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%

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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

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First Gifts Not as Generous as They Could Have Been

75%

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Source: Cygnus Donor Survey

How do

we keep

the love

alive?

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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.

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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.

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2

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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