According to our Mission Retainable Report, 94% of fundraisers already use CRMs, but 42% of organizations are very open to adopting new technologies—CRMs included. In this guide, we’ll cover what you need to know about nonprofit CRM solutions and the best platforms to consider. Here’s what to expect:

• What is a nonprofit CRM?
• What are the benefits of nonprofit CRMs?
• What are the essential nonprofit CRM features?
• Top 21 nonprofit CRM solutions
• 6 steps to find and implement the right nonprofit CRM for your needs

Every nonprofit needs something different in a CRM solution. That’s why we’re committed to helping your organization find the best platform for your unique needs.

Wrapping up

Nonprofit CRM software is the backbone of effective nonprofit strategies. It’s where you collect, organize, and store important information that will power your fundraising initiatives. Choosing the right software is, therefore, an incredibly important decision to make.

To dive deeper into the topic, check out these additional resources:

• How to Buy Fundraising Software That Lasts: Essential Guide. Purchasing new nonprofit software is a decision that requires thoughtful planning. Use this buyer’s guide to help make your choice.
• Donor database buyer’s guide: tips for nonprofit success. A robust donor database is a core component of your nonprofit CRM. Learn more about how to find a CRM with a powerful donor database in this guide.
• Effective donor management: 7 best practices for nonprofits. The right nonprofit CRM will help improve your donor management approach. Explore more donor management tips with this resource.
• The Fundraiser’s Guide to Buying Software. Online fundraising tools can make a world of difference when it comes to your nonprofit’s success, but how do you know which features you need to be successful? This guide will help make your journey easier!

Frequently asked questions

The post 21 Best Nonprofit CRM Solutions to Manage Supporters in 2026 appeared first on Bloomerang.

Volunteer surveys allow nonprofits like yours to determine the effectiveness of their volunteer programs and the satisfaction of their volunteers. They also provide a positive touchpoint between volunteers and your nonprofit’s staff, which is crucial for engaging supporters over the long term. A study published in the Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs found that interactions with nonprofit staff members were a positive predictor of volunteer retention.

This guide explores the ins and outs of volunteer surveys, from the best questions to ask to top tips for making the survey process a success. We’ll cover:

• What are volunteer surveys?
• The benefits of asking the right volunteer survey questions
• Best volunteer survey questions to ask
• Volunteer survey best practices and tips
• How Bloomerang makes the volunteer feedback process simple

Volunteer surveys are an excellent tool for engaging volunteers and understanding their genuine opinions about your volunteer programs. To maximize the impact of these surveys, asking relevant questions to the right individuals is essential. Let’s begin!

What are volunteer surveys?

A volunteer survey is a list of questions sent to prospective, current, or former volunteers to gather their feedback and gain insight into various aspects of the volunteer program. These questionnaires allow you to understand your volunteers’ recent experience with any event or program and should be sent shortly after they have volunteered to get their immediate feedback.

When conducted effectively, volunteer surveys help your nonprofit improve various areas of your organization, including programming and recruitment efforts.

A study from the Do Good Institute found that nearly half of nonprofit CEOs see recruiting sufficient volunteers as a significant challenge for their organization, with many citing it as a “big problem” to find volunteers who are available during the traditional workday (38.4%) and possess the necessary skills (35.4%). Surveys are a valuable tool for understanding volunteers’ availability, skillsets, and other crucial information that will help you assign them to the right roles.

Questionnaires are also one of the best ways to empower your volunteers and demonstrate that their feedback matters, thereby boosting volunteer satisfaction.

Types of volunteer surveys

Let’s take a look at the different styles of volunteer surveys:

• Recruitment survey: A recruitment survey is sent to prospective volunteers or to those who have just signed up for a volunteer shift or training session. Use this type of survey to determine your new volunteers’ skills and interests and gather information about how they discovered your organization.
• Satisfaction survey: A satisfaction survey is sent to volunteers immediately after they participate in a volunteer opportunity. These surveys help assess how satisfied volunteers were with the volunteer experience and gather their feedback on what could be improved.
• Engagement survey: An engagement survey is sent to current volunteers at regular intervals, typically every six months or twice a year. Leverage these surveys to gather general feedback on volunteers’ engagement with your organization.

Remember, some volunteers may want to give anonymous feedback, so be sure to send the occasional anonymous survey. This format provides volunteers with an opportunity to offer honest feedback, which is highly beneficial for your organization.

The benefits of asking the right volunteer survey questions

Volunteer surveys can provide valuable insights into the state of your volunteer program. They can also make volunteers feel more comfortable expressing their honest opinions. Taking feedback from your volunteers through surveys demonstrates to them that you value their input and prioritize providing a positive, memorable experience.

