Retention

Building an effective donor program takes time and effort. Here are 10 ideas to help you foster the one thing we all desire most: donor retention.

We have to accept our sector is in a crisis of near terminal proportions. So anyone who might throw a lifeline setting out what wise nonprofits should be doing to slow, stop and reverse this situation should be very welcome to sector leaders. Under the general theme of wise investment, both time and money, to increase retention Chuck Longfield launched in with five specific, timely nuggets of advice.

In times where acquisition is both expensive and difficult, how is it possible that we let Mr. and Mrs. Opportunity knock on our door and we don’t answer? Even when the numbers are not big, it should be possible to organize a tiny process to accommodate these friendly people who want to get in contact.

I bet you 100 euros that donors who are willing to take the trouble of letting you know they have moved are more loyal donors, therefore have a higher Lifetime Value …

We all want to be appreciated — and be sought after — for our thoughts and opinions. This is especially true of close relationships, like those we work to build with donors. Honor your donors by listening sincerely. They, and you, will be glad you did!

If your organization’s retention efforts aren’t fine-tuned, this is the perfect webinar to help you focus.

As a nonprofit, what steps will you take in 2013 to retain and grow these new relationships? In this article, I detail five of the most effective retention strategies in use by nonprofits. While these tactics are appropriate for your new donors drawn from year-end giving, they’re equally effective (and important) for less visible everyday donors giving throughout the year. How well are you doing? Where can you do a better job in the year ahead?

Attrition is a fact of life at nonprofits, but what you do now can increase the number of first-time donors who remain loyal in the new year.

Amanda Foster, account manager at Salsa Labs, provides five keys to grow and retain your online donor file that helped KaBOOM! reach its goals.

As you reach out to renew those friendships with loyal donors to your cause with year-end appeals, the first question you should ask yourself is how these investors to your organization came to be the loyal, dependable friends that they are? You’ll discover that sustaining and expanding the flow of year-end investments is much more about what you did last year than anything you will do in the next few weeks.

By implementing a few best practices, you can breathe new life into sustained giver programs for your relief organization so you’re better prepared to leap into action when the next event occurs.