https://bloomerang.co/resources/speaking Retention is your most important fundraising strategy, and your online donors are seriously at risk. Among all your donors, they are the least likely to renew their gifts – unless you take specific, creative steps to engage and thank them. This session will help you discover how to maximize the retention rates of your digital donors. We will examine the attributes of online donors, and outline the retention strategies that work best for this slice of your donor database. Learning Outcomes: Understand what makes online donors tick (their habits, patterns, likes and dislikes) Learn how to formulate a retention strategy for online donors Understand best practices in digital communications, including email gift acknowledgement and social media content.

2. About Steven »
@StevenShattuck
Chief Engagement Officer, Bloomerang
Contributor: Fundraising Principles and
Practice: Second Edition
Member: Fundraising Effectiveness Project
(FEP) Project Work Group, AFP Center for
Fundraising Innovation (CFI), Study
Fundraising Steering Group at the Hartsook
Centre for Sustainable Philanthropy at
Plymouth University
Fun facts:
• 1st job: producing fundraising videos
• prefers tea to coffee
• allergic to rhubarb
• won the David Letterman scholarship

3. @StevenShattuck

4. @StevenShattuck
http://afpfep.org
The current state of donor retention? »

5. @StevenShattuck
Donor retention »
Source: Fundraising Effectiveness Project http://afpfep.org
43.4% 20.2% 61% 90+%

6. @StevenShattuck
Donor retention over the decades »

7. 7
New donor retention over the years »
@StevenShattuck
Source: Fundraising Effectiveness Project http://afpfep.org

8. 8
Repeat donor retention over the years »
@StevenShattuck
Source: Fundraising Effectiveness Project http://afpfep.org

9. 9
Recapturing lapsed donors is even harder »
@StevenShattuck
Source: Fundraising Effectiveness Project http://afpfep.org

10. @StevenShattuck
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/3-truths-and-1-lie-about-online-donors_us_595cf48de4b0326c0a8d13fb?
Donor retention by age/channel »

11. Donor Attrition Over Five Years
# of
Donors
Attrition
Rate
Donors
Remaining
After 1
Year
Donors
Remaining
After 2
Years
Donors
Remaining
After 3
Years
Donors
Remaining
After 4
Years
Donors
Remaining
After 5
Years
1,000 20% 800 640 512 410 328
1,000 40% 600 360 216 130 78
1,000 60% 400 160 64 26 10
So what?
https://bloomerang.co/resources/downloadables/donor-retention-math-made-simple
@StevenShattuck

12. Donor retention math »
@StevenShattuck

13. @StevenShattuck
Why do donors leave?

14. @StevenShattuck
• 2001 study by
Adrian Sargeant
• Survey to lapsed donors of
10 major U.S.-based
nonprofits
• Respondents were asked to
check each reason for
stopping their contributions
Why nonprofit donors leave »
http://www.campbellrinker.com/Managing_donor_defection.pdf

15. @StevenShattuck
• 5% - thought charity did not need them
• 8% - no info on how monies were used
• 9% - no memory of supporting
• 13% - never got thanked for donating
• 16% - death
• 18% - poor service or communication
• 36% - others more deserving
• 54% - could no longer afford
Why nonprofit donors leave »
http://www.campbellrinker.com/Managing_donor_defection.pdf

16. @StevenShattuck
Why do donors stay?

17. @StevenShattuck
• 2011 study
• Survey of 1,200 recent (last 12 months), frequent (more
than 2 gifts to cause based charities) donors from over
250 nonprofit organizations
• Donors were given a list of 32 reasons why they might
continue giving
• Asked to rank them by order of importance
Key drivers of donor commitment »
http://www.thedonorvoice.com/national-donor-commitment-study-and-proof-of-link-between-donor-attitudes-and-behavior/

18. @StevenShattuck
Key drivers of donor commitment »
1. Donor perceives organization to be effective
2. Donor knows what to expect with each interaction
3. Donor receives a timely thank you
4. Donor receives opportunities to make views known
5. Donor feels like they’re part of an important cause
6. Donor feels his or her involvement is appreciated
7. Donor receives info showing who is being helped
http://www.thedonorvoice.com/national-donor-commitment-study-and-proof-of-link-between-donor-attitudes-and-behavior/

19. @StevenShattuck
How to increase retention »
• Focus on first-time and above-average donors
• Thank quickly + personally
• Go overboard with appreciation
• Donor-centric tone (more “you” than “we”)
• Tell how gifts are used / will be used
• Tell them what comes next
• Solicit feedback
• Keep lines of communication open

20. @StevenShattuck
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/3-truths-and-1-lie-about-online-donors_us_595cf48de4b0326c0a8d13fb?
Donor retention by age/channel »

21. Do these 3 things well »
https://bloomerang.co/blog/3-things-your-nonprofit-must-do-well-after-an-online-donation
@StevenShattuck

22. 1. “Thank You” page
2. Email confirmation
3. Formal acknowledgment
Do these 3 things well »
https://bloomerang.co/blog/3-things-your-nonprofit-must-do-well-after-an-online-donation
@StevenShattuck

