AFP Conference Roundup: Three Main Loyalty Drivers — Donor Satisfaction, Commitment and Trust

Increasing donor loyalty is the key to increasing donor retention, Sargeant said, adding that the three main drivers of donor loyalty are donor satisfaction, commitment and trust.

1. Donor satisfaction
Donor dissatisfaction is at the root of some of the key reasons donors stop giving, some of which include:

• feeling other causes are more deserving;
• feeling the organization no longer needs their support;
• they're not reminded to give again;
• the organization didn't tell them how their donation was used;
• feeling that communications from the organization were inappropriate; and
• feeling the organization asked for inappropriate donation amounts.

In the commercial world, Sargeant said, customer satisfaction is the single biggest driver of loyalty. Customers who have complaints but don't voice them are less likely to buy again than customers who do complain and subsequently have their complaints resolved. Does your organization encourage donor feedback and respond to issues and complaints promptly?