guest post // Boost Loyalty: 4 Underused Donor Appreciation Strategies
By Tim Badolato, eCardWidget
Did you know that the average donor retention rate is less than 35% across the nonprofit sector? That means for every 100 donors who give, fewer than 35 give a second time.
Lack of appreciation is one of the main reasons donors stop giving. They need to know that their gifts are making a difference for your cause if you want them to keep supporting your work. And there’s no need to fear you’re bothering donors by reaching out since most donors expect to hear from you at least once a month, and one-third want to hear from you twice a month or more!
Simply saying thanks and keeping donors in the loop can go a long way in developing donor loyalty. If you feel like your post-donation thank-you emails aren’t doing enough to show your appreciation, try out these fun and underused donor appreciation strategies.
Appreciation eCards
Also known as digital greeting cards, eCards take your donor thank-you emails up a notch. The eCard format turns a simple thank you into a memorable experience with clever designs and animations.
To power this donor appreciation strategy, you need an eCard site. Luckily, most eCard platforms are low-cost and easy to use. With your eCard creation tools ready, use these tips to make this a natural part of your appreciation efforts:
Put thought into your design. Create professionally designed eCards by using your organization's color scheme and logo to reinforce your brand identity. Choose legible fonts and attractive graphics that represent your mission. Depending on your eCard creation platform, you may even be able to add fun animations like falling confetti.
Customize the message for each eCard. Don’t let your appreciation feel impersonal. Create a custom message that addresses each donor by name and highlights their impact.
Schedule your eCards to send at the right time. Ideally, you should send out eCards within 48 hours of a donation. You can also schedule eCards for important times of the year, such as donor anniversaries, birthdays, and after successful projects. Consider time zones and optimal email open times to increase visibility.
One great example of this strategy comes from Youth For Understanding (YFU). This nonprofit educational organization promotes intercultural understanding and mutual respect through international educational exchanges for youth, families, and communities.
As part of its 70th anniversary celebration, YFU created a series of thank-you cards that program participants could send to their host families, teachers, and anyone else who made their experience memorable. Here’s an example of one of the eCards:
Emulate YFU’s approach by having your beneficiaries craft personalized messages to your donors! That will make your appreciation much more meaningful.
Donor Gratitude Report
Impact reports showcase the real-world change your donors have helped create. Many nonprofits produce annual reports to share with donors that detail budget, service, and impact results. This is the perfect opportunity to highlight your donors! You might list donors alphabetically or segment them based on donation ranges or types.
Some organizations go a step further and produce a donor gratitude report. NXUnite’s donor recognition guide shares an excellent example of this from the Pride Foundation. The Pride Foundation created a virtual report that highlights the grants and scholarships it awarded as well as testimonials from people impacted by donations.
In your gratitude report, include the following elements:
Testimonials from beneficiaries, volunteers, or staff members that highlight the tangible outcomes of donations
Compelling visuals, such as photos and infographics, that illustrate the impact of donations
A concise breakdown of how funds are allocated and spent
The impact of corporate giving in taking donations further, such as by sharing how matching gifts have impacted your fundraising totals
Upcoming projects and goals to show donors how future support will continue to make a difference
Lists of donor names, a special section highlighting major donors, or individual donor spotlights
Including these elements will not only recognize donors but also reinforce the impact of their generosity.
A Heartfelt Thank-You Video
A thank-you video can show donors the impact of their contributions. Producing a video shows that your nonprofit is willing to invest time into appreciating its donors. Plus, a genuine thank-you video puts a human face on your organization.
eCardWidget’s donor recognition guide explains that the first step in creating a donor thank-you video is to determine if you will create a general thank-you video for all your donors or individual, personalized videos for each donor.
When filming, keep it short and sweet. Ideally, personalized videos should be about a minute, but thank-you videos for your whole audience can easily be longer at 3–5 minutes. To create your videos, be sure to:
Feature key team members. Staff, volunteers, or beneficiaries who have been directly impacted by donations can all be featured in your videos.
A sincere message. Create a script that acknowledges contributions and illustrates the tangible results of donors’ generosity. Plan to film scenes of your projects or programs in action.
Use video equipment. Even if you don’t have high-tech equipment or editing software, a smartphone and stabilizer can help you create a professional-looking video!
Once it’s ready to go, post your donor appreciation video on your website, share it on social media, or email it directly to donors.
Relevant Involvement Opportunities
Sharing involvement opportunities can deepen donors’ connections to your cause and help them see the direct impact of their contributions.
Just as you shouldn’t send the same communications to every donor, you shouldn’t send the same opportunities to everyone either. Show that you pay attention to their preferences by segmenting donors based on their past involvement, the programs they’ve designated their gifts to, and any giving preferences they’ve shared with your team.
Try promoting these involvement opportunities to your donors:
Donor-exclusive events like galas, receptions, and behind-the-scenes tours
Volunteer opportunities such as working on hands-on projects, helping at events, and participating in program-related activities
Corporate giving opportunities in which you invite eligible donors to increase their impact with matching gifts or participate in corporate volunteer days
Peer fundraising roles where donors can raise funds for your organization
Advisory board roles in which they can provide input on various aspects of your operations
Tailoring these opportunities to individuals’ interests and skills enables them to contribute in new ways, making them feel valued beyond their financial contributions.
Pushing Forward with Your Donor Appreciation Strategy
Now that we’ve highlighted several innovative strategies to thank donors, your next step is to integrate these ideas into your regular engagement plans.
Start by choosing strategies that resonate with your mission and donor base. Then, measure the impact of these strategies through donor feedback and engagement rates. Remember, the goal is to create a donor appreciation program that feels as rewarding for donors as their support is to your organization.
This guest post was written by Tim Badolato.
Tim Badolato is the CEO of eCardWidget.com an innovative platform for digital employee recognition, donor acknowledgment, business marketing, and nonprofit marketing. He has a passion for using technology to drive positive outcomes for mission-driven businesses and nonprofits.