“Gratitude is contagious, pass it on.” That’s Shanon Doolittle’s motto and sage advice for others. Shanon joins Beth this week to talk about donor retention, and a large part of that comes from keeping donors happy and reminding them that they matter. Random phone calls, personalized messages to new donors, and constantly showing gratitude are easy ways to show your donors how and why they are important to you and your organization. Show them how where their money goes and the impact they make by being involved. Shanon created a happiness committee to do just that and recommends you build yourself a “gratitude army.” The effects will change how your donors see you and make you more trustworthy. Shanon talks about how to find your retention rate, how to increase it and why your behavior to your donors makes a difference.
They discuss:
- How do you calculate your retention rate? What percentage should you be aiming for?
- What are specific things you can do to make your donors feel loved?
- How can you make your donors feel the impact of their involvement?
- Why making something “perfect” is not always necessary
- How can you create a compelling email subject line that is all about the donor?
- How long should you wait to make another ask? And why waiting to make a second ask may increase your donor retention rate
Resources:
- Shanon’s website: http://www.shanondoolittle.com
- Building Donor Loyalty by Adrian Sargeant
- AFP 2014 Fundraising Effectiveness Survey
- Retention Fundraising by Roger Craver
- The Agitator: http://www.theagitator.net
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