4+ keys to great year-round fundraising campaigns
- Digital communications & marketing
- Fundraising ideas
- Nonprofits
- Guided Fundraising
We all know it’s more efficient to retain an existing donor than to acquire a new one, but how can busy fundraisers upgrade mid-level donors effectively and efficiently? And how can nonprofit organizations leverage technology to support those efforts?
Stewarding existing donors into upgrading their gifts can help your nonprofit tap into the fundraising potential of major gifts. Let’s take a closer look at key tips and tools that will boost your results
Personalized communication and engagement strategies are critical to helping mid-level donors see the value and potential impact of increasing their donations to your nonprofit. But have no fear—personalized approaches don’t always require more time or resources.
Know where and how to focus your efforts with a meaningful and personal touch. Consider the following techniques:
As you advance and refine your strategy, continue to explore new ways that donors can deepen their support with more significant gifts and greater impact.
To optimize your results, your nonprofit should leverage technology to assist with personal touch points and engagement journeys. These four tools are essential:
Your donor data can support your segmentation and personalized outreach, but only if your nonprofit stores and organizes it properly. Constituent relationship management (CRM) systems allow you to better understand patterns and track donor:
Storing this data in one place ensures that all your staff will have access to all the right information at just the right times. Utilize workflows and automation to send out emails and remind your fundraisers to reach out to better engage with your constituents.
While in-person engagements are important, you can also foster community by hosting virtual events. To strengthen donor relationships, structure the event to promote interactions between mid-level donors and:
Storing the information you gather from these events in your donor profiles also allows you to send follow-up messages to donors that are more focused and effective.
If you haven’t already, take your efforts beyond your newsletter by using social media platforms to:
For more visibility, encourage donors to proudly repost and share your organization’s posts. Not only will you strengthen relationships with your existing followers, but you’ll also open the door for engagement with their social circles and widen the reach of your social media activity.
Where relevant, offer easy-to-use online donation forms with options for recurring and upgraded giving. This can make it convenient for donors to increase their support and help them see the potential impact of even small increases in their gifts. Include impact stories and metrics in your acknowledgment and stewarding messages that show how far donors’ dollars will go toward making an impact.
Balancing personalized communications and efficient technology tools will help your nonprofit connect with mid-level donors and deepen their involvement. Employ these donor stewardship tips today to strengthen your relationships with your existing supporters.
This is a contribution from Andrea Bastiani Archibald, Ph.D., managing director at Orr Group. Andrea is an applied developmental psychologist and thought leader with expertise in nonprofit strategy and leadership support, and has a strong background in strategizing and utilizing technology to drive social good.
Ready to Get Started?