Show Donors You Care and They'll Care (and Give!) Right Back

The Donor Attraction Letter

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Does the following scenario sound familiar?
 
You’re moving forward successfully with your programs, advocacy work, and regular communications like printed and electronic newsletters.
 
You’re making a positive impact through your work.
 
You’re sending story-based appeals that are donor-centered and heart-tugging.
 
You’re plugging ahead with new strategies to grow and serve more people in better, more effective ways.
 
All seems to be humming along well!
 
But, somehow, you feel like donors (and prospective donors) don’t care much about all the exciting things you’re doing.
 
Perhaps you’re not getting much communication back, and you may be seeing a lot of donors lapse or reduce their support.
 
This is a common situation that can be remedied nicely with something I’ll call my “Let’s Get Personal” plan of attack.
 
First, take heart:
 
Everything you’re doing is super-important for staying in front of your donors and keeping them abreast of how you’re improving lives.
 
But, if you really want people to perk up and pay attention and respond to you, then you gotta show ‘em how much you care.
 
The best way to do that?
 
Get personal, of course! :)
 
So, in addition to all those regular communications you send on a one-to-many basis, I recommend you get personal with one-on-one messages that will do wonders for getting your donors’ attention and compelling them to respond right back.
 
Here are a few simple, effective ways that will help you do just that:

  • Send snail mail notes. This is my all-time favorite! If you want to stand out in someone’s mind, jot a heartfelt, handwritten note to them. I just did this for a friend who took time to meet with me on something important. The next day, I sent her a note card with a short, sweet message and a Starbucks card (I used to do this for donors in past roles, too). She was blown away! She got in touch right away to thank me and said she almost never gets a personal note in the mail anymore. I urge you to use this tactic to build strong emotional bonds with your donors. How about creating a new habit of sending a personal note to 5-10 donors each day? Include a short, relevant message that expresses how much you appreciate their support. Trust me: This will set up future solicitations of support very nicely.
  • Email an article with a brief note. This might be something you came across online that could be especially helpful to a donor. Or you could forward an article from your recent newsletter with a note letting the donor you wanted to be sure she saw it. Your donor will feel very special knowing that you singled her out and took time to send something that might benefit her or simply brighten her day.
  • Show appreciation on Facebook. With photos and comments, use Facebook as a powerful way to give highly-personalized recognition to donors. This is wonderful for corporate sponsors, foundation grantors, event supporters, and individual annual fund donors. This is a terrific communication channel for pouring on appreciation to monetary givers and volunteers alike. And don’t forget birthdays! Make it a goal to friend as many of your supporters as possible on Facebook and, every morning, set aside a few minutes to wish these wonderful friends happy birthday and thank them for their support.
  • Pick up the phone. Admittedly, this one typically takes more time and thought. But, oftentimes you get voicemail and only need to spend a minute or two leaving a warm, cheerful message letting a donor know you’re thinking of them. This goes a long way, my friend! Most organizations are heavily relying on digital communications. Be the nonprofit professional who gets a little more personal and delights donors by sharing your friendly voice once and awhile. This can be especially effective if you just saw a donor and let’s say she was feeling under the weather (or had something similar of concern). After a day or two, call to check in on her. What a fantastic way to show you care.
  • Invite donors to write a guest blog post. Don’t have a blog? No problem, send an invite to be featured in a story in an upcoming newsletter. It’s an honor to be asked, and even if your donor doesn’t show interest, you’ll have made a strong emotional deposit that will surely serve you well down the road (like when the next annual appeal letter goes out).
  • Send cards for birthdays and giving milestones. Particularly for longtime donors, get in the habit of sending cards for their birthdays (with personal notes written in) and giving milestones (for lifetime giving, annual giving, years of giving, and consecutive years of giving).
  • Email a quick thank you. Out of the blue, for no reason other than “just because,” dash off a short email to donors (no more than 3 sentences) that simply lets your donor know how incredibly grateful you are for their involvement and support. Be sure to include the donor’s name in the subject line (ie: Thank you for all you do, John!). This will truly warm their hearts, and I can almost guarantee you’ll get a joy-filled response!

Best wishes as you get more personal with your donors!

Dedicated to helping you attract and keep your donors,


Jen Viano
Nonprofit Writer/Consultant
Editor, The Donor Attraction Letter