Simply put: Donor retention is your most important fundraising opportunity. Most nonprofits are leaking donors like crazy. They acquire; they don’t retain. On average folks lose 7 out of 10 donors after the first gift. Why? If your answer to any of the following is “true”, this webinar will help you: (1) I spend more time and resources acquiring donors than thanking them; (2) I treat acknowledgement as an afterthought; (3) I don’t think donors care that much about when and how they’re thanked after they give. While donors want to change the world with their gifts, most want something else too. It’s intangible, but it’s important. And if you won’t give it to them, someone else will. The important social acknowledgement and identity reinforcement that comes from a heartfelt, thoughtful thank you cannot be underestimated. Truly, how and when you thank your donors can make or break your entire fundraising program. A great thank you program can increase the lifetime value of your donor base by 200%! It’s not hard to do, but most of us simply don’t put much zip into our donor acknowledgment programs. If this sounds like you and your nonprofit, it’s time to show your awesome donors some awesome you!

1. Sponsored by:
Improving Donor Retention: How
Creative Thank You’s and Cultivating an
Attitude of Gratitude Can Boost
Fundraising
Claire Axelrad
September 11, 2013
Twitter Hashtag - #4Glearn
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Of:

2. Sponsored by:
Advising nonprofits in:
• Strategy
• Planning
• Organizational Development
www.synthesispartnership.com
(617) 969-1881
info@synthesispartnership.com
INTEGRATED PLANNING
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3. Sponsored by:Part
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4. Sponsored by:
Today’s Speaker
Claire Axelrad
Principal
Clairification
Assisting with chat questions:
Jamie Maloney, 4Good
Founding Director of Nonprofit Webinars and Host:
Sam Frank, Synthesis Partnership
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Of:

5. How Creative Thank You’s
and an Attitude of Gratitude Can Super-
Charge Fundraising Success!
Substitute “donor” for “client.”
Then… consider a warm, genuine
thoughtful thank you as a hug in
an envelope.

6.  The typical charity
loses 50 – 75% of
donors after the first
gift, and 30% annually
thereafter. Yipes!
 Donors want to
change the world, but
they generally want
(and deserve)
something else too.

7. Cultivate an Attitude of
 You’ve put in time and effort
to get your donors, wouldn’t
it be nice if they stuck
around?
 Is there any way to beat
the average and get
donors to stick with you
for life?
 Yes! One study found that
increasing retention by 10%
increases lifetime donor
value by 200%.
 But not without a gratitude
plan.

8. Be Thoughtful
 Would you believe…
a study conducted by
Charity Dynamics and
NTEN shows 21% of
donors say they were
never thanked for their
support at all! When you
send something
perfunctory and non-
personal your donor may
fail to notice. You’ll leave
no impression.

9. Channel Miss Manners
Donors are people. Stop treating them as transactions.
Just like grandma when she
sends you a gift, donors want
to know how much it meant to
you. Make your thanks:
Prompt
Personal
Descriptive of impact Source: Avectra
Perfect
PolitePersonal
Prompt

10. Think about it from the donor’s
perspective.
 Even though my giving is modest, it represents a financial sacrifice
for me. It’s important to me to support organizations I strongly believe in,
even if I can only give an amount that probably won’t make much of a
difference.
 Philanthropy is about caring for others over caring about myself. Some
people are motivated by the tax deduction, I suppose, but I think that
they are missing the real meaning of giving.
 Giving is something that, for me, is done with no expectation of anything
in return. A simple thank you is more than enough.
 Giving is a habit that needs to be modeled for us when we are very
young, practiced and improved as we live our lives, and encouraged in
our children. Nothing satisfies me more as a mom than seeing my own
kids get involved in causes they care about – especially when I care
about them too.

11. Respond to the why; not just the what.
 I feel a moral obligation to contribute to programs that assist those in
need, even if it means temporarily going without myself. We should all be
in this together.
 I actually gave more money last year than I realized…and often more
than I could afford. I don’t regret it, though. I would like to give even more
if I could.
 Sometimes I feel taken for granted by not-for-profits that we have been
supporting for a long time; so I was elated when someone called to
express their gratitude for the gift I quietly make to them every month.
 As a young professional, I am looking for not-for-profits that I can engage
with and grow with in more than one way. I especially appreciate the
ones that want more than just my money. The ones that also value
my participation are rare, but those that do get my support.

