Donor Recognition: The Real Key to Retention

The more personal the acknowledgment, the more appreciated the donor feels — which greatly increases the likelihood of that donor remaining loyal.

Beyond just implementing data points into the body of the donor recognition communications, there’s the opportunity for fundraisers to get creative with other materials, specifically in direct mail. For instance, Sayre says, if the donor indicates via the data the nonprofit has previously captured that she prefers to donate to dog-related programs instead of cat-related programs, you could include an insert on the dog program into the acknowledgment. Or in e-communications, you could include a link to the new dog shelter being built, etc.