Transform your First Tee’s online fundraising game with actionable tips you can implement today!

Join James Goalder, with special guest Jeff O’Brien from First Tee of Greater Akron, as we share key insights and best practices from successful nonprofits.

Learn how to make simple yet powerful changes to boost online donations, avoid common fundraising roadblocks, and confidently hit your fundraising goals.

Key Takeaways:

• Simple ways you can update your online fundraising process

• Common pitfalls to avoid when building your fundraising campaigns

• Insights from other nonprofits’ online giving experience and how that impacts donations

Check out the slides from this webinar here.

The post Raise More for Your First Tee appeared first on Bloomerang.

Struggling to tell your nonprofit’s story with limited time and resources? Bloomerang’s got your back! In this Academy session we unveil new features that will help you save time and create captivating email content in seconds.

The post Introducing innovative new tools to our email builder! appeared first on Bloomerang.

Transform your YMCA’s online fundraising game with actionable tips you can implement today! Join us on June 25th as Emily Kelly shares key insights and best practices from successful nonprofits. Learn how to make simple yet powerful changes to boost online donations, avoid common fundraising roadblocks, and confidently hit your fundraising goals.

Key Takeaways:

• Simple ways you can update your online fundraising process

• Common pitfalls to avoid when building your fundraising campaigns

• Insights from other nonprofits’ online giving experience and how that impacts donations

Check out the presentation slides from the webinar here.

The post Raise More for Your YMCA appeared first on Bloomerang.

Transform your Boys and Girls Club’s online fundraising game with actionable tips you can implement today! Join us on June 18th as Emily Kelly shares key insights and best practices from successful nonprofits. Learn how to make simple yet powerful changes to boost online donations, avoid common fundraising roadblocks, and confidently hit your fundraising goals.

Key Takeaways:

• Simple ways you can update your online fundraising process

• Common pitfalls to avoid when building your fundraising campaigns

• Insights from other nonprofits’ online giving experience and how that impacts donations

View the session’s slides here.

The post Raise More for Your Boys and Girls Club appeared first on Bloomerang.

In today’s Connection Economy, how does a membership program survive and thrive when there is so much competition for time and attention? The answer lies in the caring, generous humans who join causes and organizations that say something about themselves.

In this discussion, we’ll look a how membership programs can create a loyal community, give people a sense of belonging, provide predictable revenue, and foster deeper engagement with your supporters. Learn from real-world examples and expert insights on structuring membership tiers, offering exclusive benefits, and utilizing technology for seamless management of your membership program.

Learning Objectives:

• List the key elements of a membership program and how they foster engagement and community with supporters
• Develop a basic plan tailored to their organization’s needs and experiences that maximize membership engagement
• Analyze the effectiveness of their program and apply key performance indicators of success and involvement

Check out the slides from this webinar here

The post Identity, Affinity, and Access: The Makings of Membership appeared first on Bloomerang.

The downfall of the typical Case for Support is that it promotes presentation, not conversation. The solicitor talks a lot. The donor listens. That’s the exact opposite of what we want! The visual, one-page Donor Conversation Driver* provides even less experienced solicitors with the framework they need for productive donor conversations.

Customizable and flexible, the Conversation Driver works equally well in person and on Zoom. The visual tool and a handful of key questions will get the donor talking about what is important to them. It also answers every donor is question: What will you do with my money? And, with the donor’s permission, leads naturally into an “ask.”

*Credit to forimpact.org for creating the tool on which the Conversation Driver is based.

View this session’s slides on this page.

The post Conversation, Not Presentation: Get Your Donors Talking and Raise More Money! appeared first on Bloomerang.

Personal acknowledgments, impact reporting, and a strong monthly giving program are some of the cornerstones to a high donor retention rate.

But there’s one unsung strategy that can elevate your donor retention rates, while expanding mid-level and major giving: multi-year gift agreements.

