Give for Good! Donor Cultivation Jennifer Steadman Director of External Relations The Community Foundation of North Louisiana

Donor Cultivation is Hard Work! There is no “silver bullet” or quick fix. It will take time and dedication. Donors are people and all people are different. Utilize your board members! We know you have small staffs, so don’t try to take on everything by yourself. Ask the board for help.

Cultivating new donors It is about a relationship. Create a plan. Who will you engage? When will you target them? How will you do? Like dating someone. You don’t just talk to them on Friday night when you want to make plans. You talk throughout the week in hopes of that date on Friday. Don’t be willy nilly with your ideas. MAKE A PLAN. Communicate regularly – not just with solicitations.

Share. Involve. Engage. Send customized/personal messages Segment donors: first-time, lapsed, repeat, large gifts, etc. Invite them in to share your success. Let the donor feel the impact

Retention How do you thank your donors? Have you looked at your donors from 5/6/14? Have you contacted them since 5/6/14? Have they given again? Are you inviting them to events? Are they receiving your newsletter? Remember: When donor retention rates are higher less marketing dollars and effort are spent in acquisition, and greater focus can be placed on upgrading existing donors.

12 ways to Thank Donors Offer a next step Don’t be boring Thank you for… Being YOU! Avoid carless errors Send a handwritten note Send a thank you- FAST Treat each donation as the beginning of a friendship Make is relevant Give THEM credit – not you Don’t ask for more money, yet. Follow-up later and with results! Simple and emotional The secret of the great thank-you note: if you do it right, the givers are actually happier giving to you than they were before they gave the gift. It’s not an obligation to give a gift any more—it’s a privilege! Excerpted from Nonprofit Hub article: These 12 Ways to Thank Donors Will Keep Them from Saying Goodbye

Progression of a Donor Don’t make assumption about small donors Planned Gift Major Gift Special Gift Upgrade Don’t make assumption about small donors Commitments start small and grow over time Cumulative impact of a dedicated donor Repeat donation First-time donation Studies show if you can get a second or third donations they are 60% more likely to continue to give!

Go Beyond Money How else can you integrate a donor year-round? An advocate A volunteer A social media ambassador A networker Invite new donor to events A special “holiday” card Call them! Give for Good is more than just about raising dollars it’s about FRIEND-raising as well. Cultivate a first time giver. Understand why they gave. Valentine’s day card? St. Patrick’s Day? First day of Summer. Be different!

How to lose a donor – quickly! Poor service or communication Never thanked for donating No memory of supporting No information on how monies were used Thought the charity did not need them Pestering Excerpted from Network for Good Blog on Why They Leave They want to be a part of YOUR excitement! So let them!

Combat Donor Fatigue Small, tired donor base? – Not alone Go on a charm offensive The number-one reason people stop giving to a nonprofit is how they were treated by the nonprofit. Call a few of your donors—NOT to ask for money, but to sincerely thank them Do an audit of your donor stewardship practices and improve your relationship skills when it comes to your donors. Published on Network for Good Learning Center - Learn how to raise money online for your nonprofit (http://www.fundraising123.org)

Parting thoughts… Don’t let a first time giver be a one time donor! It’s cheaper to retain a donor than to acquire new donors!