3 Tips to Engage Donors

Sustain your organization by strengthening relationships with donors

Donations are integral to establishing financial sustainability for many nonprofit organizations. For nonprofits that rely heavily on the generosity of individual donors, it can be difficult to plan future initiatives without knowing there is a steady source of funding. Engaged donors that give regularly are incredibly valuable to help nonprofits sustain programs and execute financial planning for the future. Donor engagement involves all of the programs and actions you take to make sure your donors are involved, thanked for their contributions and asked strategically for donations in the future. Strategic donor engagement programs have demonstrable benefits that go far beyond traditional donations.

Below are three effective strategies for engaging your donors: 

Invite donors into your mission

Research shows that engaged donors, who give more than once, cost less to acquire and give 42% more annually than one-time donors. It is critical to create communications that clearly share the heart of your mission as an organization so donors can picture where they fit in as a part of making that mission happen. Your goal is to invite them to join you in making that mission a reality through giving of time (volunteering), talent (offering services), and treasures (money, donated goods…etc). Take time to illuminate your mission by highlighting the real impact that has been made by your organization and through your volunteers. Share more stories about the communities where your donors live from people who have benefited from your services. As the donor sees how their contribution benefits others, they may feel stirred to give. The NetGiver donation platform simplifies giving so that once the decision to give is made, there is no friction to the donation.

Share Impactful Stories

The average engaged donor that is committed to giving regularly ends up contributing four times more money over time as compared to one-time donors. These types of donors want to know that their contributions are creating real change. Telling impactful stories to donors and showing them how their generosity has made a difference in the community, helps them feel connected to your organization. Focus on telling an individual’s story, one that exemplifies how a life was changed as a result of donations. Make sure these communications highlight both the human impact and concrete data-driven details that paint a clear picture of the significance that their contributions make. Imagine your audience hearing or seeing the story you plan on sharing. Will this information be relevant and spark their interest by providing value to them or will they see it and think ‘so what?’ Make sure your stories pass the ‘so-what’ test. In addition to sharing impactful stories, it is useful to have clear calls to action for setting up recurring giving if they feel moved to do so. Charitable giving platforms like NetGiver, allow your donors to easily set up recurring payments to support your nonprofit. Plus, with NetGiver you and your donors will never have to pay fees typically associated with receiving donations online. NetGiver is the only giving platform that does not charge fees to either donors or nonprofits. 

Regular Communication

Studies show that 53% of donors stop engaging with an organization due to a lack of regular communication from the nonprofit. Maintaining consistent communication with donors helps keep your organization top-of-mind and top-to-wallet when giving season rolls around. The giving season is a great time to coordinate a larger campaign with donors, however, it should not be the only time your organization mobilizes to communicate with your community. Consider using multiple channels and experiences to share your message, including social media, email, online events, in-person events, and direct mail. Interestingly, direct mail has seen a resurgence, despite the fact that our world is increasingly digital. With the strength of email spam filters, digital campaigns may not always reach their target audience. Studies show that 42% of people scan through their direct mail before throwing it away, giving organizations a captive audience when they send direct mail communications. 

Developing relationships through a variety of channels and communications helps engage and retain donors. Engaged donors give both time and money, with 63% of Millennials and 62% of Generation X’ers saying they are motivated to engage with organizations based on their passion for a cause. Using donor engagement strategies such as inviting donors to your mission, sharing impactful stories, and communicating regularly can go a long way in building an engaged donor base to ensure long-term financial stability for your nonprofit organization. Supporting these communication efforts with frictionless giving experiences helps you grow and sustain your organization. NetGiver creates a seamless giving experience that resonates with a demographic of people who are truly engaged with supporting your mission. Once they have made an account your donor can give with three clicks of a mouse. Empower your engaged donor to support your mission by making it easy for them to give with no fees.