GivingTuesday: 5 Ways to Support One-Time or First-Time Donors

GivingTuesday is the day of the year when people of all ages and demographics open their hearts and wallets to donate to causes and organizations that matter to them or to find new initiatives to support.

According to Celeste Flores, director of the US and Canada hub at Giving Tuesday, and Cara Dickerson, vice president of customer success at Momentive Software, the annual awareness raising around GivingTuesday leaves people inspired to be generous and give for personal reasons . It is estimated that 30% of annual donations occur between GivingTuesday and December 31, and more than 25% of nonprofits raise nearly 50% of annual funds through year-end cash donations, according to the authors of the Recurring Giving Report.

How confident are you that the right strategy is in place to turn one-time donors into long-term supporters?

It’s no secret that the needs within your community typically place high demands on the organization’s capacity. Donations of any amount are even more important. However, many fundraising teams lack the right strategy to turn a year-end donor into a sustainable supporter of their mission.

GivingTuesday and the days following are a time for fundraisers to take a different approach to engaging with donors. Here are five tips to turn one-time donors into loyal advocates for your mission:

* Remember that there are many forms of giving. It’s not just about monetary donations. It’s important to remember that there are many ways to donate to a good cause. Fundraisers have the opportunity to offer people various ways to support the work and goals of the organization.

Volunteering and donating needed items are just as important. When people are able to donate in different ways, a connection is created between the donor and your cause. It also empowers individuals to make a tangible impact through their actions, leading to a deeper connection to the cause as they can see how their practical contribution contributes to positive change.

When people engage in ways that are meaningful to them, it can lead to additional contributions.

* Leverage technology to support the donor journey and manage mission success. Most industries have digitized to better meet the needs of customers. The nonprofit industry has room for growth in using technology to better engage with donors, provide real-time visibility into where donations are making a difference, and better manage and report on stakeholder impact.

Adopting user-friendly technologies doesn’t have to be daunting. You just need to know where to start. Take inventory of your processes and identify the two or three processes that can best benefit from an automated approach. For example, review the donor’s journey on your website to better understand and fine-tune their experience with you. Using a CRM database can help you identify giving patterns to make smart engagement decisions or simplify the process for donors when setting up recurring donations.

Technology allows nonprofit professionals to access data insights to better understand how your programs and services are progressing and where areas of improvement need direct attention.

Introducing technology and supporting employees to use it is about supporting their ability to increase your impact.

* Have a thank you plan. This may seem obvious, but you would be surprised how often people forget to send a personalized thank you letter to a one-time donor. The automatic receipt donors receive when they make a gift is not a thank you.

Identify ambassadors in your organization who will be tasked with developing a plan that not only thanks donors within 24 hours of a donation and provides strategies and tactics to keep donors engaged. This could be as simple as inviting a donor to an upcoming event. This develops the relationship between the nonprofit and the supporter and plays a big role in donor retention.

* Make it personal. Giving habits vary by generation and demographic. Younger generations are believed to be more aware of global challenges and see giving as an impact-oriented experience that is part of their identity. Younger donors are also more likely to engage with nonprofits through digital platforms and use subscription models that make it easy to register as recurring donors.

A common theme among donors is that they value personal, regular communication and transparency about how donations make a difference. Present stories of your mission in action and share specific details about how a donor’s generosity had an immediate impact. Consider all channels for providing this information. A donor’s willingness to donate increases when it becomes clear what impact they will achieve through a donation.

* Meet your donors where they are. You need to understand where each donor consumes information from. Leveraging multiple channels that you can manage effectively – print media, digital media, events and social platforms – should be part of your development and communications strategy. Present mission impact through the numbers, share stories of mission successes, and provide opportunities for hands-on field involvement.

These are just a few examples of how you can communicate your mission to your donors. By recognizing and embracing the unique preferences and values ​​of different generations of donors, fundraisers can foster deeper connections and inspire lasting support for their missions.

GivingTuesday is an important reminder to fundraisers that they need to focus on the following 364 days to maintain donor engagement. It underscores the need for a strategic plan that fosters ongoing interaction with donors and fosters deeper connections that lead to improved sense of mission, growth, and lasting community impact.