How To Determine When To Engage With Non-Profit Donors
We all know that donations from generous individuals help sustain the mission of non-profit organizations. Throughout the year you find yourself promoting your non-profit through numerous emails, phone calls, social media posts, and more to receive donations. Once you’ve attracted a donor and received donations, when is the perfect time to follow up with them?
Today, we will answer the questions you’ve always had and will learn more about how to determine when to engage with donors.
How To Determine When To Engage With Non-Profit Donors
First-time and recurring donors want to know that you appreciate their contribution to your non-profit. While “thank you” goes a long way, there is a strategy that should go behind when to say it. Here is some insight on the best time to engage with your donors.
Prepare to Engage
As always, preparation is key to anything. Before you engage with a donor, it is essential to have a way to receive, track, and manage their information so you can maintain a positive donor relationship to foster continuous support.
Create a Donor Management System. This is a database where you will store all donor and gift information such as the date and time of the donation, the donor’s name, address and zip code. You can refer back to this information as needed to help customize donor communications in the future which will lead to recurring contributions.
Tip: Save this documentation and upload to a secure drive online. Once you create this database you will not want to lose it…trust me!
Same Day [Online Donation]
Express your gratitude immediately.
When receiving an online donation, it is best to share your appreciation with a follow-up page as soon as the donor has finished the transaction.
The Following Day
Be sure to thank your donors for their contributions in a brief, yet compelling, email by the following day.
A great way to utilize your donor management system is to initiate this email after the donor’s first gift automatically. Feel free to mention the campaign or project that their contribution will be supporting and attach a receipt for their records.
Note: This email should be sent from the director of the organization or a very well-known staff member that does well with maintaining donor relationships.
Within Four to Seven Business Days
An extra “thank you” never hurt, right? After a few days have passed, reinforce your gratitude with a heartfelt follow-up. This can be done via email or by letter. Take time to reiterate your appreciation and welcome them to your support team. Sharing an impactful story is always a plus!
Engaging with your donors is simple, easy, and rewarding! With so many ways to encourage giving, ExpressTaxExempt and our sister product TaxBandits are here to empower your nonprofit and be a helping hand with your nonprofit tax filing needs. You are in the business of helping others, now let us help you! Create a free account today and get back to making a difference in your community.
