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.

1. Effective Gift Acknowledgements

2. Your presenter »
Jay Love
@JayBarclayLove
Chief Relationship Officer,
Bloomerang
• 37 Years of Technology Leadership
• Over 20,000 Database Installations
• Former Founder & CEO of eTapestry
• Former CEO Master Software/Fund-Master
• Former Senior VP of Blackbaud
• Former Gleaners Food Bank Board Member
• Conner Prairie Museum Board Member
• AFP Ethics Committee
• Rogare Research Institute Board Member
• Innovation Fund at Butler University
• Co-Chair of Indianapolis YMCA Capital Campaign
@JayBarclayLove

3. jay.love@bloomerang.co
@JayBarclayLove
Free eBook »

4. @JayBarclayLove
What makes a truly effective
gift acknowledgement?

5. Two Experts Wanted An Answer »
Jen Shang
Adrian Sargeant

7. @JayBarclayLove
Why focus on the gift acknowledgement?

8. • Landmark 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
Donor loyalty research »
http://www.campbellrinker.com/Managing_donor_defection.pdf
@JayBarclayLove

9. • 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
@JayBarclayLove

10. • 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
@JayBarclayLove

11. • 2011 study
• Survey of 1,200 recent (last 12 months), frequent
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
http://www.thedonorvoice.com/national-donor-commitment-study-and-proof-of-link-between-donor-attitudes-and-behavior/
@JayBarclayLove
Donor loyalty research »

12. 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
@JayBarclayLove
Why nonprofit donors stay »

13. 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
@JayBarclayLove
Why nonprofit donors stay »

14. @JayBarclayLove
The gift acknowledgement is critical
to donor retention success!

15. Unfortunately… »
@JayBarclayLove
http://afpfep.org/reports/

16. Source: Fundraising Effectiveness Project http://afpfep.org
Recapture rate is falling »
@JayBarclayLove

17. Source: Fundraising Effectiveness Project http://afpfep.org
2018 is looking bad »
• Retention is down 1.4%
• New retained donors are down 12%
@JayBarclayLove
44.1% 19.8% 62.9%

18. @JayBarclayLove
Why does the commercial sector have rates nearly
double the nonprofit sector?

19. @JayBarclayLove
What does an effective
gift acknowledgement look like?

20. Age-old wisdom of thank you’s »
• are fast
• are personal
• are segmented
• can be multi-channel
(print, email, phone, video)
• are part of a documented
communications cadence
@JayBarclayLove

21. • look to future instead of near-term
• ask for feedback
• speak to the impact of the gift
• are donor-centered (with exceptions)
• are not always tied to a recent gift
@JayBarclayLove
Research breakthroughs »

22. @JayBarclayLove

23. https://share.vidyard.com/watch/rh6mDE1mrwLKqZChs2bPfS
@JayBarclayLove

24. @JayBarclayLove

25. @JayBarclayLove

26. @JayBarclayLove

27. @JayBarclayLove

28. @JayBarclayLove

29. @JayBarclayLove

30. Above average gift amount
At or below average gift amount
Phone call Personal letter
Email #2Email #1
(upgrade/recurring)
@JayBarclayLove
Segmentation principles »

31. @JayBarclayLove
• Design a “style” and story for each segment
• Handwritten notes and/or P.S. are powerful
• Test, test, test!
• Personalize as much as possible (database fields)
• 3 “touches” in the first 90 days (survey)
• Always aim to convert to monthly donors!
• Make sure it fits into an overall comms. plan
Segmentation principles »

32. @JayBarclayLove

33. A tale of two
gift acknowledgement experiments

34. New Research - 11/5/18! »
Jen Shang
Adrian Sargeant

35. • Should we be thanking our donors for:
• their gift?
• the difference they’ve made?
• the kind of person they are?
• the kind of person they would like to be?
• How do these approaches make people feel?
Research goals »
@JayBarclayLove

36. @JayBarclayLove
“It’s not just thanking.
It’s kind of loving on me.”
- research participant

37. Test #1 »
@JayBarclayLove

38. Brady Campaign »
@JayBarclayLove
• Individuals sent a petition to a sign
• Signers thanked
• Signers sent a survey

40. • Thank you and survey doubled the degree to
which they are willing to donate later.
• So, from the very first action that any donors take
for an organization, thank-you’s should focus on
making supporters feel good about their action
(even if it wasn’t a gift).
Key findings »
@JayBarclayLove

41. Test #2 »
@JayBarclayLove

42. @JayBarclayLove
• Thank you letter sent out prior to an
appeal/renewal letter (to “prime the pump”)
• Half got the letter, half didn’t.
• Which group do you think gave more to the
subsequent appeal?
Planned Parenthood »

43. Planned Parenthood »
@JayBarclayLove

44. Planned Parenthood »
@JayBarclayLove

45. @JayBarclayLove
“If the donor does not feel adequately thanked, the
acknowledgment has failed even though it may
produce a second gift.”
- research participant

46. https://www.philanthropy-centre.org/learning-to-%20say-thank-you/
• Free download!
• Chock-full of other
tidbits and takeaways!

47. Email thank you
letter template »
https://bloomerang.co/resources/d
ownloadables/sample-donation-
thank-you-email-template/
@JayBarclayLove

48. https://bloomerang.co/resources/downloadables/basic-thank-you-letter-template/
Snail mail thank you letter template »
1. Personal intro
2. Thank you
3. Impact statement
4. Future communications
5. Another thank you
6. Personal signature
7. PS w/ additional action
@JayBarclayLove

49. Questions?
jay.love@bloomerang.co
@JayBarclayLove
Free eBook »
@JayBarclayLove

50. Questions?
jay.love@bloomerang.co
@JayBarclayLove
Free eBook »
@JayBarclayLove