 52

Pamela Grow

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

and why loyalty and donor retention matter. Nothing, but nothing, has the power to transform your fundraising quite like gratitude. And then you’ll discover the building blocks of thank you’s that keep your donors coming back. Again and again. A very special MotivateMonday. Click the image below to view.

Lesson 52

Lesson Ireland Slides Storytelling 52

CauseVox

NOVEMBER 26, 2023

Whether you’re striving to make a difference in your community, protect the environment, or provide a lifeline to those in need, your storytelling ability can mean the difference between a thriving and well-funded program and one that falls flat. The Power of Storytelling in Fundraising Humans are meaning-making creatures.

Storytelling 102

Storytelling Impact Arts Nonprofit 102

Allegiance Group

JANUARY 28, 2025

However, a single gift doesnt necessarily imply a deep-seated concern for the issues you aim to solve. Say you run an animal shelter and offer address labels as an incentive for someone to make a first gift. The benefits vary a discount to your local art museum, a branded T-shirt, a gift card.

Relationship 52

Relationship Fundraising Donor Gift 52

Pamela Grow

JANUARY 22, 2025

of new donors are being retained year-to-date, and even repeat donor retention decreased by 4.6%. Nonprofit organizations will need to be a whole lot more serious about fundraising particularly donor retention in 2025. Things like focusing on the last 20 largest gifts. Only 13.8% We are, as a species, addicted to story.

Help 59

Help Storytelling Mail Donor 59

Whole Whale

APRIL 1, 2025

ENGAGED: Inspiring the First (or Next) Gift Your goal: Nurture your supporters to make giving easy, compelling, and timely. How are you thanking your donors and helping them understand the value of their gift? COMMITTED: Building Donor Loyalty Your goal: Increase donor retention, recurring giving, and long-term impact.

Strategy 52

Strategy Fundraising Guide Nonprofit 52

Pamela Grow

JULY 10, 2024

Download Encouraging Longevity in Nonprofit Development to discover the secrets behind employee retention. Enroll in Nonprofit Storytelling | Basics & More , the first and most comprehensive storytelling class created specifically for the nonprofit sector. Commit to new donor retention. Download it here.

Nonprofit 111

Nonprofit Foundation Donor Retention 111

The Modern Nonprofit

JANUARY 21, 2025

Why Donor Engagement Matters Retention Over Acquisition Did you know it costs less to retain an existing donor than to acquire a new one? Research shows that donor retention can significantly impact your nonprofits bottom line. Clearly demonstrating the difference they make fosters trust and encourages future support.

Donor 52

Donor Retention Donation Fundraising 52

Allegiance Group

JANUARY 8, 2025

As fundraisers, were also storytellers and every donor has a story. Their goals were to identify and refine more strategic new donor journeys to drive stronger retention, earlier upgrades, and increase the number of donors giving $1k+ annually. First Gift: The donor makes their first gift. Second Gift: They give again.

Map 52

Map Donor Team Experiment 52

Bloomerang

MAY 30, 2022

What were our donor retention and new donor acquisition rates? We will improve overall donor retention by 5% (to 50% overall) by creating and implementing a donor-centered stewardship plan. Incorporating storytelling. Major Gifts: The Ultimate Guide to Kickstart Your Program. How well are we engaging with our donors?

Guide 140

Guide Fundraising Social Media Donor 140

Bloomerang

NOVEMBER 29, 2021

This compares with just 19% of first-time single gift donors and 60% of recurring single gift donors. The very best way to communicate with both current and prospective monthly donors is through storytelling. . Begin Your Monthly Giving Storytelling before Asking. Continue Your Monthly Giving Storytelling after Asking.

Program 115

Program Giving Marketing Nonprofit 115

Bloomerang

OCTOBER 30, 2023

Thank first-time donors for their first gift, highlight the impact of that gift, and ask them to consider making a second gift to make a bigger difference. Thank lapsed donors for their past support and share updates about your organization’s work and the impact of their previous gifts.

