The Secret to Retaining New Donors: Nurture Them Like New Employees

• Regular check-ins: Establish a cadence of communication with new donors to express gratitude, share impact stories, and solicit feedback. These touchpoints inform them about your organization’s work while demonstrating appreciation and inviting deeper involvement.
  
  For example, create a welcome email series to send automatic messages to engage constituents.

• Listening: Understand supporters’ needs, preferences, motivations, interests, and concerns by incorporating feedback mechanisms like online surveys to better meet their expectations and strengthen the relationship over time.

For example, engage supporters to test your donation forms for usability and functionality, and have them provide feedback about their experience.

• Celebrating milestones: Just as you recognize employee tenure or achievements, reinforce the importance of your donors’ contributions. Whether reaching a certain giving level or supporting your organization for a specific time period, celebrate. It strengthens their bond with your cause.  

For example, honor donors’ birthdays by inviting them to start a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign benefiting your nonprofit instead of receiving traditional gifts. Additionally, schedule impact updates for their donation anniversaries, such as 6, 12, and 18 months after their initial gift.

• Building community: Create opportunities for supporters to connect with each other and your organization’s leadership. Host virtual meetups and networking events, or ask major donors to serve as mentors sharing insights.
  
  For example, one environmental nonprofit hosts annual donor appreciation events where attendees can meet program staff and giving society members.

If you’re ready to deepen your connections with donors and personalize your engagement strategy, rely on our Data-Driven Donor Persona Checklist to simplify your outreach efforts.

Treating new donors with the same care and attention as new employees fosters trust, loyalty, and lasting support. By prioritizing consistent communication, meaningful interactions, and making them feel part of your community, you’re setting the stage for enduring, impactful relationships. 

Don’t stress over additional writing tasks that may come with communicating with new donors. Let DonorPerfect’s AI Fundraising Bot be your partner in reaching out to new donors to tell your story, motivate action, and raise more for your cause. From thank you emails and appeal letters to video scripts and social posts, our fundraising bot quickly generates quality content.