Show Your Donors Love
Build a donor relationship based on trust, consistency and appreciation.
Valentine’s Day often first conjures images of a holiday for lovebirds in romantic relationships to show their affection for each other. Yet, there are a number of important relationships that deserve your nurturing and attention, and this Hallmark holiday can be a reminder to spread your wings and show others why they matter, too!
As a nonprofit, you have a number of important relationships. One of the most important relationships you have is the relationship with your donors. Your donors have invested their money (and often time) into your mission work – how are you showing them love and appreciation in return?
Thankfully there are a number of easy ways you can make your donors feel loved.
** Before showing donors love we suggest making sure they are comfortable with it. One way to help ensure this is to add a checkbox on your donation forms ‘I would like my gift to remain anonymous.’
Are you and your donors “official”
A relationship can be defined as the way in which two or more concepts, objects or people are connected. A donor relationship often begins when an individual or company gives a gift to your organization. At this time they become a ‘donor’ and have entered your donor experience circle. Your goal is to provide high-quality interactions with donors that foster long-term engagement and investment.
Sounds easy enough, right? Here are a few tips on showering love and building relationships with your donors.
Make your donors feel loved
- Thank you letter
- For every donation received, it is important to send a meaningful thank you message in return. Whether a thank you letter is by email or mail, it should be personal, show the impact of the donation, and offer a sincere thank you. When possible, a thank you letter with a handwritten message and signature will emphasize the added time and effort given to show appreciation. Depending on the size of your organization, this type of effort can be limited to gifts over a certain range. That said, sending thank you letters is a really great way to engage volunteer groups, too!
- Social Media
- Posting a ‘Thank you!’ to social media and listing your donors from the past week, month, etc. is a great way to give them the warm fuzzies, to drum up social media engagement, and encourage others to donate.
- Newsletter
- Much like social media, your email newsletter list is interested in your organization. Include a section in your newsletter to thank all that have donated since the last newsletter, and build more of that social proof.
- Host an Event
- A donor appreciation night is a perfect option to go out of your way to show appreciation and love for your donors. An event allows your donors to gather, enjoy food and drink, celebrate your organization, and for you to shower them with gratitude.
- Ask them for feedback
- Create a simple survey that asks questions about their donor experience, how they found your organization and what about their mission stuck out most to you. This shows your donors that they matter and can offer great insights into why people give – which can help you find more future donors, too.
It’s Your Turn
Take some time this month to audit how you interact with your donors. Your donors are invested in their relationship with you, so it’s important to nurture this bond in order to maintain it.
Let’s Connect
If you would like to talk specifically about your organization’s donor stewardship, book a FREE discovery call. We can get to know your organization better and provide you feedback on moving forward in building strong relationships with your donors.
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