Because sharing is caring, my Valentine's Day gift to you is a collection of tips and examples for how to increase the donor love at your organization.
Donor "Thank You" Calls
One study showed close to a 40% increase in giving from donors who received a "thank you" call from a board member within 48 hours of gift receipt.
You can read more about the importance of these calls here and get a two-page PDF of instructions for making this calls to share with your staff and board here.
20-Question Donor Relations Quiz
How strong is your donor relations work? Find out in this quiz (PDF) that I adapted from a section of Janet Hedrick's book, Effective Donor Relations.
I often use this questionnaire in my trainings and almost no one ever scores above a 15. The average score is less than 10 points. So don't get discouraged. A low grade just means you have a lot of untapped potential for building a stronger individual donor program. And that's great news!
A Donor Relations Tool for Tax Time
One great way to be helpful to your donors is to send a letter sent in January (or February, it's not too late!) detailing their total giving in the prior year for tax purposes. And, more importantly, tell them all the amazing things they made possible with their support.
Some of you may already be doing a letter like this. But I can virtually guarantee that you're not taking advantage of it for the true donor relations opportunity that it is. Find out more about this creative non-ask fundraising strategy here.
Write "Thank You" Letter that Stands Out
Hopefully, you're already writing and sending gift acknowledgements. But making them more personal, more genuine, and more focused on your donors will have an incredible impact on your donor loyalty. Here (PDF) are some tips for improving your "thank you" letters.
Donor Satisfaction Survey
How satisfied are your donors with your organization and how you treat them? In this time of abysmal donor retention rates, you can't afford to not know the answer to this question. And, the only way to find out is to ask! Learn more about this strategy here and download of PDF of a sample survey here.