Additionally, volunteer questionnaires provide insight into what’s working and what isn’t, enabling your program to continually improve by making adjustments based on your volunteers’ feedback. By sending volunteer surveys, you can:

• Gain valuable feedback on your volunteer program. You can adjust your volunteer program strategy based on the input from volunteers. For instance, if volunteers feel that your virtual volunteer opportunities aren’t very engaging, you can change your approach to offer more hands-on or interactive opportunities.
• Boost engagement and productivity. With a recruitment survey, you can engage volunteers from the moment they register and demonstrate your commitment to creating a valuable experience for them. The feedback you receive from volunteer surveys will enable your organization to improve and grow, ultimately increasing engagement and productivity. When your volunteers enjoy the opportunities you offer, they’re more likely to continue volunteering for a longer period.
• Express appreciation for volunteers. By asking for and incorporating volunteer feedback, you show volunteers that their opinions matter. Your volunteers’ experience is crucial, as they are the foundation of your organization—therefore, it’s essential to make them feel like their voices are heard.

Best volunteer survey questions to ask

So, what should you include in your volunteer questionnaire? It can be challenging to narrow down the list of questions you want to ask. Remember, the goal is to collect feedback on your volunteer program, the experience of volunteers working with your nonprofit, and what they would like to see differently next time. The best volunteer survey questions to ask should be relevant and easy to answer!

First, determine the type of volunteer survey you want to send. Then, select your questions based on the information you hope to receive. You can begin with a volunteer survey template that includes standard and straightforward questions, and then customize it according to your organization’s needs and the goals you aim to achieve with your survey.

We’ll guide you with some examples. Here are a few questions to ask for each type of volunteer survey:

Volunteer recruitment survey questions

1. How did you find out about our volunteer program?
2. What motivates you to volunteer with our organization?
3. What do you hope to gain from your volunteer experience?
4. Do you have any specialized skills that would support our projects?
5. What types of volunteer opportunities are you most interested in?
6. When is the best time of the week/day for you to volunteer?
7. How many hours are you looking to volunteer per week/month?
8. Are you comfortable with us conducting a background check?
9. Can we contact you for future volunteer opportunities?

Volunteer satisfaction questions

1. How satisfied are you with your volunteer experience?
2. Is there anything you would change about the experience?
3. How would you rate your volunteer training experience? Do you need more training to volunteer effectively?
4. What challenges did you encounter as a volunteer, and how can we help address them in future opportunities?
5. How much of a difference do you feel volunteering made?
6. Do you have any recommendations for how we can improve our volunteer opportunities?
7. Would you recommend our volunteer program to a friend?

Volunteer engagement questions

1. What is your preferred method of communication?
2. How often would you like to be contacted about upcoming volunteer opportunities?
3. Do you feel like a valued member of our organization? How could we make you feel more appreciated?
4. How likely are you to continue volunteering with future opportunities?
5. What motivates you to volunteer with us?
6. What skills do you hope to use or develop as a volunteer?
7. What was your most rewarding experience as a volunteer with our organization?

Remember, your survey questions should focus on the volunteer experience to keep them engaged with your nonprofit. These survey questions will help you find out how your volunteers perceive your organization and whether it’s offering the type of experience they had in mind.

Volunteer survey best practices and tips

1) Stay on topic.

If you have too many questions on different topics, it may convey to volunteers that your organization lacks a clear strategy or direction.

Choose your volunteer survey type, whether it’s a recruitment, satisfaction, scheduling, or engagement survey, and design your questions accordingly. This will help you receive effective, detailed feedback on one area, and your volunteers will also have a clearer understanding of the purpose of your survey.

2) Avoid biased or leading questions.

Keep your questions as neutral and objective as possible. You don’t want to sway your volunteers toward submitting an answer that they don’t really mean.

For instance, avoid questions like “On a scale from 1-10, how great is our volunteer program?” Instead, you should ask, “On a scale from 1-10, how would you rate your satisfaction with our volunteer program, with 1 being the least satisfied and 10 being highly satisfied?”

3) Ask for additional information.

Ask an open-ended question at the end of the survey for volunteers to submit anything else that’s on their minds. For example, you can ask, “What can we do differently in the future to improve your experience?” This type of inquiry gives your volunteers the space to mention any additional thoughts that came to mind while completing the survey.

4) Keep your survey short and to the point.

A lengthy or complex survey may deter participants from completing it. Keep your survey to fewer than 10 questions to achieve a higher response rate. The last thing you want is for your volunteers to feel frustrated and overwhelmed with too many questions.

5) Test your survey before sending it.

