The end of the year is a popular time for people to support a new nonprofit. And, while getting these initial gifts from brand-new supporters is exciting, the real magic happens when you start building long-term relationships with those people.
Unfortunately, that’s a challenge for a lot of fundraisers—the average retention rate for first-time donors is only 19%. If you want to buck this trend, you’ll need a deliberate strategy for retaining new donors.
Here are eight practical steps you can take to ensure that your first-time donors become lifelong supporters.
1. Prioritize What Happens After the Donation
First impressions matter—especially for new donors—and what happens in the moments after someone gives is really important. When you provide a smooth and memorable post-donation experience, you set the stage for future engagement… and future gifts.
To do that, start by automating receipts that include a heartfelt thank-you note and a brief mention of how your new donor’s gift will make a difference. Then, 48–72 hours later, send a follow-up email or letter. In that message, include another thank-you message (be as specific as you can!) and share a short story about the impact their contribution will have.
Want to do something really special? Look for ways to add personal touches. If you can, include a short video message from your team or beneficiaries thanking the donor. Small gestures like this show appreciation and help donors feel connected to your mission and to the other people who are working to make that mission a reality.
2. Focus on Donors, Not Dollars
People give because they feel a deep personal, emotional connection to the causes they support. They’re passionate about it! A common misstep in donor communication is forgetting about those connections and treating donations as mere transactions.
Retaining your new donors will require focusing on the person behind the donation, not just how much they gave. Express your gratitude and intentionally focus on that person’s generosity and compassion. That’s more significant than focusing on the financial amount they contributed.
For example:
- Money-focused: “Thank you for your $200 donation to fund art classes for underprivileged children.”
- Donor-focused: “Thanks to your kindness and generosity, underprivileged children will have access to enriching art classes. Your $200 contribution made this possible.”
The shift may seem subtle, but it reminds donors that they are valued supporters who are really making a difference.
3. Share Impact Stories Regularly
Donors give because they want to make a difference in an area that’s close to their hearts. Retaining new donors depends on showing them that their gift will reach that goal.
Share updates through emails, newsletters, and social media. Use storytelling to bring your work to life—highlight individuals or communities positively impacted by their support.
This is another area where you’ll want to focus on being specific. Instead of saying, “Your donation supported our food bank,” try, “Thanks to your generosity, two local families received nutritious meals during the holidays.” If you can, include photos or videos when possible to make the impact real and relatable.
This isn’t a one-time activity! Send your updates at key intervals—within the first month after their gift and quarterly thereafter. Regular communication keeps your nonprofit at the forefront of your donors’ minds and shows that you recognize and appreciate their continued support.
4. Build a Welcome Series to Retain New Donors
New donors are usually really excited about supporting a cause they love. But they often aren’t very familiar with your organization itself—and you can use that to your advantage. Try creating a well-crafted welcome email series to introduce them to your organization, your mission and values, and your programs.
Here’s an example of what that may look like:
- Email 1: A heartfelt thank-you message and a brief introduction to your nonprofit.
- Email 2: An impact story or success story that’s possible because of past donors’ generosity.
- Email 3: Information about additional ways to stay involved, such as volunteering or attending an event.
Send these emails spaced out over the first 30–90 days—if you’ve got a good nonprofit CRM, you can probably create them and then set them up to go out automatically. In your emails, include calls to action like following your social media or signing up for newsletters. Those activities (along with reading your welcome emails!) will keep donors engaged without overwhelming them.
5. Invite Them to Make a Recurring Gift
Recurring donations are a huge deal for a lot of reasons, and their retention rates are a big one. Donors who commit to monthly gifts are far more likely to stay engaged long term—and they give more over their lifetime with your organization than people who give on a one-off basis.
If you want to keep your donors engaged, get them involved in a recurring giving program. Highlight recurring giving options prominently on your donation forms, on your homepage, on your social media channels—anywhere! When you do, emphasize the convenience and impact of that type of gift.
Show donors how smaller, regular gifts add up over time to make a significant difference. Saying something like, “Your monthly gift of $25 can provide a year of literacy tutoring for a child in need” is very compelling!
You can make this a part of your new donor retention plan, too. When following up with your new supporters, offer an opportunity to make a recurring gift. Time this appropriately and ask carefully—meaning after their initial gift’s impact is shared—and you’ll increase the likelihood of conversion.
6. Segment and Personalize Communications
Remember how we said earlier that personal touches will make a big impression on your supporters? When you’re coming up with a new donor retention plan, it’s important to remember that a one-size-fits-all messaging strategy isn’t going to cut it.
Instead, create donor segments based on factors like donation size, the program they supported, or even someone’s method of giving (like a recurring donation, a donation tied to an event, etc). Tailor your updates and appeals to reflect each donor’s unique relationship with your organization.
This sounds scary, but it can be really manageable. Say you’re writing a GivingTuesday appeal—first, write one base appeal that will work for your biggest segment of donors. Then, adjust little bits and pieces to be suitable for different audiences.
7. Encourage Deeper Engagement
People are more likely to stick around if they feel connected to your nonprofit in a way that goes beyond how much they’ve donated. Give them opportunities to get involved that don’t involve giving money! Volunteering, attending events, signing up for your newsletter, or interacting with you on social media are all great options.
For example, you could invite new donors to an open house event where they can tour your facility and get a feel for their impact firsthand. Alternatively, you could ask them to participate in a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign or to share a fundraising campaign with their network. These actions help give them a sense of community and deepen their emotional investment in your work.
8. Plan for the Second Gift
Research shows that donors who give a second time are far more likely to stay engaged with your organization (even beyond donating!) long term. However, the way you time additional appeals and the way you approach that messaging is really important.
Don’t know where to start? Here’s a basic overview of what to do:
- Share a meaningful update about the impact of their first gift (we’ve mentioned this a couple of times already—can you tell we think it’s really, really important?).
- Acknowledge your reader’s previous generosity and frame the second appeal as an opportunity to make an even bigger impact.
- If possible, ask for a recurring gift at this stage to solidify their long-term support.
This is important, but that doesn’t mean you should rush into the second ask. Wait until after they’ve received those important impact updates and feel confident in their decision to support your work again.
Retaining New Donors Is Worth the Effort
The true value of a new donor goes beyond their first gift—it lies in their potential to become a lifelong supporter. When you focus on creating exceptional post-donation experiences, sending personalized communications, and giving people opportunities for deeper engagement, you can transform first-time donors into loyal advocates.
Retaining new donors will be the cornerstone of a sustainable long-term fundraising strategy. Want to learn more about retaining your supporters? Here’s an in-depth guide to donor retention!
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