Creating a Donor Communications Plan: How to Become Their Favorite Nonprofit

Kivi Leroux Miller President, Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com

kivilm

nonprofitmarketingguide

Daily Blog Weekly E-Newsletter

Donor Attrition Rate Between First and Second Gift

55-65%

http

://w

ww

.flic

kr.c

om/p

hoto

s/m

ount

aina

sh/5

0825

0225

6

Fundraising Effectiveness Project 2011 Results from Association of Fundraising Professionals and The Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy

Loss of Regular or Sustaining Givers from

One Year to the Next

30%

Fundraising Effectiveness Project 2011 Results from Association of Fundraising Professionals and The Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy

http

://w

ww

.flic

kr.c

om/p

hoto

s/te

naci

ousm

e/68

6090

1697

First Gifts Not as Generous as They Could Have Been

75%

http

://w

ww

.flic

kr.c

om/p

hoto

s/al

ancl

eave

r/427

9482

716

Source: Cygnus Donor Survey

How do we keep the love alive?

http

://w

ww

.flic

kr.c

om/p

hoto

s/id

eaab

laze

/468

1998

874

Source:  Network  for  Good’s  Online  Giving  Index:  http://www.onlinegivingstudy.org/quarterlyindex

Why do people give so much in December?

Hint:  It’s  not  really  about  the  tax  deduction.

People help because it gets them high.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jorge-11/4787290028

How They Feel Predicts Behavior

• I am a committed (nonprofit) donor.

• I feel a sense of loyalty to (nonprofit).

• (Nonprofit) is my favorite charitable organization.

Based on research by

They want to feel appreciated.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ganatlguard/8289339879

They want to feel included.

They want to feel in the know.

They want to know – from you – that they matter.

http://ww

w.flickr.com

/photos/strike/425845828

When you get it right,  here’s  how this works.

You create communications that

are relevant to their lives.

You understand your donors’  inner  angels.  

1

2

http://www.flickr.com/photos/epsos/8067736728

You create opportunities for people to connect and engage.

You become a favorite organization.

3

4

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stickergiant/8046982406

People say Yes! when

you ask them.

You get what you need to achieve

your mission!

6

5

http://www.flickr.com/photos/audiolucistore/7403731050 http://www.flickr.com/photos/usnavy/5601169958

Win!

Favorite Charities Get More

Half of donors give 2/3rds of their annual donations to a single favorite charity.

5 Essential Tools in Your Donor

Communications Plan

Not Including Appeals or One-on-One Communications Like Phone Calls

1

Genuine Thank You Letters Within 72 hours of each gift & at multiple milestones each year

Here’s  One  Approach  .  .  .   Greeting Card + Progress Report + Invitation = Awesome Thank You Letter

Kivi’s  Formula  for  Thank  You  Letter  Success

Positive and Personable!

Results!

Invitation To Feel Like We Are There

Credit to Donors

Personable Integration

More Goodness to Come!

Great Photo

Reminder about Connection, and Other Activities

2

Donor-Centered Newsletter Articles 4-12 times a year in print and/or monthly or twice a month in email

“Spine  care”  raised  $5,000.   “Zawadi”  raised  $50,000.  

Thank you, Tom Ahern, for the example.

Ten fold increase from one edition of the newsletter to the next, simply by switching from corporate storytelling to donor-centered storytelling.

A Good Donor Newsletter Format . . .

3

Digestable Annual Reports End of year, or very beginning of new year

4

Special Invitations A few times a year

5

Social Media Several times a week, or daily

It’s  hard  to  get  there  with  a  communications strategy like this.

It’s  much  easier  if  you  attract  people to you with substance and style that feels relevant.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevendepolo/4137096855

Go forward communicating

like their favorite

nonprofit!

Kivi Leroux Miller @kivilm Facebook.com/ nonprofitmarketingguide kivi@ecoscribe.com