Have your nonprofit staff members test your survey by taking it a few times to ensure everything’s working correctly. Verify that any integrations, such as with your nonprofit CRM, work smoothly. Having multiple people review your survey can also help you avoid spelling and grammatical mistakes.

6) Send your survey to the right audience.

Ensure that you send your survey to the correct volunteers. For instance, you should only send your satisfaction survey to volunteers who have just completed a volunteer opportunity. In contrast, you should send your engagement survey to all volunteers to gain a wide range of perspectives. This ensures you send relevant questions to each volunteer segment, guaranteeing you receive the highest quality of responses.

7) Launch your survey at the right time.

Send your survey at a time when volunteers are likely to check their emails and have a minute to spare to fill out the form. For example, MailerLite’s email marketing study reveals that the highest email engagement occurs between 3 and 7 p.m., and that Monday is the day of the week with the highest average open rate. Of course, you should also review your own CRM and engagement data to identify patterns within your own supporter base.

8) Store your results using your volunteer management system.

Once your volunteers have completed your surveys, you can sort them based on general information, such as age or volunteer roles, to organize your data.

You can easily record your insights using your volunteer management software system. This will give you a reference point when planning future volunteer opportunities. It also allows you to better understand the feedback you received based on the demographics of your volunteers.

9) Thank volunteers for their participation.

Don’t forget to thank volunteers for filling out your survey. You can even offer an incentive, such as entering the names of all volunteers who completed the survey into a drawing for a special prize. Check out Bloomerang’s volunteer appreciation guide for more great ideas!

How Bloomerang simplifies the volunteer feedback process

With the help of Bloomerang Volunteer, you can organize and store all your data in one central location. This will help you understand your feedback better and identify patterns and trends.

Bloomerang Volunteer elevates the entire volunteer management process with features such as:

• Impact-focused reporting tools
• Simplified volunteer signups
• AI-assisted scheduling
• A volunteer mobile app
• Automated volunteer appreciation emails
• Milestone badges, shoutouts, and leaderboards for recognizing volunteer impact
• Built-in background checks

You can even use Bloomerang Volunteer to identify which volunteers would likely become donors to your cause. Personalize your outreach to these supporters and cultivate deeper relationships with our unified giving platform.

Wrapping up

Now that you’ve learned what volunteer surveys are and their benefits, examples of volunteer survey questions, and best practices and tips to help you thrive, it’s time to start brainstorming! Your hardworking volunteers donate many hours to support your cause, and their experience directly impacts the performance of your organization, which is why it’s crucial to collect their feedback.

If you’re interested in more information about how to optimize your volunteer management process, check out these additional resources:

• Volunteer engagement | Strategies for smart organizations. This article examines how your organization can ensure that every volunteer has a meaningful and positive experience through a well-planned volunteer engagement strategy.
• 18+ top volunteer management software picks for nonprofits. Interested in upgrading your volunteer management system for even greater volunteer engagement? Review the top tech solutions available to help make your choice.
• Your go-to volunteer management guide: tips for nonprofits. Explore this article to get up-to-date information, best practices, and guidelines required to manage your volunteer workforce successfully.

FAQs about Volunteer Surveys

The post 20+ Volunteer Survey Questions to Improve Your Program appeared first on Bloomerang.

Nonprofits that don’t adequately show appreciation for the hard work and dedication of their supporters will receive less funding in the long run because they’ll struggle to retain those supporters over time. 

Here at Bloomerang, we specialize in donor retention. Our team has studied the effectiveness of retaining donors rather than acquiring new ones, and that research guides our entire approach. Retention is the key to maximizing your fundraising strategy, and appreciation is at the root of that strategy. In this guide, we’ll dive into how your organization can create an appreciation strategy. Then, we’ll provide a list of ideas to help you say “thank you” to your generous supporters.

1. Why Does Donor Appreciation Matter?
2. The Foundations of Your Strategy
3. Donor Appreciation Ideas
   • Ideas for New Donors
   • Ideas for Recurring Donors
   • Ideas for Major Donors
   • Event Appreciation Ideas
   • Appreciation Gift Ideas

We’ll start with the fundamentals: the importance of donor appreciation and how it can inform your fundraising strategy. Let’s dive in!

Why Does Donor Appreciation Matter?

Saying “thank you” to individuals who do you the massive favor of contributing to your organization isn’t just polite; it’s also a necessity to acquire their long-term support and contributions.

Put yourself in the shoes of a supporter. You have found an organization with a mission that is near and dear to your heart. To help fund one of their main programs, you decide to give a donation of $100. It’s not a massive gift, but it’s still a substantial contribution to the cause! A week goes by and you don’t hear anything back from the organization. Then, two weeks go by—still nothing. At first you’re disappointed, but then you simply start to forget about the whole incident. The point is, you never give again.

