A kinder, back-to-basics approach to donor relations amounted to a 30 percent increase in contributions for D.C.’s Heritage Foundation.

By Margaret Battistelli Gardner

Bucking the trend
Despite the fact that 2001-2002 were difficult years for nonprofits, Heritage was pleased with the results of its testing. Looking back at the original control group, giving by new members was up nearly 24 percent in year two, and giving by existing donors was up by 10 percent.

By the end of 2002, the cumulative increase for existing members had risen dramatically over two years. The actual amount per donor was up just about 10 percent, but higher renewal rates, more frequent donations and larger average gift sizes brought the figure up to 30 percent.