Reflecting on exactly what generosity is, and what it means to donors enables fundraisers to steward it toward loyalty. When generosity becomes loyalty, it builds value for our causes. 

It’s such an honor to serve donors by inviting them to help solve a problem they have a passion to solve. In doing so, they get to champion a better life for beneficiaries, whether people, animals, the environment, or the social cause of their choice. At its core, fundraising is about developing generous donor relationships. Such relationships build loyalty and trust in an organization’s partnership over time, thus fulfilling the donor’s passion and the mission of your cause.

Jane McGrath and Mike Schmersahi explained what works for them at the American Bible Society during their session “Proven Practices for Gaining and Keeping Loyal Donors,” at the Bridge To Integrated Marketing and Fundraising Conference in National Harbor, Maryland.

McGrath explained that the Latin root word of philanthropy is “anthropos,” meaning “mankind.” Coupled with “philo,” philanthropy means “love of mankind.”

A value-building donor relationship is seated in a strong retention strategy that involves more than the baseline process. Generous donors don’t become loyal by accident, nor do they become increasingly valuable just by time on file. It is stewardship, sowing back into the lives of our donors, and involving them in more than the baseline process, that maximizes retention and exponentially increases the performance of our donor file. More value is added at less expense than new acquisition. 

Here are a few ideas McGrath and Mike Schmersahi for going beyond the baseline donor communication process in meaningful, retention-building ways:

• Personalize all communication and channel mix as much as possible. Data-informed communication allows you to customize messaging and channel preferences that make the donor feel known and appreciated as a true partner in the mission.
• Regularly send genuine, compelling stories of how your donors’ generosity is impacting the lives of beneficiaries. 
• Invite donors (general mass market, major, and planned gift donors) to conference calls (Zooms, tele-conference calls, webinars) where your leadership shares the “inside scoop” on the mission that is dear to their hearts. It’s also an excellent touch point where thank-yous can be very genuine.  
• Invite donors to volunteer. For example, invite them to serve in the soup kitchen, to lead nature hikes through impacted land, or for faith-based nonprofits, to pray over the ministry and beneficiaries. 
• Push out content that blesses your donors, sowing back into their personal lives with content they can use and share in their communities. 

Make giving easy, they told the session audience. The giving process should not be difficult, and don’t forget to suggest monthly giving for ongoing impact with ease.

Generosity is not mutually exclusive. It’s reciprocal; it goes both ways, and when done well, it increases retention rate, donor value and net revenue to the organization.

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Source From Non Profit Times