4 Ways to Build Strong Donor Relationships

In the charitable sector, we can overemphasize the raising money piece of fundraising. There is a tendency to focus solely on raising more donations and growing the number of donors. After all, keeping the money flowing allows charities to keep chugging onward. 

Yet, the post fundraising campaign stage, while sometimes overlooked, is equally crucial. Retaining donors should be a key part of your fundraising strategy as these donors are already engaged and from a practical standpoint, cost less than acquiring new donors. The actions charities take post fundraising campaign create a foundation for lasting donor relationships, laying the groundwork for scoring repeat donations and ensuring future fundraising success. However, fostering meaningful donor relationships requires plenty of forethought and strategic planning.

Instead of figuring it out when the time comes, charities should establish processes to nurture donor relationships after their campaign ends. Actions like acknowledging donations and communicating their impact with donors are what help ensure future fundraising success. 

CanadaHelps released a new comprehensive eBook on optimizing end-of-year fundraising but the content can serve you well year-round. Drawing on its content, here are four ways charities can nurture donor relationships during the most important giving days of the year and beyond.

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1. Crafting Your Donor Thank-You Strategy

Thanking your donors, like most of your communications, should be consistent, personalized and frequent. Before working on the details, make sure you have a way to keep track of who has been thanked and their communication preferences.

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Important Elements of Thanking Donors:

Timing

Even before your fundraising campaign ends, thank the individuals who donate. After you receive their contribution, take the time to acknowledge their gift as soon as possible. The Association of Fundraising Professionals found that donors who receive a thank-you within 48 hours of making a gift, are 4x more likely to give again. This immediate confirmation makes sure people know their gift went to the right place and that their gift is appreciated.

Although you may stop here, following up once the fundraising campaign ends and sharing the goals reached through collective efforts is an easy second touchpoint that keeps people in the loop.

Using a CanadaHelps online donation form makes this step easy by automatically sending a thank-you message that you can customize to your donor. For in-person donors, keeping track doesn’t need to be difficult either, instead of breaking out your spreadsheets make it easy with our new system that allows you to record contact and donation details easily.

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Highlight the total raised and illustrate the impact of their gift. Share how their gift brought you close to meeting your fundraising goal.

Public recognition

With their consent, publicly acknowledge donors on your website, social media, or in newsletters. For example, create a donor wall on your website where you can list the names of donors who have contributed to your year-end campaign. This not only recognizes their generosity but also encourages donors to increase the amount of their gift and others to donate. You may have different tiers for giving, for example those that give up to $250 may be considered "Silver Donors" and up to $500 could be "Gold Donors".

Personal Touch

Having a system that can keep track of donor preferences is critical. Some people prefer a phone call while others would prefer a simple email. With large donations, a personal phone call can be appropriate. For major donors and corporate sponsors,  personalized gestures such as the classic thank-you letter, a handwritten card, phone calls, or VIP status can go a long way. 

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2. Share Fundraising Impacts

Charitable givers are driven by the positive impact their contribution can create. They are inspired by the potential to fuel change or contribute toward a cause they believe in.

Keep these motivating factors in mind. Charities should share the tangible impact of donations with donors. Financial transparency builds trust in your charity and encourages continued support and future contributions.

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How to Communicate Impact:

Share Success stories

Showcase individuals or communities who have benefited from your charity’s programs. Use quotes, photos, and videos to bring these stories to life.

Highlight Cost

Highlight the cost of specific projects or initiatives that are donor-funded.

Use Visuals

Use infographics, charts, and videos to represent the impact of donations.

Provide a Year-End Summary

Send a year-end impact report out to all donors. Summarize the past year's achievements and show how their support made a difference.

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3. Keep Donors Informed 

Informing donors about your fundraising efforts is essential to maintaining their investment in your organization. It fosters trust and credibility in your ability to manage their funds. Charities should provide regular updates before, during, and after fundraising. 

Provide regular updates using a multi-channel communication approach. Use a content calendar to schedule updates at a regular cadence to avoid repetition or spam. 

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Where to Engage with Donors?

Email

Send out email updates featuring fundraising campaign progress, milestones achieved, and upcoming goals. Include photos and stories to make the updates more engaging.

Social media

‍Share campaign updates on social media. Highlight important achievements and thank donors who have already given their support.

Website

‍Have a landing page on your website where donors can track progress and see updates. Include a donation progress bar to illustrate the campaign’s status.

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4. Analyze Your Fundraising Campaign

After the last donation has come through and the dust has settled, it’s time to conduct a post-mortem on your fundraising campaign.

Your campaign assessment should measure performance, analyze data, and determine areas for improvement. An effective assessment should maximize learning and unpack your strengths and weaknesses. 

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How to Conduct a 360-Degree Campaign Review:

Track Key Metrics

Put systems in place to track key performance indicators: total funds raised, donor retention rates, average donation amounts, and engagement levels across different channels.

Collect Feedback

‍Build feedback loops into your donor management strategy. Survey your audience to gather feedback for campaign improvement. Pull out recurring themes and use these insights for future campaigns.

Review and Adjust

‍Conduct a thorough review of your campaign’s performance. Meet with team members to identify strengths and areas for improvement. Adjust your strategies and tactics based on the insights gained.

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Use the Right Tools

‍Use donor management software to generate detailed reports and dashboards. It can synthesize your campaign performance and track progress against your goals.

Your post-campaign stewardship is crucial for building donor relationships and achieving results. By implementing these stewardship steps, your charity is well-positioned for future success. For more practical tools, download our comprehensive ebook. It’s designed to take charities through the end-to-end giving process.

This is the final installment in our four-part spotlight series on planning your ultimate Giving Season fundraising campaign. Check out Part 1 for How to Plan and Prepare, Part 2 for How to Craft Messages and Calls to Action and Part 3 on How to Gamify Giving Season.