Donor Recognition: The Real Key to Retention

By Joe Boland

Do’s and Don’ts of Donor Acknowledgment

Bill Sayre, president of Merkle Response Management Group, shares his do’s and don’ts for donor recognition.

Do: Acknowledge new donors with a welcome series. “Have a special package to welcome new donors with a little more of an elaborate acknowledgment/thank-you for donating. Poor retention may speak to not having a good welcome/thank-you kit in place.”

Don’t: Have a dollar threshold for which donors you thank. “Some nonprofits only thank donors who contribute $50 or above. Nonprofits who thank all donors are doing the right thing. A $5 donor today can turn into a valuable donor over his or her lifetime.”

Do: Have a prominent, recognizable name sign the acknowledgment letter. “[The acknowledgment] coming from the most senior person of your organization or most recognizable person within the organization is best practice. And to that end, we also recommend to clients that they do a hand-signed letter in donor acknowledgments, at least to certain giving levels.”

Don’t: Send generic acknowledgments. “Simple name and dollar amount are not enough anymore. You need to personalize donor recognition messaging with as much data as possible, referencing specific campaigns and specific outcomes.”

Do: Understand exactly how quickly donor acknowledgments go out. “If you work with a vendor, don’t go on the vendor’s word. Make sure you know exactly when the acknowledgments go out, and make sure it’s timely.”

Don’t: Process acknowledgments on a weekly or biweekly basis. “Acknowledgments are all about speed. Don’t hold them for one or two weeks. Get them out daily and in the hands of donors within three days max.”

Ever since the economy began to bottom out five years ago, the focus of the nonprofit fundraising world has been on donor retention. That’s not to say retention was on the back burner in years and decades prior. It’s always been integral to fundraising success. But with acquisition budgets getting routinely slashed and competition for donors’ attention reaching all-time highs, retention seems to be the biggest focal point for fundraisers from organizations of all missions and sizes.

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