You don’t have a donor newsletter? Why not? Starting a new project can be scary, I know. It’s one more thing on the to-do list. But effective donor communications, including a donor newsletter, mean better and longer donor relationships. And that means more funding. So here are some excuses – and of course, the arguments […]
Does your thank you letter really matter?
Your thank you letter matters. I recently saw an opinion that I couldn’t disagree with more. I’m paraphrasing, but it went something like this: Donors should be happy with whatever thank you letter they get. Worrying about a real signature or other things is a sign of donor dominance. I would bet that most donors […]
How Changing your Mindset Will Help You Attract New Donors
Do you want to attract new donors? When it comes to fundraising, investing in your relationship with current donors is the most important (and effective) thing to do. Just as in business, it costs five times more to acquire a new customer than to retain one. Yet every year, every nonprofit loses donors, and if […]
How to help people feel connected now
We’re zooming, we’re calling, we’re writing… but are we connecting? Here are some ideas to help people feel connected now. I read an article recently in Psychology Today about the importance of feeling understood. In fact, the title was: Feeling understood more important than feeling loved. Whoa. Maybe this is a good time to look […]
After the ask: why donor engagement matters
Donor engagement is critical. How are you doing? You’ve probably seen donor retention numbers over the last several years. Over the last five years, donor retention rates have been between 44% and 46%. That’s not good. And acquiring new donors has only gotten harder and more expensive. (But don’t stop trying!) So, what are you […]