This situation should never happen for your supporters. Dr. Adrian Sargeant conducted a survey about why donors stop giving. He found that 5% of one-time donors thought the charity didn’t need them, 9% had no memory of supporting, 13% never got thanked for donating, and 8% never had any information about how their gifts were used. Although some reasons are certainly out of your control, the ones listed above are within it. Here’s the complete breakdown:

• 5% thought the charity did not need them
• 8% got no information about how monies were used
• 9% had no memory of supporting
• 13% never got thanked for donating
• 16% passed away
• 18% thought the charity had poor service or communication
• 36% thought others were more deserving
• 54% could no longer afford to give

Most of these issues can be completely avoided if your organization is able to communicate effectively and show proper appreciation. 

Then, when supporters do stick around for your organization, you’ll make more money in the long run. It’s around ten times more expensive to acquire new supporters than it is to retain existing ones. Plus, over time, retained supporters tend to end up making larger contributions to your mission, resulting in additional revenue. You can see an example of this and the resulting revenue that accompanies a simple 10% increase in donor retention:

The main idea is that retention (and therefore more effective fundraising) is rooted in communication, appreciation, and gratitude, making a simple “thank you” message worth its weight in gold.

The Foundations of Your Donor Appreciation Strategy

The backbone of any successful donor appreciation strategy is data. Having access to the right data will not only help you to choose the right donor appreciation ideas for your audience but also help you to craft more meaningful and resonant appreciation messages for your supporters.

Therefore, as you begin crafting your appreciation strategy, analyze the profiles in your donor database to be sure you’re reaching supporters where they are and creating messages that resonate with them.

Analyze your audience

Using a dedicated donor database (especially one that’s designed with retention in mind), you can gather all of the information you need about your supporters to craft an appreciation message that will resonate well with them. Consider the segments of your audience and the levels of appreciation that should be attributed to each segment. For instance, you might not add your first-time donors to a donor recognition board, but that could be a great option for your major supporters.

When you start putting together your donor appreciation strategy, create slightly different plans for each of your various audience segments.

Choose your appreciation ideas

After you’ve considered your audience, start thinking of the different appreciation ideas that will best reach each donor segment. For instance, you might consider the following segments:

• When you segment by gift amount, you can choose different appreciation ideas for major and mid-tier donors and others for your lower-tier supporters. Remember that the larger the donation, the fewer supporters you’ll have to thank, which allows you to create more extravagant gestures, like phone calls or donor wall mentions.
• If you segment by recency, implement different appreciation ideas for your first-time donors and long-term supporters. Your first-time donor strategy will aim to achieve your second or golden donation, and you’ll likely act quickly, whereas you may spread out your appreciation for long-term supporters over time.
• When you segment your supporters by age, you can make some assumptions about the types of appreciation that your donors will enjoy. For instance, younger donors may appreciate a personalized thank-you video acknowledgement, while older donors may be more responsive to a handwritten letter.

We could go on and on with various segments, but the ultimate goal is to customize your appreciation approach based on your donors’ preferences and history.

Say Thank You

Remember that the whole purpose here is to say “thank you” to your supporters. Even if you send them a gift or feature their name on an appreciation board, you should accompany the gesture with a note that informs the donor of the gesture and actually say “thanks!”

The note should be personal, noting the supporter by name. You should also be sure to say exactly what the supporter did to earn your appreciation. For example, you might say something like:

Dear Jessie, thank you so much for your donation of $100 to the Save the Dolphins campaign. Your contribution will provide a fish dinner for 10 injured dolphins tonight! 

This note is personal, shows appreciation, and notes the exact donation amount and campaign the donor supported. The next element that you should be sure to include in this note is the impact of the contribution.

Show Impact

You can see in the example above that the nonprofit wrote what the $100 would accomplish for the mission. This is a key element of your donor appreciation strategy because donors want to know where their money is going. Remember the stat from before? 8% of supporters who stop giving do so because they don’t know where their money is going.

Showing impact allows supporters to understand that their money isn’t just a paycheck for your organization—it’s accomplishing something that will help further your mission. After all, your donors give to your mission, not necessarily to your organization.

Donor Appreciation Ideas

While these are by no means the only ideas available, they do present a summary of the potential options for your organization. You can use these as a starting point to begin building out your donor appreciation strategy as a whole.

For your convenience, we’ve split up the 22 appreciation ideas into categories so that you can jump to the ones most relevant to your needs:

1. Ideas for New Donors
2. Ideas for Recurring Donors
3. Ideas for Major Donors
4. Event Appreciation Ideas
5. Appreciation Gift Ideas

Let’s learn more!

