The Experts On Retention
Blackbaud has done the nonprofit sector a favor by compiling a new eBook, npEXPERTS: Show the Love.
The eBook shares the insights of 13 leading fundraising professionals, including The Agitator’s very own Roger Craver. Here’s the line-up:
- The Case for Donor Retention: Why Retaining Donors is the Single Most Important Piece of Your Long-Term Fundraising Strategy
By Roger Craver, The Agitator - Beat the Statistics by Falling in Love with Your Donors
By Pamela Grow, GrowConsultingPA - The Perfect Donor Retention Plan Starts with a Simple Calendar
By Mazarine Treyz, Wild Woman Fundraising - The Welcome Series: How to Bring Your New Donors Onboard the Right Way
By Lisa Sargent, Lisa Sargent Communications - It’s All About the Stories You Tell
By Vanessa Chase, Vanessa Chase & Co - Five Steps to Newsletters that Keep Your Donors Close
By Nancy Schwartz, Getting Attention - Why Perfect Thank Yous Will Make or Break You
By Claire Axelrad, Clairification - Write On: Why Handwritten Notes Matter
By Shanon Doolittle, Doogooder - Engaging Your Board Members in the Retention Process
By Simone P. Joyaux, Joyaux Associates - Using Your Annual Report to Boost Donor Retention
By Marc Koenig, Firespring - Using Social Media to Keep Donors
By Marc A. Pitman, The Fundraising Coach - Branding
By Raheel Gauba, Blackbaud - Bring Them in for the Long Haul: Monthly Giving
By Harvey McKinnon, Harvey McKinnon Associates
Of course, I love everything Roger writes (kiss, kiss). That said, the two items that caught me eye here were the articles on handwriting and on monthly giving.
For Harvey McKinnon, the reality is that more people will make a monthly gift of $25 than single gift of $300. And he tells you how to make that happen.
Shanon Doolittle makes the case for handwritten notes, but here’s the comment that struck me: “Donors are in the joy zone when they give. Don’t spoil their experience with an uninspired message of thanks. I behoove you — no, I beg you — to make your donors smile.”
Read npEXPERTS: Show the Love this weekend, get your donors smiling, and begin to benefit.
Tom
P.S. In addition, beginning in March authors of the eBook will participate in a free web seminar series focused on sharing best practices for boosting donor engagement, loyalty and retention.
3 responses to “The Experts On Retention”
Behavioral Science Q & A
Integrating an individual giving appeal with other communications from a charity can have both positive and negative effects, and the outcome largely depends on how it’s executed. Advantages of Integration Brand Consistency: Maintaining a consistent appearance and messaging across all communications can reinforce the org’s brand identity and strengthen brand recognition and trust among your […]
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I’m not aware of any in-market tests specifically comparing recurring vs. gift frequency language. I suspect the answer might not be the same with all gift frequencies, nor with all people. It sounds like a great opportunity for you to test and find out what works for your audience. Based on the literature, here’s a couple […]
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Based on what we know from existing data, those renewal notices can actually be pretty effective in getting people to donate. They tap into our psychology – creating a sense of urgency, reminding us of past support, and using personalization to make the message hit home. They’re playing on our natural tendencies to feel obligated […]
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Interesting question. I had a quick look at the testing done on this topic. On the positive side, in all cases, over half of donors decide to cover the fee. In some cases, it goes as high as 65%. Not a negligible percentage at all. Here’s another test from iRaiser showing consistent results (see point […]
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There’s just one thing to consider when designing a supporter journey: the supporter. More specifically, you need to take into account: Who the supporter is i.e. their identity, which is the reason they support this cause, and their personality, which describes the way they “see” and process the world. These will determine the kind of […]
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I’m not an expert in this but a quick search surfaced this article on the effect of tax reforms on 2019’s charitable giving. The researchers didn’t find a reduction. Actually, they observed an “increase in charitable contributions in 2019, even with the lower tax rates and the dramatically smaller number of taxpayers who itemize their […]
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Tom,
Thanks so much for linking this new ebook! I love the articles that Shanon and Harvey put together for this! 🙂 Nancy Schwartz’s is really good too! And I am so happy to be included. I’d love to hear what you think of my article also! 🙂
Thank you again,
Mazarine
http://wildwomanfundraising.com
I’m so shocked all this great info is free…especially when it’s put together by Blackbaud…hooray!
Thanks for the (not-so-subtle) hint in today’s 01-17-14 email to be sure to read the 01-16-14 edition. I typically read every issue of The Agitator, but sometimes I skip a few days or a week and then go back and catch up on past issues. I’m grateful for the prompt not to miss this one. It’s well worth reading. I’ve downloaded the e-book and have noted lots of good reminders already.