One of the biggest hot button issues of the nonprofit world right now is donor retention. Sadly, nonprofits are often much better (and more enthusiastic) about getting donors than we are about holding on to the donors who are already committed to our cause. The truth is that not all donors are created equal, and many one-time donors need to be nurtured into long-term, loyal donors before you can fix your donor retention rate.
Watch to learn three reasons donors stop supporting your nonprofit:
Transcript:
The biggest reason that people stop donating to a cause? They just can’t afford to donate. That’s the reason given by 54% of donors in a recent survey by Bloomerang. It’s hard to argue with that. If people don’t have money, they don’t have money.Â
But that leaves a conspicuous 46% percent who stop donating for reasons not associated with money at all. Let’s dive into the results and see what other reasons people have for ending support for a nonprofit.
Number #1: The didn’t receive proper thanks. It’s not enough to send an annual letter of thanks to your donors, potentially months after they donated. They might not even remember they did, by that point. Be prompt, personal and effusive in your thanks.
Reason Number #2: They don’t remember giving to your organization! Probably because you didn’t thank them properly and follow up with them on exactly what their donation meant in terms of RESULTS.
Number #3: They didn’t think you really need the money. Again, you organization failed to communicate the results.Â
In summary, COMMUNICATE. Too many nonprofits are leaving it up to the DONORS to connect the dots, when YOU should be communicating WHY their donations are important, HOW their donations are being used, and WHAT specific change your donors helped create in the world. Do this, and you’ll see your donor attrition drop off dramatically.
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