Four ways to show your donors some love
Last February, I shared five approaches to keep your donors engaged —and I continue to see lots of posts about the growing challenges nonprofits face trying to keep their donors engaged.
Finding ways for your nonprofit to better communicate with your supporters will never go out of style—or be an activity you limit to one time of year. So while you may still be feeling the buzz of the new year, here are four activities you can dig into:
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Revisit your ask. Tom Ahern suggests you try questioning what the world would lose if your nonprofit were to disappear tomorrow. As you have the list of what makes you valuable, go back and see how much of that appears in the appeals you send. Take a look at Big Duck president Sarah Durham’s thoughts on crafting your case for support as you try to see the world through your donor’s eyes.
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Chart out your moments of communication—and seize them as opportunities to connect. Rachel Hope Allison, senior strategist, breaks down the ladder of engagement along five steps and gives you simple suggestions you can put into action now. From first getting them to join your list to getting them to give more, get creative with the tools you already have.
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Divide and conquer. You don’t have the time to contact every single person on your list, but you can easily use segmentation to provide a more personalized experience. Director of Strategy, Elizabeth Ricca, walks you through different ways you can segment your emails and your asks. Take the time to do this now, before your next major fundraising campaign.
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Dive into the future and put some social in your fundraising. Your donors want to ask their friends to give to you too. A few months ago I spoke at the Blackbaud Conference about the future of fundraising from the crowd. Watch the 18-minute video to learn all about social fundraising with data, case studies, and actions you can take.