12. A word about technology. Think!
 Use it; don’t abuse it.
 E-thanks are swell; just don’t stop there.
Your donor deserves more than a pro-forma
receipt.
 Be careful! Automation can produce some
funky results.
Have first names?
Using a program that inserts that name
multiple times?
 Don’t use the canned receipt language that
may come with your email provider.
 Do get creative with videos, Pinterest, Twitter,
LinkedIn, etc.

13. BASICS: Policies & Procedures
 Send within 48 hours.
 Align the thank you to
the appeal.
 Reinforce what may
be important to the
donor.
 Review for
personalization
opportunities.

14. BASICS: Perfect Thank You Letter
 Catchy opening; no
jargon.
 Tell a story to illustrate
how gift will be used.
 Invite involvement.
 One signer.
 P.S.
 Perfect inserts.

15. 10 Creative Ways to Rock Your
Donor Acknowledgment
Tried and True
1. Phone calls
2. Handwriting
3. Personal notes
4. Different signers
5. Thankathon
Dare to Try
6. Greeting cards, e-greetings, post
cards
7. Token gifts
8. Snapshots
9. Videos
10. Public recognition
Wow!
Pow!

16. Tried and True
5 Thank you strategies that have proven effective
1.Call people!
Donors who were called gave 39% more next time.
14 months later they gave 42% more
Even though you probably can’t call all of your donors,
selecting just a few to call each week can have a huge
impact.
Who to target will be different for every organization.
Who makes the call will vary by organization and segment.
Don’t delay the call.
You want folks to remember you’re the one they gave to!

17. Questions about thank you calls

18. A Call is a Terrible Thing to Waste
 After the call make a
record.
 Don’t make it a ‘chore.’
Be warm, gracious and personal – a
verbal bouquet
 Revel in the reflected
glow.
Channeling an attitude of gratitude
makes everyone happy.

19. Tried and True
More thank you strategies that have proven effective
2. Handwritten
Pick a group.
Add a note.
3. Personal notes
Spontaneous.
Yet a habit.
How do I heart thee?
Let me count
the ways.

20. Tried and True
More thank you strategies that have proven effective
4. Different signer
Someone helped.
Program director.
Volunteer
5. Thankathon
Pure.
Gets volunteers
feet wet.
All signers are
not equal.

21. Dare to Try
5 Fun thank you strategies to delight your donors
1. Greeting card, e-
greeting or post
card to mark important
events
in your donor’s personal
calendar
in your donor’s relationship
with your cause
holidays big and small
make something up!
We’re dancing
a jig of joy
because
you care!

22. Make it up!
This is where to really have fun and get creative
Happy Mother’s Day!
“Thanks for all the love you’ve
given us, and for nurturing this
project to fruition. Wish every
project had a ‘Mom’ like you.”
Happy July 26th!
“Did you know on this date in
1952 Mickey Mantle hit his first
“Grand Slam?” Well, you hit one
too this past year when you
joined our Legacy Society. We
hope you’ll wear your ‘mantle’
proudly. Thank you so much.”
“You hit it out of
the ballpark
for us. Thank
you!”

23. Dare to Try
More fun thank you strategies to delight your donors
2. Token Gifts
Creative; thoughtful
3. Snapshots
your work; your clients;
your donors at events; your
volunteers
4. Videos
pinterest.com/charityclairity
/gratitude-nonprofits-say-
thanks
I’ve brought you some home-
baked cookies – just to
say THANKS and tell
you you’re awesome!

24. Dare to Try
More fun thank you strategies to delight your donors
5. Public
Recognition
Say something positive about your
donor in front of someone they
admire
Write a story about your donor
Publicly honor your donor
Send a group email acknowledging
your donor in front of others.
Send a tweet acknowledging your
donor’s awesomeness
Pin photos of your awesome
supporters onto a special Pinterest
board (e.g., “Star Supporters,”
“Extra Mile Donors,” “Razoo
Raisers”).

25. How to Move from Transactional to
Transformational Donor Acknowledgement
Consider who might appreciate a thoughtful, unexpected
thank you at some point during the year
 1st-time donors
 monthly donors
 long-term donors
 gift club members
 Volunteers
 Staff
 Vendors
 Clients
 Community professionals
What are some timely themes around which to build creative
thank you’s that are relevant to your constituents?
 Holidays – the regular; the quirky
 Events in the life of your organization
 News events related to your mission

26. Thank You is Contagious
 You can’t say it
too often. Layer it
on!
 Thankees help
thankers.
 Thankees help
others.
He may be catching
a case of the
thank you’s