How multi-year giving agreements impact donor retention

According to the Fundraising Effectiveness Project, retention hit an all-time low of 42.6%. While the full 2023 data has not yet been compiled, FEP has found that, through Q3 2023, donors decreased moderately and donor retention continued to slide, driving a slight decrease in fundraising dollars. Q3 itself saw a YOY drop of 7.6%. This continues a trend that began in 2021, after a large uptick in donations and donors in 2020.

Savvy fundraisers have always kept donor retention top of mind. Just a small improvement in donor retention rates translates into higher donor lifetime value. However, it’s an increasingly uphill battle to build long-term relationships with donors.

But multi-year giving is a cheat code in the donor retention game. Because pledge fulfillment rates are typically in the 80-90% range, multi-year giving provides a predictable revenue stream, allowing nonprofits to plan and implement long-term projects with greater confidence. Securing multi-year commitments also signifies a deeper level of trust and engagement from donors, indicating that they are truly invested in your mission.

Just look what happens over the course of five years when donors have an 80-90% retention rate (right-hand image) versus a donor retention percentage in the low-40s:

By improving your retention rates through multi-year commitments, the lifetime value increases by almost 3x!

Studies also show that the best major gift and planned gift prospects are donors that have been retained for multiple years. Donor retention is the key to major gift and planned gift success, and multi-year commitments are one of the best ways to increase donor retention.

Does this really improve donor retention?

A common criticism of the value of multi-year gift agreements in the context of improving donor retention rates is that you are simply inflating your donor retention rates by breaking up a large one-time gift into multiple payments.

Multi-year giving isn’t just a statistical trick, but a genuine opportunity to steward your donor over the course of their pledge. When someone commits to a multi-year gift, they’re not just agreeing to a payment plan; they’re entering into an ongoing relationship with your organization. This isn’t about slicing a big gift into smaller parts; it’s about building a bridge of continuous involvement and commitment.

Over the course of a multi-year agreement, you will have numerous opportunities to engage with the donor. This could take the form of updates on how their contributions are making a difference, invitations to events, or even discussions about additional ways they can support your cause. Each interaction is a chance to reinforce their decision to support your cause and to deepen their commitment.

In other words, if someone makes a one-time $50k gift, there isn’t as strong of a context for ongoing communication and stewardship as there is when they’re locked into a $10k per year commitment over five years.

There’s also the possibility of upgrades within the payment schedule. As donors become more involved and invested in your cause over time, a donor might be willing to increase their contribution as they see the impact of their gift and grow more attached to your work.

How to generate more multi-year agreements

If your organization is new to multi-year giving, here are a few ideas to get started:

1. Integrate into your fundraising efforts

Introducing multi-year gift agreements into your nonprofit’s fundraising efforts is like adding a new, exciting chapter to your organization’s story.

Start by sharing the big picture with your team and supporters: multi-year gifts are not just donations, they’re commitments to a shared future. To integrate these into your existing efforts, begin by identifying your most passionate and capable donors – those who truly believe in your mission. Then, have heartfelt, one-on-one conversations with them about how their sustained support can make a massive impact over time.

You can also weave the concept into your regular communications, like newsletters and social media, highlighting the long-term benefits of multi-year pledges. It’s about telling a compelling story where these gifts are the heroes, providing stability and enabling ambitious, long-term projects.

Remember, the key is to make donors feel like they’re not just giving money, but embarking on a journey that unfolds and grows over several years. With the right approach, multi-year gift agreements can become a cornerstone of your fundraising strategy, building a foundation for both stability and innovation.

2. Digitize your gift agreements

Collecting multi-year gift agreements through online agreements with e-signatures is a game-changer. It’s not just about saving trees (which is awesome, by the way), but it’s also about making everything smoother and faster.

When you move to digital gift agreements, you’re cutting out the whole print-sign-scan-email loop. This means you can secure pledges quicker, and your supporters can make their commitments without the hassle of dealing with paper.

