4 ways to leverage omnichannel outreach to increase donor retention in 2024
Donor retention: It’s a critical component of sustainability and impact of your fundraising program. A good donor retention rate indicates strong, lasting relationships that result in more donations over time. While donor retention rate varies widely across industries, the overall donor retention rate for nonprofits in recent years has been around 45-50%, according to the Fundraising Effectiveness Project.
This means that on average, around half of donors who give to an organization in one year will give again in the following year. A high retention rate is a clear indicator of fundraising success: It shows that your organization can effectively maintain and grow relationships with your community, leading to increased revenue over time.
Here are four easy-to-implement donor retention strategies that delight donors, express gratitude and build lasting connections.
1. Personalize communications for better donor retention
Personalization goes a long way in fostering meaningful connections with donors. Taking the time to understand their preferences and interests can make them feel valued and appreciated. Use past donor interactions, giving history, communication preferences, interests, birthdays, milestones and other factors to personalize your donor outreach in a way that reminds the donor time and time again why they support your organization.
By sending personalized thank-you notes, emails or videos that mention specific contributions or interactions, you lay the groundwork for long-term giving.
2. Use video to reach more people while being more personal
Did you know? Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to just 10% when reading it in text.
When it comes to showing your donors appreciation for their recent support, early, often and authentic are the keys. In an era of robocalls, texting and mass marketing, donors need to feel emotionally connected to your organization and its mission in order to give, and continue giving. Enter video messaging. Saying thank you or sharing a project update with a donor in a quick, personal video allows you to convey emotion and sincerity in a way that text or images alone simply can’t.
Gravyty’s personalized video outreach solution makes it easy for fundraisers to create personalized video messages for donors. By incorporating video into your donor communications, you can save time while still making a meaningful impact.
3. Be even more strategic about your thank yous than your donation solicitations
While soliciting donations is important, being strategic about how you thank your donors is crucial to maintaining a strong donor retention rate.
Donor thank you messages should be thoughtful, timely, and tailored to each individual donor. Using video to deliver the thank-you makes an even more emotional impact. Consider the donor’s relationship with your organization, their giving history, and any personal preferences they may have.
By prioritizing gratitude and stewardship, you can strengthen donor relationships and encourage future support.
4. Think long term by sharing updates from campus with donors
Donors and alumni are people, too. They want to know how their contributions are truly making a difference. Sharing impact updates with donors fosters transparency and accountability, showing your school or organization’s commitment to fulfilling its mission.
It helps donors understand the tangible outcomes of their contributions, which in turn inspires continued support and positively impacts donor retention rates. Additionally, these updates can cultivate a sense of pride and connection among donors, as they see the positive difference their contributions are making in the lives of others.
Whether it’s through newsletters, social media posts, or video or text updates, keeping donors informed about the impact of their support can help foster a sense of connection and loyalty.
In conclusion, stewarding donors with authentic communications and relationship-building is essential for the long-term success of your donor retention rates and therefore, for your holistic fundraising program.
By personalizing communications, leveraging video outreach, strategically thanking donors, sharing updates from campus, and learning from past successes, you can retain donors and drive growth for your organization.