1. Donor Appreciation for New Supporters

You work hard to acquire new supporters. It’s a shame to think that after all of the work and funds that you spent on the acquisition process, those supporters could simply give once and never again. If you’re able to retain them for the long run, their lifetime value with your organization will rise significantly.

The rate of supporters who donate for a second time after they’ve given once to a nonprofit is only around 20% according to the Fundraising Effectiveness Project. But once they’ve contributed this second donation (or the golden donation), the chance that they’ll continue donating to your organization rises to about 60%.

Therefore, your initial sign of appreciation for your new donors is incredibly important to retain their support for the long haul. We recommend creating a cultivation timeline for your first-time donors to show your appreciation, encourage them to get more involved, and eventually make your second appeal. You can see a sample of this type of timeline below:

As you can see, this timeline doesn’t simply provide a single opportunity to say thank you, but has several opportunities to do so. Therefore, you can incorporate multiple donor appreciation ideas in your own iteration of a new donor cultivation timeline.

Let’s dive deeper into four of the ideas that you’ll find on these timelines, each providing an additional opportunity to show donor appreciation.

Immediate Donation Receipt

Most of the time, donors will give their first donation using some sort of online platform. This is one of the virtual fundraising trends that will not disappear anytime soon, but will likely become stronger over time.

Set up your fundraising software so that a donation receipt is sent immediately after the contribution is received, whether it’s for a campaign hosted on a crowdfunding, peer-to-peer, or donation page. Craft this message to say an immediate “thank you” to the donor, also using their name and specific donation amount for personalization. It will also act as a confirmation that the donation was, in fact, received by your organization.

Follow Up Phone Call

Within 48 hours of a donor contributing to your organization, give them a quick call! This may seem like an outdated strategy, but it’s incredibly personal and allows you to make a personal and memorable connection through appreciation.

Create a script that your development team can follow during these follow-up conversations with your new supporters. Customize these scripts based on the segments of supporters who are being called. Then, make sure everyone is up to date on the latest donations so that they can make these phone calls in a timely manner.

Survey 

Surveys are a great way to both get your new supporters involved and to show your appreciation for them. It shows that their opinions matter and are an important part of your organization’s plans going forward.

Send a survey after you’ve called and had a couple of other interactions with each of your supporters. Then, be sure to ask informative questions that will also help you optimize the new donor experience for the future.

Additional Information About Your Mission

Donors don’t give to organizations—they give to missions. Showing your supporters the extent of your mission and the work that you do in the community is a great way to show them how their contributions make a difference.

Provide additional information about your organization through welcome packets, newsletters, and other resources. Be sure to discuss your various projects in the community to show the impact of the donations that your supporters make.

2. Donor Appreciation for Recurring Donors

Recurring donors give at a consistent rate, usually on a monthly basis. These supporters don’t necessarily need to be stewarded towards additional gifts on a regular basis. Every now and then, you may want to approach them. However, on the whole, you should steward them to keep them interested in your organization and your mission.

The key thing to keep in mind here is to not fall into the “set it and forget it” trap with your recurring donors. They should never forget about your mission. If they do, when it’s time for them to rework their personal finances, you might lose your valuable recurring donor!

A good recurring donation program provides consistent funding for organizations and increases the retention rate. You don’t want to lose these supporters!

Instead, show appreciation for your recurring donors by not asking for money. Instead, find other ways to involve these supporters and to show your appreciation for them.

Event Invitations

Host events that simply provide a “thank you” to your supporters rather than asking them to contribute to your organization. These events may be a luncheon, happy hour, or another opportunity to have a good time.

In addition, events are a great way to mingle with your supporters and create lasting relationships and connections with them. The invite shows that you care and the opportunity to network with them builds up relationships. You can read more about appreciation events later in this article.

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteering may not immediately sound like an appreciation idea, but hear us out! When you start a volunteer program, you give your supporters a chance for an up-close view of what your mission is accomplishing. While you can tell your recurring donors about their impact that they have on your mission, they’re more likely to develop a personal connection with your organization if they can see that impact as well.

Be sure to incorporate appreciation into the calls-to-action as you’re working with recurring donors to encourage them to volunteer. You might offer to meet after the volunteer experience for a happy hour or work appreciation into your recruitment messaging. For example, you might say, “Hugo, thank you so much for your gifts to Hope Rains, the campaign providing clean water to communities in need. If you want to meet those who have benefitted from your contributions, consider volunteering at this week’s water purifier assembly!”

Bonus! Your supporters who volunteer also may have the opportunity to increase their monetary contributions to your organization as well if they qualify for volunteer grants through their employer’s corporate responsibility program.