Action 111

Action Fundraising Storytelling Donor 111

Bloomerang

JUNE 6, 2024

Mastering the art of storytelling: Connecting heart to cause Let’s talk about storytelling —it’s more than a buzzword. Compelling storytelling does just that by transporting your supporters into the lives affected by their donations. Bloomerang simplifies the process of securing legacy gifts.

Donor 105

Donor Giving Donation Causes 105

CauseVox

APRIL 18, 2025

Even a small tweaklike setting monthly donations as the defaultcan serve as a gentle nudge toward ongoing support, while still allowing donors the flexibility to choose a one-time gift. Instead of making a big gift all at once, donors can commit to a larger amount and pay it off over timemonthly, yearly, or on a custom schedule.

Program 53

Program Giving Gift Donor 53

Connection Cafe

MARCH 15, 2017

Blackbaud’s 2016 Charitable Giving Report shows us that donor retention for first time donors is still remarkably low – 29% for offline donors and 21% for online donors. But if donors are retained passed that first year, the retention rate jumps significantly to 60% for offline donors and 58% for online donors. Thank You Letters.

Retention 38

Retention Donor Storytelling Nonprofit 38

Pamela Grow

FEBRUARY 17, 2021

The average monthly gift is $24, or $288 a year.”. Monthly donor retention rates: 90 percent and up (double the average donor retention rate of 45 percent!)”. If you’ve been following me for even a short time, you know how important I know it is. Did you know… “Sixty percent of donors under 35 give monthly.”.

Storytelling 52

Storytelling Donor Retention Rate 52

Bloomerang

JUNE 20, 2023

After a year of significant growth, online fundraising grew by a more modest 3% in 2021 , and the number of gifts increased by 5%. Share the gifts they’ve made. Tell stories One of the best ways to engage supporters is to use effective storytelling strategies.

Online 111

Online Fundraising Ideas Guide 111

sgEngage

AUGUST 16, 2024

Use Your Story as a Retention Tool To improve donor engagement with your annual report, make sure you speak to all levels and types of donors. This is vital to donor retention and stewardship. Personalize the Impact Story of Each Major Gift For major gifts, you should be providing personalized stewardship reports for each gift.

Report 102

Report Organization Create Donor 102

The Modern Nonprofit

APRIL 6, 2021

In this blog, you’ll learn about: Annual Giving, Donor Retention, Major & Legacy Gifts, Online Fundraising, Boards & Leadership, Content Marketing, Social Engagement , Strategy & Management, and Culture & Values. It’s the specific change you’re asking the donor to help make with their gift. Clairification

Bookmarking 98

Bookmarking Nonprofit Storytelling Social Media 98

Bloomerang

JANUARY 7, 2022

Focus on Increasing Donor Retention. Matching Gifts. In addition to soliciting gifts, why not take the day to recognize those who support your mission, like donors, volunteers, sponsors, grantees and vendors? Ask for a specific gift amount from supporters. Ask for a gift for a specific purpose. T-Shirt Fundraiser.

Campaign 122

Campaign Ideas Giving Tips 122

Bloomerang

JULY 20, 2023

After a year of significant growth, online fundraising grew by a more modest 3% in 2021 , and the number of gifts increased by 5%. Share the gifts they’ve made. Supporters set up their own online donation pages and solicit gifts from their friends and family. These gifts can be matched at a 1:1, 2:1, and even 3:1 ratio.

Online 98

Online Fundraising Ideas Tips 98

NonProfit Hub

JUNE 22, 2021

It’s evident that when you can show a donor the tangible return on investment (ROI) of their gift, you get a higher average gift and more frequent giving. That way, they have a tangible number on how many people they have reached from their gift. Data Storytelling: Tell the Story About Donation Dollars.

ROI 82

ROI Donor Fundraising Gift 82

Bloomerang

JUNE 26, 2023

Generating thank you emails to your donors after every gift is a simple way to let them know that they are seen,appreciated and making a difference in the world. In your thank you email, provide a receipt of their donation, along with a letter or short message about the impact of their gift.

email 105

email Campaign Fundraising Marketing 105

Qgiv

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

When a donor makes a contribution to your organization, they need proof of the gift for their tax records. That’s why you need to make sure your nonprofit donation receipts are scheduled to send as soon as a gift is made. You’ll also want to include the donor’s name, the donation amount, and the date of the gift. There’s more!