Plus, it’s way easier to keep track of these digital documents. No more digging through your inbox or worrying that it got caught by a spam filter.

Going digital is a smart move – it’s convenient, efficient, and let’s be honest, it makes your nonprofit look pretty savvy too!

3. Make pledge reminders a priority

Making pledge reminders a priority is a bit like watering plants – do it right, and you’ll see growth!

First, check the functionality of your existing donor database or CRM (Constituent Relationship Management system) and make good use of it. You may even consider investing in dedicated gift agreement software that integrates with your CRM.

When you use these tools, you can automatically send personalized, friendly reminders to donors about their pledges. It’s like having a smart assistant who never forgets to nudge your supporters at just the right time.

This not only helps in ensuring a steady flow of funds (super important for planning cool projects), but it also keeps your donors engaged and feeling appreciated. Plus, these systems can provide valuable insights, like who’s super punctual in their giving, who might need a little extra nudge, or who is nearing the end of their schedule.

By making pledge reminders a priority, nonprofits can build stronger, more reliable relationships with their donors. It’s a win-win! Your organization stays on top of funding, and donors feel like they’re really part of your mission’s journey.

In the ever-evolving game of donor engagement, multi-year gift agreements are your ace-in-the-hole, a strategic endeavor that not only fortifies your organization’s financial future but also deepens the bond with your donors, creating a lasting partnership rooted in shared commitment and sustained impact.

Has your organization seen donor retention rate improvements as a result of multi-year giving? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Multi-Year Gift Agreements: Your Donor Retention ‘Ace-In-The-Hole’ appeared first on Bloomerang.

Dear Charity Clairity,

I just took a new job and have discovered they don’t get thank you letters out for two weeks. To me, this is unacceptable. But I can’t persuade them we need to speed this up. I told my boss, the E.D., the industry standard is 48 hours. He thinks I’m nuts. And I quote: “This is perfectly okay. No one expects immediate responses from us. Especially smaller donors. They know we’re busy with our work. And we’ve been just fine until now.” Do you have any tricks up your sleeve that can help me persuade them the status quo is holding them back, and they could be MORE than fine if we upped our gratitude game?

— Stymied

Dear Stymied,

I feel your pain, and you are not alone. In fact, back in the day, I encountered this exact problem. And I, like you, feel the imperative of a prompt, personal thank you that’s powerfully indicative of the impact of the donor’s gift.

And I’ll tell you what I did to address it.

But first, some data to impress on your boss how critically important prompt, personal gratitude is to retaining and upgrading donors.

Why getting a thank you out quickly is important

First and foremost, the active practice of gratitude does not belong on the back burner. It’s human nature to seek validation. A little reinforcement for a good deed well done. And it’s better to give it sooner than later, for a couple of reasons.

• Saying thank you establishes trust, reassuring donors their money didn’t go into a black hole. Trust is the foundation of all lasting relationships. When the thank you is delayed, trust can be eroded before you even get a chance to make a critical and good first impression.
• Recency is the most important predictor of likelihood to give. If your donor is stuck in processing mode for weeks or months after giving, you’ll miss out on their most-likely-to-give-again period – a time when you could have received a second gift.

What you can do to speed up your thank-you process

Here’s an exercise I took my team through to address the issue of a too-slow donor acknowledgement process. I began by gathering everyone who touched the gift and/or the thank you from the minute the gift arrived until the minute the acknowledgement letter left our office. We then looked at the total gift journey. Here are questions you can ask yourself and your team to go through a similar exercise.

1. Do you wait for the mail to arrive?
2. Where does the mail go first?
3. Where do checks go first?
4. Where do credit card payments go first?
5. Once the gift arrives in the development department, what steps are taken next?
6. Who is assigned the job of gift acknowledgment?
7. Once a computer-generated letter is produced, what happens next?
8. Once the thank you is signed what happens next?
9. Once the thank you is sealed what happens next?

