We were more than a little surprised — and very pleased — that 331 folks registered for the Agitator/DonorVoice/SOFII webinar on reducing F2F attrition in the first 90 days.

Even if you’re not into the Face-T0-Face channel I recommend you download or view the recording of the presentation, because there are some valuable insights for every fundraiser. You can view or download the recorded webinar here.

A key insight from the webinar that affects all of us regardless of the channels or techniques we use is the importance of seeking feedback from donors, not only on a regular, ongoing basis, but especially after an interaction like making a new gift.

In the specific case of F2F, Kevin Schulman of DonorVoice outlined how donor feedback, given immediately after signing up for a monthly gift,  can be used to spot problems, identify flaws in the solicitation process and fix them immediately.

The result, happier donors, better informed solicitors. Far lower attrition rates and non-payment rates.

What struck me is that the process of seeking donor feedback should be built into everything we do, whether we’re into F2F or not. After all, it’s one of the most powerful, effective forms of donor engagement.

Of course, researchers have long known that feedback data on donor satisfaction and donor commitment is mighty valuable to an organization. It enables fundraisers to identify donors who are at risk and to take steps to mitigate against their loss.

AND … there’s something else beyond the data that comes from asking donors for their feedback. Something mighty important: it’s the signal to the donor that the organization actually cares about them.

When we ask a simple question like — “How was this particular experience with us?” — we convey that the donor is front and center in our minds. And when we take the next step and actually respond to their concerns we add to their commitment and loyalty.

You see, donor feedback isn’t just about identifying and resolving problems, it’s about building on the donor’s experience and comments in a human, personalized and interactive way.

In short, every time a nonprofit and donor interact the donor learns something about the nonprofit and the nonprofit learns something about that donor. Win. Win.

So the question in my mind is: “How do we get more people to give us their feedback. Because every feedback action is an opportunity to engage further with the donor. And we know from study after study that this sort of engagement pays huge financial dividends.

I think the answer is pretty simple. We make feedback requests more prominent in everything we do. We seek feedback more often and across channels (mobile, text, email).

In terms of newly acquired donors (and these are the most vulnerable to attrition), as Kevin illustrated in the webinar, we seek their feedback and measure their degree of commitment/loyalty to the nonprofit at the point of signup or initial contribution.

It’s more than somewhat ironic (and for years I was as guilty as anyone) that we spend tons of time, money and creativity on crafting welcome packs and elaborate onboarding strategies. Yet, in those initial moments or days right after a gift is made, we fail to seek feedback from the one person whose experience with us matters most — the new donor.

I can guarantee you this: If securing and measuring donor feedback and experience were considered a ‘fundraising channel’ equivalent to other activities like special appeals or online, then organizations would surely be chasing this channel.

Sadly, few bother. Consequently, they lose the opportunity to double the retention rate among those donors with complaints or unresolved issues.

It’s time to take our collective fingers off the ‘mute’ button and give serious attention to listening to and measuring the donor experience.

Roger

P.S. Tom and I send our very special thanks to Ken Burnett for his fascinating summary of the history of Face-2-Face and his trenchant take on the state of F2F today … to Kiki Koutmeridou, Donor Voice’s Behavioral Science Strategist for her tips and insights on persuading donors to give more (including what sort of tee-shirt F2F solicitors should wear … and to Kevin Schulman for clearly laying out the process to cut F2F attrition in the first 90 days.

You can hear them all and see their presentations at this recording.

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