Donation 103

Donation Arts Nonprofit PDF 103

CauseVox

NOVEMBER 18, 2021

Use Storytelling To Drive Your Year-End Fundraising. If you’re not sure how to get started with your storytelling, ask your donors! Write your thank you letter in advance so you are prepared to start acknowledging gifts. Be Sure You Thank Your Donors For Optimal Retention. Before acknowledging gifts, do your research!

Fundraising 97

Fundraising Social Media Donor Campaign 97

Connection Cafe

JANUARY 21, 2014

Guest post by Vanessa Chase : Fundraising & Communications Strategist, Storytelling Enthusiast and Philanthropy Advocate. Donor retention is an on-going conversation in our sector and any time it comes up, people start to panic. We all know what we have donor retention troubles. Take a Cue from Major Gifts.

Story 44

Story Donor Integration Strategy 44

Neon CRM

MAY 16, 2024

For example, Neon CRM users can create groups based on gift size, initial donation type (online, direct mail, or in person), their level of engagement (one-time donation versus recurring donors, for example), or the campaign that prompted their gift. Did it say, “Thanks for the gift!” This will help you achieve a few ends.

Donor 95

Donor Gift Chicago Donation 95

sgEngage

OCTOBER 11, 2023

No matter what your mission is, you’re probably dedicating significant resources to finding potential supporters and getting that first gift. And with donor retention rates on the decline, new donor acquisition is a constant topic of conversation. It can be even more challenging when you’ve hit a wall in your acquisition efforts.

Donor 108

Donor Social Media Donation Websites 108

NonProfit Hub

MARCH 8, 2017

After their initial gift, you still have work to do with each donor. In terms of donor retention, that’s music to a nonprofit’s ears. Now is the time to make an appeal for a second gift. A donor’s first donation to your nonprofit is a step in the right direction, but it’s not an immediate promise for smooth sailing.

Donor 68

Donor Time Retention Social Media 68

Classy

JUNE 28, 2021

Recurring donors are over five times more valuable to your nonprofit than one-time donors due to their higher annual giving levels and retention rates. . Discover tips on goal-setting, a launch plan, campaign branding, donor retention, and more. 4 Storytelling Tips to Boost Recurring Donations. Download the Guide Now.

Resource 82

Resource Program Giving Free 82

Qgiv

APRIL 13, 2021

According to our research report, Navigating the Unknown: Findings to Future-Proof your Fundraising , social media posts were the number one drivers of charitable gifts in 2020. Donor engagement yields donor retention. Donors who feel appreciated and engaged in an organization’s work are more likely to make a second gift.

Social Media 103

Social Media Donation Media Fundraising 103

Pamela Grow

MARCH 7, 2024

Storytelling Email As in all donor comms — including your emails — let storytelling guide you. What you can learn about solid, empathetic storytelling from an email shows how. For more, check out master storyteller Vanessa Chase Lockshin’s 30 minute training. A clean list yields better supporter interactions.

email 69

email Nonprofit Storytelling Newsletter 69

Connection Cafe

OCTOBER 20, 2013

Here are this week’s nonprofit highlights: The 2nd gift. In this post, How to Get a 2nd Gift from New Donors , Joe Garecht shares his 4 step new donor stewardship process to help nonprofits plan beyond the first contribution and get retention rates up past 22.9%. Have You Killed Your “Annual” Appeal Yet ?

Gift 37

Gift Nonprofit Storytelling Retention 37

CauseVox

NOVEMBER 23, 2021

And whether you’re seeking to acquire more donors, increase gift size, or increase donor retention, just make sure your site is optimized and easy for potential donors to give you money as they’ve really come to expect an easy and seamless experience from anything they do online. 2) Focus on Storytelling and Impact.

Fundraising 73

Fundraising Gift Social Media Donation 73