Program Updates and Communication

Just as your new donors want additional information about your mission as a whole, your recurring donors will want to know about the progress that your organization is making in the community. Be sure to communicate this progress clearly and consistently to your recurring donors.

Send email newsletters with updates about specific projects and post social media posts regarding the various activities your organization is involved with. Then, of course, be sure to say “thank you” to everyone who makes this progress possible. Be sure to keep in consistent contact with your recurring donors, always showing them their impact on the mission at hand. This lets them know where their money is going and allows you to give a specific “thank you” for their impact.

Thank You Letters

Do you have a leap of excitement when you check the mail and notice that there’s a letter in there for you that’s not a credit card or utility bill? We do too and so do your donors! Studies show that people also absorb and retain information better when they read it on paper than on a screen. This means that donor appreciation letters can make a splash for your supporters.

Write personalized letters that will capture your supporters’ attention. This shouldn’t replace an initial confirmation email or a digital thank you, but it does help solidify your strategy and provides another medium on which you’re showing your appreciation. To make sure these letters are personalized, leverage your donor segments and craft messages that each will find engaging. Then, ask your executive director or development officer to personally sign the letter.

Appreciation Gifts

If you’ve ever run a 5K for charity, you know that the most exciting part of the activity is receiving your free t-shirt at the end of the race. That t-shirt may even become your favorite one that you’ll wear until it has holes along the seams. You may not remember the exact amount that you paid for the race or your finishing time, but whenever you wear the shirt, you’re reminded of the organization and the mission you supported.

This is the reason appreciation gifts are so important and effective. While t-shirts are a classic option, they’re certainly not the only one. Branded merchandise and gifts of all shapes and sizes make for a great way to show your appreciation for your recurring supporters’ contributions. Plus, they’ll think of your mission each and every time they see the gift.

3. Donor Appreciation for Major Donors

Major donors make up the backbone of successful fundraising strategies. According to this article, $410 billion was given in philanthropy in 2017 and 49% of the funds donated were by the top 1% of donors. If that’s not enough, DonorSearch found that 88% of nonprofit funding usually comes from the top 12% of donors.

Because of this grand impact that your major donors have on your strategy, it makes sense that you should put a little bit more emphasis, time, and effort into appreciating them. The only thing better than a major gift now is another promised major gift in the future. Saying thank you is the first step to stewarding these supporters and cultivating additional contributions for the future.

Send Personalized Video Acknowledgements

According to GITNUX research, nonprofits that personalize communications see a 10-15% higher donor retention rate. Plus, statistics from NPSource show that about 57% of people who watch nonprofit videos go on to make a donation.

The takeaway here is crystal clear: personalized appreciation videos are a powerful tool for engaging donors more deeply in your mission and ensuring their long-term support.

Bloomerang makes creating personalized donor videos easy, with a simple three-step process:

1. Your fundraising team sees a special donation come in through the Bloomerang mobile app.
2. A fundraising team member or volunteer records a personalized video message to thank the supporter for their unique contribution.
3. The donor receives the video acknowledgement via email.

Your videos don’t have to be too long—a quick, 30-second to one-minute video that includes a genuine gratitude message from the sender is more than enough to make donors feel seen.

Send gratitude videos promptly (within 48 hours of the donor’s gift) to show supporters that your organization truly values them.

Publicly Highlight Major Supporters

While you’re bound to have some supporters who want to give anonymously, the majority of people appreciate being recognized for their contributions. Public recognition is a great way to give a shout-out to your most impactful supporters, plus it gives others a level to strive for.

You might decide to highlight a “donor of the month” on social media platforms or shout out to them at organization events so that you can give proper recognition to each of your major supporters who want this kind of attention. Be sure to check with them first before highlighting their story for the world to see. You could also highlight major donors in regular documents like your annual report. This allows you to tie the contributions made by these supporters directly to your success from the year.

Personalized Appreciation Letters

We mentioned that appreciation letters can be used for your recurring donors, but it’s also a great strategy to reach your major donors! While you may use segmentation strategies for your recurring or lower-level supporters to show appreciation, you should write completely individual letters for each of your major supporters.

You might decide to start with a thank you letter template to be sure you hit all of the important elements of this letter, but you should make sure the final version incorporates more personalized elements. For example, including information about your major donors’ motivations for giving is a great way to make a personalized connection with them.

Exclusive Event Opportunities

Again, events are a great way to get any of your supporters further involved with your organization and your mission. But major donors should have some preferential treatment given the level of their importance for your organization. Exclusive events allow your major donors to mingle with one another and with your team.

