With the cold weather setting in and the countdown to #GivingTuesday and end-of-year appeals looming, now is a great time to think about your gratitude plan.
So many nonprofits have huge fundraising goals that need to be met by the end of the year that it's a fairly uncommon practice to think about the follow-up after the gifts roll in. However, the dirty little secret of development is that only 27% of donors in a given year will give again the next year. So, 73% of your hard-won donors love you one year and leave you the next.
What does that equate to in real numbers? Here’s the eye-popping reality if you’re a nonprofit pro: A retention rate at the national average of 27% means only 19 of 1,000 donors will remain after three years. And most of the time they move on is because they haven't heard from the organization that they gave to. Keeping donors is much more cost-effective than getting new ones and with a gratitude plan in action you can start reducing that donor churn.
To help you get started, here are some ideas about how to implement a proactive gratitude plan:
1- Automate a thank you when the gift is received AND at the conclusion to the campaign.
2- Schedule some gratitude shout-outs now. Use your e-newsletter or social media scheduler and write your content now. You can pick a date that works best for your organization's editorial calendar and/or schedule for Thanksgiving, New Year's, Valentines or all and more.
3- Reach out to your donors before you ask with another thanks.
4- Remember your staff, volunteers and board. How are you saying thank you to them for their contributions in talent and time? (NB: Jams and Jellies of the month club might not be the best idea.)
5- Thank you-a-thons can be a great way to get your board involved. Plan one now, even if it's not for months to come.
Need some inspiration for your thank you?
Check out Classy