If you are in charge of fundraising for a charity in 2021, you’ll know that donor fatigue is one of the most dispiriting things that can happen to a non-profit organization. According to findings by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the average retention rate of first-time donors in North America is only around 20%. This rate stands at approximately 60% for repeat donors.
As such, it makes sense to address the reasons behind donor fatigue head-on right from the start. This way, your fundraising team can do what is necessary to bolster these retention rates and keep existing benefactors sympathetic to your cause.
The term ‘donor fatigue’ refers to a diminished response from existing donors to a given cause. In short, it describes what happens when a person or entity stops donating to a charity or nonprofit organization. This could be because they lose heart that their contribution is making a difference. Or, they may be unsure whether the charity is making any headway at all.
Of course, this is something every fundraising professional would like to prevent. Mostly because every donation is valuable - no matter how small. But, another reason is because donors don’t exist in isolation. As such, their personal fatigue could potentially ‘rub off’ on other existing or prospective benefactors with whom they interact. This could effectively stop the development of new donation avenues in their tracks.
Whether your charity is faith-based, focuses on higher education, or promotes arts and culture, the donors who contribute to your cause will all have one thing in common. They believe in the core of what you are setting out to achieve. This much counts in your favor. However, they also want to know how their contributions are making a difference.
This is why it is important to communicate with your donor base on a regular basis. You need to show them how you are putting your organization’s funds to use. Naturally, you don't want to overwhelm your database with communication. But, reporting your results at least once a quarter is a good way to start.
You could also poll your donors at onboarding to find out how regularly they would like to receive feedback.
TOP TIP: Activities and results should be reported apart from more appeals for donations. This way your benefactors can bask in the glow of goodwill before they feel like they are being tapped for money or contributions once more.
Make a point of including enticing visuals with your donor communication. Whether you choose to add photos of project progress, beneficiary images, or even just likely stock photos that have the correct look and feel to add to your messaging, the point is to make your content more engaging.
In short, you want people to open your emails and be enticed to peruse their contents.
The same goes for your blog and website, for that matter. Consumers are used to a certain level of design and visual acumen when they go online. So, they’ll expect it from your nonprofit or charity organization as well.
Keep your readers interested by punctuating your narrative with high-quality images that are in line with your charity’s overall corporate identity.
One way of keeping your donor base engaged is hosting a variety of interesting events throughout the year that aren’t necessarily only aimed at raising funds. This could take the form of concerts, mixers, networking opportunities, picnics, family-style BBQs, etc.
By allowing your benefactors access to an array of events in which they can partake, you’ll make them feel included in your organization.
Again, if you feel unsure about the kind of events that will strike the fancy of your donors - ask them. You can do this with your initial onboarding survey, via a simple multiple-choice text, or as part of one of your regularly scheduled email missives.
Give them options, and see how they respond. Also keep the floor open for on-the-fly recommendations, of course!
If you don’t keep track of your donor data, you could very well be losing benefactors without even knowing it. In fact, this is the case for many smaller nonprofits who don’t feel that they can warrant the cost of a CRM (customer relationship management) platform. However, this is one of the expenses that makes the most sense from a business point of view.
By tracking certain details, you are able to glean all sorts of very important insights into who you are communicating with when you send your emails. For example, you should track when a benefactor donates, how much they donate, where they are from, what they do for a living, etc.
This is invaluable if you wish to convert one-time donors to ongoing patrons.
There are definitely going to be people and businesses that contribute to your cause once or twice and then move on. While this is not ideal, there are also ways to make each exit work to your advantage.
If you track your donor data, you can see when a benefactor or patron business has not donated for a while. Then, you can reach out to them to see what caused them to stop.
You need to craft this type of communication carefully. You don’t want your recipients to become defensive in any way. Instead, shape the narrative to invite them to give you pointers on how you can do better in the future.
Find out why they are no longer donating to your organization. What could you have done to keep them as a donor? This data will stand you in good stead in your ongoing retention efforts.
Donor fatigue happens. But, there are tried-and-tested strategies to keep benefactors sympathetic to your cause in the long run.
Start by showing donors how their contributions are making a difference and use imagery to bolster your messaging. Consider hosting an array of interesting events, track donor data, and consult your donor alumni to see how you can do better in the future to prevent donor fatigue.
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