These events can be in conjunction with fundraising events (like galas), but it’s always good to have a healthy mix of both fundraising and stewardship events throughout the year. Therefore, make sure to include events in your regular schedule that will be exclusively available to your major supporters.

Gather Feedback and Insights 

Many of your major donors and stakeholders want some additional insight into your programming than you would typically give for your supporters. They also may want to give your organization additional feedback about your activities given the fact that they’re funding such a great portion of them.

Schedule meetings with your major donors and stakeholders to give them the opportunity to share their opinions about your organization’s current programming and activities. This gives you the opportunity to address any of their concerns, and it gives them the opportunity to also share their concerns and present new ideas for your team.

Donor Recognition Wall

Donor recognition walls are a classic idea to commemorate your major donors. Featuring their names on a physical or virtual wall allows you to share their involvement with the community, providing public recognition for their contributions.

Create an in-person donor recognition wall at your organization in a well-traveled location. This enables your supporters to see their own names on the wall as they pass by. Plus, other prospects and donors might see the names of major donors and feel incentivized to give in order to be recognized alongside them.

4. Donor appreciation event ideas

Earlier in the article, we’ve discussed the benefits of hosting donor appreciation events. The majority of events your supporters are invited to attend are likely fundraising-focused, meaning the hosting organization has an underlying motive to attain funds from the attendees. It often becomes an expectation for donors to give an additional donation during the event itself.

However, when you take a non-fundraising approach and don’t ask for money, you can focus solely on creating connections with your supporters and building on relationships. Essentially, events where you don’t ask for funds ensure the focus of the event is entirely on your supporters themselves, not their wallets.

At the core, these events are designed to build trust, respond to donors’ questions, and help demonstrate the alignment between your donors’ interests and your organization’s mission.

There are some inherent risks to these events. You might receive some backlash about hosting events that have no immediate return on investment. You also can’t host too many of these events; usually just one big one will do the trick! These events will give you some ideas for how you can raise more by not asking for donations at your next event.

Donor luncheon or dinners

Who doesn’t love free food? Donor luncheons and dinners provide the perfect space and opportunity to enjoy a good meal while networking with supporters, encouraging them to mingle with one another, and say thank you for all of their contributions.

You might put together a short presentation or have a speaker chosen to give a group-wide “thank you” for the contributions made to your organization over the year. Depending on your donor management software, this can be a breeze to set up or take some time. Be sure to also include updates about the nonprofit’s progress and impact of gifts to take this presentation further.

Virtual facility tour

Essentially, a lot of the ideas that you could use for your virtual (or in-person) fundraising ideas can be taken to the stewardship sphere if you host them for free. A facility tour is a perfect example! Many of your donors, especially those who started donating during the age of social distancing, may not have seen your office space and work sites before. Showing them where the magic happens is a great way to say “thank you.”

For instance, if you’ve just finished a capital campaign that would help expand your office space, you might record a virtual facility tour that supporters can see so that they know what the campaign accomplished.

Happy hour

Happy hours are a great virtual or in-person way to relax and get to know your supporters. For less formal organizations, you might ask your supporters to meet you at a local restaurant or bar for a happy hour. Or, if you’re a part of a larger or more formal organization, you could even rent out a nice spot for a happy hour to take place.

Make sure you provide conversation starters or topics that your supporters can use to mingle with one another. You should also make sure your major gift officer has the opportunity to talk to prospects during this time and get to know them on a personal level. Similar to the luncheon or dinner idea, you might decide to host a short speech during which you can give a blanket “thank you” to all supporters who contributed.

Holiday celebrations

The holidays are an ideal time to show your appreciation for your supporters. Many holidays have gratitude and appreciation at their core, making it a great time to bring everyone together, celebrate, and show your appreciation for donors. Plus, this provides a memorable experience that you can use as a launching pad for an annual celebration.

The classic idea is to host a winter holiday celebration where you can celebrate the end of the year with your supporters. The only problem with this is that focusing on stewardship could collide with or overshadow your end-of-year fundraising season, potentially causing you to miss out on year-end donations. Instead, you might choose a different holiday season like a Spring fling, Independence Day, or Valentine’s Day to center your event around.

5. Donor appreciation gifts ideas

Who doesn’t love receiving a present? Donor appreciation gifts provide a platform to say thank you to donors at all levels. You might even decide to provide different types of merchandise or gifts for each level of supporter at your organization.

Sending gifts makes supporters feel appreciated. Plus, you can receive additional benefits from this type of appreciation strategy. When merchandise is branded to your organization, your supporters will think of your mission every time they see the merch or use items from a goodie bag. Educational materials can provide additional information about your mission, making it a great way to connect with donors while also informing them further about your organization.

