How to Steward Existing Donors

Segmentation

Your donors all have different motivations for giving, though they all contribute to your organization. Segmenting donors into groups and delivering content based on each group’s needs can create a more customized experience for all your givers.

Group your donors in your CRM or database based on similar characteristics, such as:

Campaign history and type
Donation amount
Recurring donor status
Gift type
Giving frequency
Demographics like location,
gender, and age

Grouping individuals this way should influence your social media strategy, communication frequency, major donor pipeline, committee nominations, corporate pipeline, and more.

By segmenting donors and your communications with them, you have a greater chance of reaching them in ways they will respond to.

Stewardship

Donor stewardship is highly important for both returning and new donors, by way of your defined segments. However, newly acquired donors should be exposed to a different standard of care as their relationship develops. Make them feel special. Understanding their motivations helps you and your team faster pinpoint the ways they wish to be involved and will deepen the relationship.

What are some opportunities and ways you can nurture your donor relationships throughout the year?

Celebrate past gifts
Program updates and launches
Continued updates on the impact of their gifts
Holiday cards
Impact report at the end of the fiscal year
Invites to campaigns that they did NOT support (yet!)
Donor surveys to ensure you remain tapped into their needs, wants, and preferences

How can you communicate or send these outreach initiatives?

Emails*
Handwritten cards
Infographics*
Phone calls
Postcards*
Text messages*
Social media posts
Signed letters
Videos*

*Can be done creatively using the GiveSmart platform! Schedule a demo to learn more.

The best way to retain your donors is to make them feel welcome and follow up with efficient communication on how they make a difference and with more ways they can stay involved with your nonprofit. Your next ask should be two to three months following their last gift.

The more your donors feel appreciated and connected to your organization, the more they will be willing to donate their time and money for your mission.

Thank you strategies

When

Thank yous should be sent within 24 hours after the gift is made, ideally. You should not wait longer than 48 hours. Many donor management systems automate this, saving your team time.

Depending on your segmentation and reach-out plan, you should consider a thank you:

On the anniversary of a donation
When you have an update on the designated campaign or program
On a meaningful date, holiday, anniversary, or celebration
At year-end

What

Thank yous are not only the tax receipt. While that is a part of it, you should include a thoughtful, personal message.

How

The more handwritten or personalized you can make your outreach, the better. Even just a hand-written signature on a letter makes the recipient feel personally acknowledged and extra special.

As you make your thank you plans based on donor segments, consider who should receive an additional, hand-written thank you card via the mail or a phone call from a volunteer. Write those delightful thank you letters that illustrate how your donor benefits your mission, “Thank YOU for contributing. Without YOU we couldn’t do it. YOUR gift helps make the world a better place. YOU are the reason why …”

Don’t include another ask in your thank you. Leave it as just an acknowledgment of your donor’s generosity.

Consider how a few percentage point increase in donor retention rate can impact your mission and help your team.

As you evaluate where you can make sustainable changes and refine your stewardship strategies, don’t forget to see how your fundraising and donor management systems can support your efforts.

GiveSmart can facilitate communication, social sharing, video display, donor scoring, donor data mining, and more as well as provide easy giving opportunities.

Connect with a GiveSmart expert today.

Sources

The Giving Environment: New Models to Engage Donors (Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy)
Donor Retention: What Do We Know & What Can Nonprofits Do About It? (nonprofitquarterly.org)
https://www.insightsassociation.org/
Live Benchmarks: Fundraising Metric Benchmarks - Fundraising Report Card
GiveSmart 2022 Research Study - Adapting for Your Donors: Insights into the State of Fundraising and Technology