23. • Communicate that donation was processed
• Thank the donor
• Communicate impact (text/photo/video)
• Preview future communications
• Give donor something to do next
• Keep them on website to convert again!
Confirmation page »
@StevenShattuck
https://bloomerang.co/blog/21-ideas-for-your-nonprofits-donation-confirmation-page

24. Confirmation page »
@StevenShattuck

25. Confirmation page »
@StevenShattuck

26. Confirmation page »
@StevenShattuck

27. Confirmation page »
@StevenShattuck

28. Confirmation page »
@StevenShattuck

29. @StevenShattuck

30. • Should arrive immediately
• Eye-catching subject line
• Avoid role-based sender email address
• Personal greeting
• Thank the donor
• Communicate impact (text/photo/video)
• Give donor something to do next
• Social sharing
• Employer matching
• Preview future communications
• Include tax information
Email confirmation »
@StevenShattuck
https://bloomerang.co/blog/19-point-donation-acknowledgement-email-checklist

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40. • Thank you for your donation!
• Donation Confirmation from (ORGANIZATION)
• Donation Receipt from (ORGANIZATION)
• Confirmation – Donation Received
• Donation Receipt
• Thank you for your gift
Boring email subject lines »
@StevenShattuck
https://bloomerang.co/blog/46-real-nonprofit-email-receipt-subject-lines-made-better/

41. • You just changed a life
• You just fed a family of four
• You have given the gift of hope
• You are a hero!
Impactful email subject lines »
@StevenShattuck
https://bloomerang.co/blog/46-real-nonprofit-email-receipt-subject-lines-made-better/

42. • info@nonprofit.org
• development@nonprofit.org
• no-reply@nonprofit.org
• finance@nonprofit.org
Destroy all role-based emails »
@StevenShattuck
https://bloomerang.co/blog/this-overlooked-detail-is-undermining-your-nonprofits-emails/

43. • Segment by frequency/gift amount
• new vs repeat?
• above average $ vs below average $?
• starting a monthly commitment?
• Arrive within 48 hours
• Utilize their communication preference!
• Email (differentiate from receipt)
• Snail mail (handwritten note / signature)
• Phone call (voicemails are just as good)
Formal acknowledgement »
@StevenShattuck

44. Segment your acknowledgement »
@StevenShattuck
Above average gift amount
At or below average gift amount
Phone call Personal letter
Email #2Email #1
(upgrade/recurring)

45. @StevenShattuck

46. @StevenShattuck
https://share.vidyard.com/watch/rh6mDE1mrwLKqZChs2bPfS

47. @StevenShattuck
https://share.vidyard.com/watch/rh6mDE1mrwLKqZChs2bPfS

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The fast, personal touch »
• first-time donors who get a personal thank you within 48
hours are 4x more likely to give a second gift
(McConkey-Johnston International UK)
• a thank-you call from a board member to a newly acquired
donor within 24 hours of receiving the gifts will increase
their next gift by 39%.
(Penelope Burk)
http://www.guidestar.org/rxa/news/articles/2010/how-to-increase-donations-by-39-percent.aspx

52. @StevenShattuck

53. Surveys »
@StevenShattuck
1. “Thank You” page
• donor satisfaction survey
2. Email confirmation
• donor satisfaction survey
3. Formal acknowledgment
• donor information survey
• if new, or never been surveyed

54. @StevenShattuck
Key drivers of donor commitment »
1. Donor perceives organization produces outcomes
2. Donor knows what to expect with each interaction
3. Donor receives a timely thank you
4. Donor receives opportunities to make views known
5. Donor feels like they’re part of an important cause
6. Donor feels his or her involvement is appreciated
7. Donor receives info showing who is being helped
http://www.thedonorvoice.com/national-donor-commitment-study-and-proof-of-link-between-donor-attitudes-and-behavior/

55. @StevenShattuck

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57. • “Why did you first give?”
• “What’s your connection to the cause?”
• “What would you like to hear from us?”
• “How would you rate your experience?”
• “Was it easy to donate?”
• “Did we thank you appropriately?”
• Let them tell their story!
Survey Question Ideas »
https://bloomerang.co/blog/23-questions-to-ask-donors-and-prospects/
@StevenShattuck

58. Now what?
Have a plan.
@StevenShattuck

59. @StevenShattuck

60. @StevenShattuck

61. • Memorial donors
• Thank (if you can), then isolate
• Peer-to-peer donors
• Have first gift acknowledgement come from
fundraiser, not benefiting org
• (Re)introduce the charity
• Explain why fundraiser supports it
• Ask for donor to continue support
@StevenShattuck
https://bloomerang.co/blog/3-tips-for-improving-p2p-donor-retention/
2 common “one and dones” »

62. @StevenShattuck
• Humanize your automation
• Thank quickly + personally
• Go overboard with appreciation
• Donor-centric tone
• Tell how gifts are used / will be used
• Tell them what comes next
• Solicit feedback
Final thoughts »

63. https://bloomerang.co/resources
•Nonprofit Wrap-Up
•Bloomerang TV
•Bloomies
•Daily blog post
•Weekly webinars
•Downloadables
@StevenShattuck

64. Get in touch:
steven.shattuck@bloomerang.co
@StevenShattuck
Free eBooks »
@StevenShattuck
https://bloomerang.co/resources/guides/