#Giving Tuesday 2017 is now in the rearview mirror. So, we’ll be using this week to explore the proper onboarding of new donors from that event and the overall importance of proper onboarding generally.

First, a brief reprise of #GivingTuesday that you might want to bookmark in thinking about that event next year.

In Thank God It’s Wednesday I noted the preponderance of largely irrelevant messaging and the gross overuse of matching gift offers. Nick followed up in A Soggy Box of Matches with his exploration, research and advice on the use –and misuse of matching gifts.  In addition, please read the insightful reader comments accompanying those posts.

Finally, Steven Shattuck weighs in with a Bloomerang analysis of 83 #GivingTuesday Email appeals. Take the time to carefully review Steven’s findings because they’re jam-packed with tons and mistakes that can be be avoided next year –plus some good practices that should be copied for 2018 #GivingTuesday.

Steven covers the email waterfront in fascinating detail. By time of day…by type of email sending account…by reference to type of donor … placing the donor’s name in the text…use of specific asking amounts…purpose of gift…and donation page.

Fascinating stuff and evidence that there’s much, much improvement needed when it comes to #GivingTuesday.

Looking Ahead

Whether focusing on new donors from #GivingTuesday, the fall acquisition effort, or next year’s acquisition campaign it’s wise to remember that lousy first year retention rates are largely due to the horrible way donors are brought on board.

And believe me the numbers are bad. In the UK eight of the largest charities are losing donors faster than they acquire them by a rate of 5 to 3.   In the U.S. for every 100 donors gained 99 were lost.

It’s time to face the reality that most fundraisers start worrying about and acting to stem attrition toward the end of the first year.   Too little, too late.

In fact, it’s right upfront –as close to the moment of acquisition as possible– when fundraisers can be most effective in bolstering donor retention and value.   In short, the steps we take in the early days of our relationship with the new donor is far more important—and a bit more complex—than simply capturing name, address and transactional information then blasting out a thank you letter and flood of more appeals.

In an Agitator series focusing on the onboarding of donors Nick walks us through research and case histories on this fundamentally important action.

• In Fierce Urgency of Listening he outlines why it’s so important to learn as much as possible about a new donors as soon as they come into the organization.

• What information should we seek from new donors? In What to Listen for in Donor Onboarding Nick shares insights on the types of information—with some case examples– that make a difference in retention and revenue.

• Finally, he drives a stake in the heart of the belief that all new donors can be treated the same. In Killing the One-Size-Fits-All Onboard you’ll find a better way to communicate with different types of donors.

In Nick’s posts you’ll find a range of valuable techniques and tactics. Some are better suited for large organizations and multi-channel acquisition. Others—especially those aimed at securing donor information up front are relevant for every organization regardless of size.

As you process and think about how Nick’s recommendations might fit your situation you may also want to take a look at this First-Time Donor Communications Plan from the folks at Bloomerang. It serves as a useful guide and reinforces the importance of reaching out to a new donor

Have a good week.

Roger