Strengthening Donor Engagement

Engaging Donors

Deepening donor trust and creating more meaningful donor engagement can help to support your organization long term.

Share Your Story

• Show donors the impact of their support. Before sending year-end appeals, communicate how donor contributions have advanced your mission, strengthened programs, or benefited the communities you serve.
• Tailor your outreach to the donor. Customize appeals based on the relationship and giving profile, including current versus prospective donors and smaller versus larger contributors.
• Make larger-gift outreach personal. For individuals with the potential to make significant gifts, consider direct outreach from an appropriate member of your organization. Use these conversations to illustrate how past or future support can advance key programs, priorities, and new initiatives.

Customize Your Fundraising Appeals

• Reach out to donors who may have the capacity to give more. For example, review their charitable giving history. Do they lean toward supporting any particular types of organizations? Have they attended nonprofit benefits or events? Do they have friends, colleagues, and community ties to a nonprofit? Are they active as board or committee members?

Prepare Your Team

• Create a plan to respond to donor inquiries, potentially designating specific individuals for certain topics.
• Leverage your external partnerships to discuss how you may be able to streamline stock gift sales and provide critical data for your donors’ acknowledgment letters.
• Reach out directly to noncash donors who may be interested in gifting highly appreciated securities to avoid realizing the built-in capital gains.
• Contact donors who made previous stock gifts and those who made a gift through a donor-advised fund or qualified charitable distribution from an IRA.

Acknowledge Donors

• Encourage and recognize repeat gifts; the donor who sends $50 every year could be the same person who remembers your nonprofit in their will.
• Create a legacy society for those donors who include your nonprofit in their will, starting with your board of directors.

Simplify the Giving Process

• Make sure your website is welcoming and easy to use for processing donations, especially through mobile devices.
• Provide clear instructions on gifting options, and include staff contact information.

Leverage Social Media

• Use email, blog posts, and social media to build your follower base and reach donors who may be relevant for your nonprofit.
• Remember to distribute your messages often throughout the year with a thoughtful cadence.

Recognize GivingTuesday

• Consider building a dedicated microsite or online page for GivingTuesday. In addition to providing information and collecting gifts, it can be a place to share donor stories and publicly thank them for their support.

Strategic Planning with Your Advisor

A commitment to thoughtful planning can help achieve results for your organization. Work with your advisor to evaluate giving strategies and help align donor engagement efforts with your organization’s broader financial goals.