If you knew why it is that donors abandon your fundraising cause, you might have a chance of preventing them from leaving. That would definitely be worth your while, because it’s extremely hard to acquire a significant new donor, especially one who has made regular contributions over the years. Contributors like that are difficult to replace, so it helps to understand why some donors leave, and take steps to avoid that kind of abandonment.
They forget about your organization
Many donors are extremely busy people and have a great many obligations to their company, and to those around them. It can be very easy for individuals like these to forget that they contributed to your organization. To prevent this from happening, you should personally contact any important donor to remind them that they gave in the past, and that you’re hoping they will continue to donate. Make sure that this is a phone call or face-to-face meeting rather than an email, because it will seem much more personal, and it will show them that you care.
They don’t think their contribution matters
Some donors simply stop giving because they feel like their contribution isn’t making a difference. It’s up to you to convince them that all their dollars are going to good use, and that they really are making a huge difference in your cause. To get ahead of the game on this situation, you should regularly contact a donor to let them know how their contribution has helped your cause, and what a big impact it has made in the lives of those people who have been helped by it.
They don’t feel valued
Everyone would like to receive a heartfelt ‘thank you’ when they do something good, or when they contribute to a cause. It’s simple human nature, and it tells you something about the power of gratitude. A recent survey discovered that 13% of fundraising donors abandoned a cause because no one in the organization remembered to thank them for their contribution. When you do express your gratitude, make sure to do so in a way that your donor will notice and remember.
Poor communication
The same survey which identified missing gratitude as a cause for abandonment found that 18% of donors leave nonprofit organizations because they felt there was poor service or lack of communication. It’s good if you can respond to the needs of your donors, but it’s even better if you can anticipate those needs, so that it’s obvious you really care about their contribution. Keeping donors in the fold is largely a matter of providing excellent customer service and reminding contributors that you value them a great deal.
Fundraising with memorial bricks
Some donors genuinely prefer to remain anonymous with their contributions, but these are probably not in the majority. Most people would like to be remembered for a donation they made, and one of the best ways to do that is to start a fundraising campaign with memorial bricks. When you’re ready to do this, be sure to contact Bricks R Us, the premier memorial brick-making company in the U.S. For 30 years, Bricks R Us has been working with fundraisers to help them with their processes, and to provide high-quality memorial bricks which are either sand-blasted or laser-blasted, all at the best prices in the country.