Not having clarity on the answers to these questions can easily tack on several days to a week to your thank you letter’s journey. Anyplace that’s a bottleneck (i.e., checks sitting at the post office for hours instead of you picking them up; checks languishing in a mailroom instead of being immediately distributed; checks sitting on someone’s desk rather than being quickly deposited and entered into a donor database; credit card gifts waiting a week until they can be entered in batches; thank you letters sitting on the desk of someone who is out sick, and so forth).

What today’s donors expect

In 2018, WSJ columnist Christopher Mims observed:

“Alongside life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, you can now add another inalienable right: two-day shipping on practically everything.”

“Everything” includes a prompt expression of gratitude when someone makes a philanthropic gift to your organization. At least that’s what today’s donors believe. And you better deliver – or else.

In fact, here’s what a reader of my Clairification blog recently added in the comments section of an article exhorting nonprofits to get their post-holiday thank-you letters out right away:

Hello — We have a “Christmas Wish” Memorial Fund in my late father’s name (he died 30 years ago) that spits out several hundred dollars per year. Since it’s in our Community Foundation, it must be given to 501c3s. I’m about ready to give up on the nonprofits in our rural community, as even when I’ve gone to the trouble of contacting them, got the grants approved and personally delivered the checks, my rate of hand-written or phone call thank-you messages is probably around three or four per cent. We gave away about a thousand dollars in three grants this past Christmas, and it’s nearly February and I haven’t heard a word from any of them. I even offered to volunteer at one of the places! Pathetic and sad. They will likely disappear from my list forever.– Brad D.

Share with your boss how beyond frustrating this can be from a donor perspective. I understand nonprofits being busy, but there’s no excuse for not exercising common courtesy. Those who say, “We’re very small; we just don’t have time for this,” are losing sight of the big picture. Because if they keep losing supporters along the way, pretty soon they won’t have time — or resources — for anything, including their mission.

Here’s some advice from another expert – Penelope Burk of Donor-Centered Fundraising.  In response to an inquiry about whether it was really important to treat all donors the same when it comes to thanking (i.e., maybe “smaller” donors didn’t need as much promptness or personalization), here’s what she had to say:

“I know this is a hard concept for fundraisers to grasp because you have had it hammered into your heads that donors who give big should be treated better than donors who don’t. But this makes fundraising passive when it should be active. Active fundraising assumes that all donors could give more than they are giving now (which our ongoing research keeps proving to be true); and, in order to encourage that higher level giving, fundraisers need to inspire donors through truly meaningful thank you letters and calls that show your gratitude, among other things. If you wait for a donor to give big before telling him how much you appreciate his efforts, most supporters will never get to that state of giving generously within their own means.

You asked donors to give; they responded. Now it’s your turn again to show them your very best and inspire them to go higher the next time. That is proactive fundraising and it is also “donor-centered.”

Based on data from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project, less than 20% of first-time donors renew, but 60% of recurring donors renew. If you prioritize getting a second gift – starting with strategic prompt, personal gratitude — your donor is three times more likely to stay with you than if you don’t have a targeted second gift strategy.

Hopefully once your E.D. understands this dynamic, you will no longer be stymied in executing a thoughtful donor love and loyalty strategy.

— Charity Clairity (Please use a pseudonym if you prefer to be anonymous when you submit your own question, like “Stymied” did.)

How quickly do you send out donor thank-you letters? Please let us know in the comments below.

The post [ASK AN EXPERT] Do All Donors Need A Thank You Within 48 Hours? appeared first on Bloomerang.

But here’s the good news: monthly giving programs smooth out this ride. They not only bring in a steadier donation stream but they can increase the amount you get from each donor. How much more, you ask? On average, someone who donates regularly will give 42% more over a year than someone who makes a one-time gift. Plus, it costs about five times more to find a new donor than it does to keep one. Most monthly donors contribute an average of $51 each time, usually using credit cards.

