What Every Fundraiser Can Do


To Retain Year-End Donors
About Presenter »
@StevenShattuck
Steven Sha
tt
uck


Chief Engagement O
ffi
cer, Bloomerang
Author: Robots Make Bad Fundraisers
Contributor: Fundraising Principles and Prac
ti
ce: Second Edi
ti
on
Member: Fundraising E
ff
ec
ti
veness Project (FEP) Project Work
Group, AFP Center for Fundraising Innova
ti
on (CFI), Study
Fundraising Steering Group at the Hartsook Centre for
Sustainable Philanthropy at Plymouth University
Fun facts:
• 1st job: producing fundraising videos


• prefers tea to co
ff
ee


• allergic to rhubarb


• won the David Le
tt
erman scholarship
@StevenShattuck
http://afpfep.org
A study of donor retention »
176 million transactions from more than 20,000
organizations and $80 billion in donations since 2005.
@StevenShattuck
Donor retention »
Source: Fundraising Effectiveness Project http://afpfep.org
43.6% 19.3% 59.6%
@StevenShattuck
Donor retention over the years »
Source: Fundraising Effectiveness Project http://afpfep.org
@StevenShattuck
Donor retention »
Source: Fundraising Effectiveness Project http://afpfep.org
43.6% 19.3% 59.6%
62%
20.3%
45.4%
@StevenShattuck
However… »
@StevenShattuck
There was some good news »
Overall giving increased by 10.6% in 2020 as compared to 2019,
spurred by an increase in new and reactivated donors.
Source: Fundraising Effectiveness Project http://afpfep.org
@StevenShattuck
2021 expectations »
http://www.cygresearch.com/
@StevenShattuck
Why do donors stay?
@StevenShattuck
• 2011 study


• Survey of 1,200 recent (last 12 months), frequent (more
than 2 gifts to cause based charities) donors from over
250 nonprofit organizations


• Donors were given a list of 32 reasons why they might
continue giving


• Asked to rank them by order of importance
Key drivers of donor commitment »
http://www.thedonorvoice.com/national-donor-commitment-study-and-proof-of-link-between-donor-attitudes-and-behavior/
@StevenShattuck
Key drivers of donor commitment »
1. Donor perceives organization to be effective


2. Donor knows what to expect with each interaction


3. Donor receives a timely thank you


4. Donor receives opportunities to make views known


5. Donor feels like they’re part of an important cause


6. Donor feels his or her involvement is appreciated


7. Donor receives info showing who is being helped
http://www.thedonorvoice.com/national-donor-commitment-study-and-proof-of-link-between-donor-attitudes-and-behavior/
@StevenShattuck
How to increase retention »
• Thank quickly + personally


• Illustrate that you know who the donor is


• Segment communications


• Tell them how gifts are used / will be used


• Tell them what comes next


• Keep lines of communication open


• Solicit feedback


• Prioritize monthly giving
Data Segmentation


for stories that retain donors
Data Segmentation


Powers Stewardship
@StevenShattuck
Who are your year-end donors? »
• Frequency:


• First gift?


• Second gift?


• Signed-up for monthly giving?


• Made multiple gifts in 2021?


• Channel:


• Direct mail?


• Online?


• Event?


• How much did they give?


• Why did they give / what do they care about?
@StevenShattuck
Heather Carroll 
Executive Director at
Skaneateles Education
Foundation
@StevenShattuck
Guiding principles »
• All donors who give from 11/1 to 12/31 will be thanked
within a certain amount of time (this does not include any
automated messaging)


• Previous giving (prior to the year-end gift you are
acknowledging) will be acknowledged in any thank you
messaging


• Giving Tuesday gifts will be acknowledged as Giving Tuesday
gifts


• “thank you for giving on Giving Tuesday”


• First-time donors will be thanked **personally** within 48
hours


• Asked again in under 90 days
@StevenShattuck
% change in revenue YoY »
h
tt
ps://bloomerang.co/blog/data-shows-the-e
ff
ec
ti
veness-of-personal-outreach-to-donors-during-covid-19/
@StevenShattuck
https://share.vidyard.com/watch/rh6mDE1mrwLKqZChs2bPfS
@StevenShattuck
https://share.vidyard.com/watch/rh6mDE1mrwLKqZChs2bPfS
@StevenShattuck
Bloomerang research »
https://bloomerang.co/blog/actually-calling-donors-to-thank-them-does-make-them-more-likely-to-give-again-and-give-more/
@StevenShattuck
Bloomerang research »
https://bloomerang.co/blog/actually-calling-donors-to-thank-them-does-make-them-more-likely-to-give-again-and-give-more/
@StevenShattuck
Bloomerang research »
https://bloomerang.co/blog/actually-calling-donors-to-thank-them-does-make-them-more-likely-to-give-again-and-give-more/
@StevenShattuck
@StevenShattuck
@StevenShattuck
https://bloomerang.co/blog/category/donor-surveys/
@StevenShattuck
@StevenShattuck
Donor retention by age/channel »
Confirmation page »
@StevenShattuck
Confirmation page »
@StevenShattuck
Confirmation page »
@StevenShattuck
@StevenShattuck
@StevenShattuck
@StevenShattuck
@StevenShattuck
@StevenShattuck
• Prioritize thanking YE donors as the come in.


• Personal touches stand out.


• Segment your communications.


• Strong, impact storytelling.


• Create a written comms plan for each segment.


• Have a second gift strategy.


• Weave in surveys.


• Steward, then solicit.
Final thoughts »
@StevenShattuck
https://bloomerang.co/resources
•Templates


•Bloomerang TV


•Research
•Daily blog post


•Weekly webinars


•eBooks/guides
@StevenShattuck
3
@StevenShattuck
https://bloomerang.co/demo/video
Questions?


steven.shattuck@bloomerang.co


@StevenShattuck


Free eBooks »
@StevenShattuck
https://bloomerang.co/resources/guides/

What Fundraisers Can Do to Retain Year-End Donors