Social Listening is Key to Donor Retention

Social listening gives organizations unprecedented insight into their donors' lives and an opportunity for richer engagement through personalization. Far beyond surveys, focus groups or feedback forms, nonprofits have the ability to analyze, in real time, what their donors think, feel and care about—and can react with predetermined triggers or send personalized marketing messages.

Donor retention is an ongoing problem for many nonprofits. The 2014 Fundraising Effectiveness Project report evaluated data from 3,576 nonprofits, which showed that the median donor retention rate was 43 percent in 2013. That means only 43 percent of 2012 donors made repeat gifts to the surveyed nonprofits in 2013.