It's the day after; you've finished your latest fundraising campaign - either traditional or better yet, crowdfunding - and hopefully you have a load of brand-new donors.
If you thought you could rest for the next few months - think again. You now need to keep your donors engaged so they will want to donate in the future. And according to the research, they will - if they feel loved!
Rule number 1 is the most vital - thank them immediately! No, I don't mean the automated thank you they received upon donating; I mean a personalized thank you - remembering of course to make the conversation about the donor! Because of the help he and others are giving you are going to be able to do x, y and z.
But there's more:
Rule number 2 is equally important - and applies to all larger donations - thank them personally! Pick up the phone; send a whattsapp, or just send a personal email or letter. Start a conversation with them; ask them for advice - donors LOVE being asked for their opinion.
Do research on these donors - find out everything you can about them; custom your conversations to be about things that they care about - and hopefully, with a little effort, they will come to care about your organization and become major supporters. See my earlier article: https://www.suzannelieberman.com/post/it-pays-to-be-a-sleuth for more information.
Rule number 3 - you're not finished yet! Make sure to send frequent updates to your donors - it can include photos, videos or whatever, but whatever you send - always thank them for their previous gift and remind them of the great work their gift is enabling your organization to do.
This means that you may need to segment your emails between donors and non-donors - but it's worth it.
Finally - and it's not a rule but a "strong suggestion" - if you dont' have a good CRM (donor database platform) - it's time to invest in one now - it will pay for itself many times over once you are able to start segmenting, running reports, sending emails, getting reminders, etc. See here for more details about this: https://www.suzannelieberman.com/post/growing-your-non-profit-you-need-a-donor-database
Follow the rules above and you are in a good position for your next fundraising campaign to be even more successful.
Each organization has its own dynamic needs and my goal is to help your organization move to the next level and turn your vision into donations. You can contact me at suzanne@suzannelieberman.com; let’s start a conversation.
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