Spinning Date Into Donor Gold

“We operate a ‘many are called, few are chosen program,’” Whorton avows. “We have found that the first gift an acquired donor gives is the best predictor of their lifetime value to our organization.”

Many faith-based charities fetch an average gift of $10 to $12 from a first-time donor, and while CRS is pulling down close to three times that, Whorton admits that response rates would be much higher if it offered a front-end or back-end premium to prospects represented on compiled lists.