What are the best practices for donor retention and loyalty?

1 Know your donors

The first step to retaining and loyalizing your donors is to know who they are, what they care about, and how they prefer to communicate. You can use various tools and methods to collect and analyze data on your donors, such as surveys, interviews, CRM software, and segmentation. By knowing your donors, you can tailor your messages, offers, and interactions to their needs, interests, and preferences, and show them that you value their input and feedback.

2 Thank your donors

The second step to retaining and loyalizing your donors is to thank them sincerely and promptly. Showing gratitude is not only polite, but also effective in building trust and rapport with your donors. You can thank your donors in various ways, such as sending personalized letters, emails, cards, or phone calls, acknowledging them on your website, social media, or newsletter, or inviting them to special events or activities. By thanking your donors, you can reinforce their decision to support your cause, and make them feel appreciated and recognized.

3 Engage your donors

The third step to retaining and loyalizing your donors is to engage them regularly and meaningfully. Engaging your donors means keeping them informed, involved, and inspired by your work, and providing them with opportunities to interact with you and other donors. You can engage your donors in various ways, such as sharing stories, updates, and results of your projects, asking for their opinions, feedback, or advice, inviting them to volunteer, advocate, or fundraise for your cause, or offering them exclusive benefits or rewards. By engaging your donors, you can deepen their connection and commitment to your mission, and make them feel part of your community.

4 Surprise and delight your donors

The fourth step to retaining and loyalizing your donors is to surprise and delight them occasionally and unexpectedly. Surprising and delighting your donors means exceeding their expectations, and showing them that you care about them beyond their donations. You can surprise and delight your donors in various ways, such as sending them a birthday or anniversary card, a small gift, or a video message, featuring them in your blog or podcast, or giving them a shout-out on social media. By surprising and delighting your donors, you can create memorable and positive experiences, and make them feel special and valued.

5 Ask for feedback and act on it

The fifth step to retaining and loyalizing your donors is to ask for feedback and act on it. Asking for feedback means soliciting their opinions, suggestions, or concerns about your organization, your programs, your communication, or your donor relations. Acting on feedback means implementing changes, improvements, or solutions based on their input, and letting them know how you did it. You can ask for feedback and act on it in various ways, such as sending surveys, polls, or questionnaires, conducting focus groups, interviews, or consultations, or creating feedback loops or channels. By asking for feedback and acting on it, you can show your donors that you respect and value their voice, and that you are willing to learn and grow from their perspective.

6 Measure and improve your retention and loyalty rates

The sixth step to retaining and loyalizing your donors is to measure and improve your retention and loyalty rates. Measuring your retention and loyalty rates means tracking and analyzing how many donors stay with you over time, how often they donate, how much they donate, and how they respond to your communication and engagement efforts. Improving your retention and loyalty rates means setting goals, strategies, and actions to increase the number, frequency, and value of your donations, and to enhance the quality and satisfaction of your donor relationships. You can measure and improve your retention and loyalty rates in various ways, such as using metrics, indicators, or benchmarks, conducting audits, evaluations, or tests, or using best practices, tools, or resources. By measuring and improving your retention and loyalty rates, you can optimize your fundraising performance, and demonstrate your impact and accountability to your donors.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?