I feel like there is a lot of donor fatigue happening right now in the nonprofit community. Our donors are being solicited on every channel from numerous organizations multiple times a day. Today I received at least 10 fundraising pitches. Instead of treating our donors like ATM machines, we need to make them feel like heroes to our movement. Here are five ways to make your donors feel totally valued.
1. Connect their donation (even if it’s $5) to measurable impact. For example, tell them how their $5 went to purchase vaccines or a pizza pie for 5 volunteers who were canvassing around a campaign in your neighborhood.
2. Thank your donors. Don’t just send them an automated email. Send them a heartfelt thank you note. For example, do you have donors who have donated $25 to your organization every month for the last five years? Great, send them a handwritten note, signed by some of the staff expressing your sincere gratitude. These types of donors are the lifelines of your nonprofit.
3. Pick up the phone and call your donors to thank them. People love being personally thanked by a real human voice. They will probably be even surprised by this gesture because very few organizations take the time to call their donors. This can definitely help set your organization apart when it comes to donors thinking about where they are going to donate larger gifts to.
4. Do a social media shout out. If you have a social CRM and have done social media appends, you have access to where your donors are on social networks. Surprise them and thank them publicly on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. If you have too many donors to thanks on social media, make a fun meme and tag them on different social media channels.
5. Invite them to VIP events where you treat them as your special guest. This should be a complementary event where they don’t have to donate money to attend. They should not be pitched to donate either as the goals here is to show your appreciation to your donors.