The power of a donor’s affinity with the YMCA coupled with convenience is a winning combination. Think about it: it’s often easier and more appealing for people to give a smaller amount every month—say $10—than making a one-time $120 contribution on GivingTuesday. And it alleviates the pressure to give during those busy year-end drives.

Ready to get the most out of monthly contributions? Here are tips to get started

1. Launch a dedicated monthly appeal. Target your existing one-time donors with a personalized appeal. Thank them for being part of your donor family, give them credit for an accomplishment, and invite them to be part of an exclusive group making a monthly gift. This approach not only values their past support but also emphasizes the ongoing impact they can make.
2. Keep it simple. Simplicity is the key to successful monthly giving, so choose a giving platform that makes it easy! Select one that makes it simple to set up for you and a hassle-free experience for your donors. Platforms like Bloomerang are great because they’re straightforward and can help you keep up to 10% more recurring donors than the industry average.
3. Optimize your donation form. Make sure your donation form highlights monthly giving. Have a clear “make it monthly” option and preselect a suggested donation amount. Explain why monthly giving is crucial for the YMCA and its community. A well-crafted form can effectively convert one-time givers into long-term supporters.
4. Nurture your monthly donors. Welcome these valued donors into a unique circle. These people are part of a special group now. Make them feel the love by giving them the gift of feeling known by you. Platforms like Bloomerang help you deliver thoughtful communications and offer great insights into your donors. This level of engagement fosters a stronger community of supporters.
5. Track credit card expirations. In one study 75% of canceled payments got zero follow-ups. Make sure you have a system to prevent and recover lapsed cards. Taking proactive steps will keep the support flowing and minimize donation disruptions.

Recurring donor retention

Keeping your donors informed and engaged is key. Regular updates on the impact of their monthly contributions can really reinforce their commitment to the YMCA. Consider pairing your monthly giving strategy with a retention program to ensure lifetime giving. Quarterly emails and newsletters are great for this. Michelle Gorham, Chief Advancement Officer for YMCA of Rock River Valley shares how she’s using Bloomerang for more effective retention outreach: “Now, we know our donor retention, which is not something we knew before. I have information about the key interests of our most generous donors and [can] create reports that can show me all the donors who … care about ‘academic programs’ … or ‘disease prevention programming’ so that we can engage in important conversations with them.”

The more you know about your donors, the better you can connect with them and keep their support strong. So, let’s embrace monthly giving and make a lasting impact!

The post Sustainable Giving: How Monthly Contributions Can Shape YMCA’s Future appeared first on Bloomerang.

Dear Charity Clairity,

What tips would you give to a small to medium-size shop to improve first-time donor retention? Alas, we’re right on parallel with the Fundraising Effectiveness Project data and are losing roughly 8 out of 10 new donors. This isn’t sustainable, of course, but I don’t want to dial back on our acquisition efforts. What can I do to make the ROI better?

— Losing Too Many New Donors

Dear Losing Too Many New Donors,

You’re right to call this out as a problem, and you’re not alone. Even though donor attrition has been abysmal for over a decade, too few nonprofits are engaging in the best practices proven to improve results.

If you ask well, you may get one gift. If you thank well, you may get a lifetime of gifts. Thank you kickstarts the relationship-building process. Without it, you just have one stand-alone transaction.

Here are 10 first-time donor retention tips that channel gratitude

1. Call first-time donors immediately and thank them. Assign this to a personable administrative assistant, your annual giving manager, or a volunteer.  Just make sure it happens promptly (48 hours is ideal), and make a record that the call was made (this will enable you to track whether donors who are called renew and upgrade at higher levels than those who are not called). Learn more about what to say on these calls (and messages left) here.
2. Send new donors a great thank you letter.I believe every donor deserves a real letter. With a real, hand-written signature. Not a receipt. Not a pre-printed card. See what constitutes “great” here.
3. Send new online donors an additional thank you by mail. Don’t just send them an automated email response. Even donors who give online should get something in the mail, especially if this is their first gift. Retention for new online donors can be poor, so anything you can do to encourage a bond with your cause may help retention and increase your fundraising results. A mailed thank-you letter is likely to be saved, put up on the fridge, or given a special place on the bulletin board. It “sticks” in a way an emailed thank you just doesn’t.
4. Send new donors a welcome packet or welcome email series. Include volunteer opportunities, invitations to free events, and at least one heart-warming story about, or thank you from, someone their gift helps.
5. Invite new donors to non-ask events. Schedule tours of your facility or get folks together at a board member’s home or office for socializing and a short Q&A. Or ask folks to serve as a focus group to give advice on programs or products (you don’t have to take the advice; it’s just nice to show folks you value them for more than just their wallets). Whatever you do, make sure someone follows up to see if your donor has any additional questions or ideas.
6. Invite new donors to become volunteers. This can be either in direct service or as a committee member.  For newbies this can be a great opportunity to simply showcase the depth and breadth of your services. They may be amazed you have so many involvement opportunities!
7. Develop systems to ensure new donors get thanked more than once. You absolutely don’t want them to think you cared only about that one gift. Build a relationship. Encourage them to subscribe to your newsletter, and always thank supporters there. Send something at the end of the year (it can be through email, a postcard, or an insert in some other mailing all donors receive) that once again welcomes them to your ‘family’ or ‘community’ and lets them know what their gift helped make possible.
8. 30 days after the first thank-you letter, send a warm, quick impact reminder like a text, an email with a video or heartwarming photo, or a postcard reiterating how much their first gift was appreciated.
9. In the next quarter, send them a thank you from someone who was helped (e.g., a client, student, parent, etc.). You can get creative and have the thank you come from an animal, painting, or tree!
10. A month before the anniversary of their first gift send them an impact piece describing how their gift was used. Depending on how many new donors you have, and whether you operate on a calendar or fiscal year, you could alternatively send a year-end thank-you letter to all donors at the same time.

If you’re small, and thinking it’s too expensive or time-consuming to thank first-time, small dollar donors this way, think again. When you’re small, you need every single donor to stick with you. And you never know. Plenty of organizations have received six, seven figure bequests from supporters who were low-level donors or volunteers. So, prioritize the thank you process.

TRUE STORY: I once worked with a client who was balking at sending thank-you letters to their small and online donors, let alone sending them a follow-up postcard or making a phone call. They thought it was overkill and, besides, their staff didn’t have time, but they only had 200 total donors. I could write and send postcards to every single one of their donors in a single evening (this could speak to why they have so few of them). If you’re small you have even more reason to treat every donor as precious!

If you’re larger, determine which donors are “must call” vs. “nice to call.” Perhaps you truly don’t have the bandwidth to thank everyone this way, but you certainly could select a subset of your best prospects among first-timers.

NOTE: According to Mal Warwick, author of Revolution in the Mailbox: Your Guide to Successful Direct Mail Fundraising, research indicates new donors of $15 or less are difficult to convert. On the other end of the spectrum, donors of $50 or more typically have the highest conversion rate. Warwick’s data suggests a high correlation between the level of the donor’s initial gift and the likelihood that donor will still actively support you more than a year later. If your organization has a limited marketing budget, you can use this to determine who receives additional follow up and who doesn’t. You also have a great opportunity to test whether those who receive more attention convert or upgrade at a higher level than those who do not receive this attention. If you do this, remember to take a random sampling (e.g. every fifth donor). A year later you can see if this group renewed at a higher percentage or dollar rate. If so, you can then justify putting more resources into this next year. Interesting stuff!

Channel an attitude of gratitude and I guarantee you’ll lose fewer donors next year!

— Charity Clairity (Please use a pseudonym if you prefer to be anonymous when you submit your own question, like “Losing Too Many New Donors” did.)

How do you channel gratitude to first-time donors? Please let us know in the comments below.

The post [ASK AN EXPERT] What Are Top Tips To Retain First-Time Donors? appeared first on Bloomerang.