Branded merchandise

Branded merchandise provides two different benefits for your organization. First, it provides a tangible item to show your appreciation for everything your supporters do for you. Second, it serves as a reminder of your organization and your mission over the months or even years.

The classic merchandise items include things like t-shirts and mugs, but you can also get incredibly creative with this idea and design anything related to your organization or your mission as a whole. For example, if you work to provide technology to schools, you might brand a power bank with your organization’s logo and with your dedicated color scheme.

Books or educational materials

Educational materials are a meaningful way to give supporters an inside look at your organization’s activities and the reason for your mission. Plus, they make a great donor appreciation gift!

Let’s say there was a particular book that influenced your leadership to launch your organization; try giving that book out to your supporters! You might even try to host an event with the book’s author if you really want to go the extra mile.

Baskets and goodie bags

When you put together branded merchandise, you’re likely going to have a number of different items to give away or sell. You may even have a number of different designs for your various campaigns. For supporters who go above and beyond, you can put together baskets and goodie bags of these items for them to enjoy.

You might even host little giveaways that all of your supporters are automatically entered into with a number of themed baskets or giveaways. This will not only show your appreciation but also provide additional incentives to give!

Coupons and discounts

You likely host a number of activities, events, and maybe even conferences that your supporters are invited to attend. And chances are that many of these opportunities aren’t free. As a sign of appreciation for those who donate to specific campaigns or above certain amounts, try offering coupons or discounts.

Again, this is an incentives program that provides a token of appreciation for supporters who contribute. For example, you might provide a discount to your annual holiday party registration for everyone who donates to your year-end campaign.

Wrapping up donor appreciation

Donor appreciation is the launching pad for stewardship and retention. It’s the first step to building lasting relationships with your supporters. Therefore, be sure to put together a concrete strategy of your own to say “thank you” to each of your donors.

You can use the various ideas and appreciation approaches throughout this guide to help design your strategy and ensure it’s up to scratch.

If you’re looking for additional advice for building relationships with supporters, consider perusing the various resources below:

• Nonprofit CRM | Complete Guide to Choosing the Best Solution. See how having the best CRM to meet your specific needs results in better relationships with donors.
• Bloomerang’s Guide to Donor Retention. Learn more about donor retention and the impact that it has on your fundraising efforts as a whole.
• Nonprofit Annual Reports [+ Template!]. See how you can create your annual report to best steward your supporters, plus check out some awesome examples to get started.

The post Donor appreciation: creating a strategy & 22+ ideas appeared first on Bloomerang.

In the 2024 State of the Nonprofit Sector Report, 74% of organizations reported job vacancies. At the same time, 71% of nonprofits saw increased demand for their programs and services. Donor database software helps improve your team’s capacity by automating processes and saving time, allowing you to keep your focus on mission-critical projects and initiatives. 

In this guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know about donor databases so you can choose the right solution for your nonprofit. Here’s what we’ll cover:

• Donor database: FAQs
• How to find the right donor database
• Top donor database solutions to consider
• How to budget for your donor database
• Tips to make the most of your donor database

Carefully read through each step before making this significant investment decision for your nonprofit. Let’s get started.

1. Leverage integrations.

Before investing in a new donor database, consider how that solution will fit into your existing software strategy. It’s helpful to search for software that offers multiple integrations.

Integrations enable seamless data flows between different platforms, allowing you to share donor information across multiple systems. For instance, integrating your donor database with a peer-to-peer fundraising platform allows your organization to streamline the creation of new donor profiles in your database as new supporters give to the campaign.

Your database solution should work seamlessly with a variety of other tools, including:

• Fundraising tools
• Matching gift software
• Email marketing platforms
• Prospect research tools
• Accounting software

These integrations allow you to minimize manual data input as much as possible to save time for what matters: your mission.

2. Use built-in automation tools.

Automation can help your organization save time. According to the Nonprofit Tech for Good report, 79% of nonprofits use automation technology in online fundraising.

Automating processes using the data stored in your donor database will help make informed choices, reduce your manual workload, and increase your fundraising ROI. For example, you can automatically send thank-you messages to your supporters after they give or save donor data directly to the right profiles when supporters give to your organization.

Keep in mind that the key to automation is clean data. Practice effective data hygiene to keep your data organized, accurate, and complete. Follow these steps to implement proper data hygiene regulations:

• Regularly scan your database to identify and fix issues like duplicate, outdated, or incomplete donor data.
• Leverage surveys, data appends, and prospect research to add missing information to donor profiles.
• Run your system through the NCOA to discover address changes and deceased individuals within your network (many top-of-the-line donor databases, like Bloomerang, will do this automatically).
• Create standardized processes for inputting data like email addresses, phone numbers, and home addresses.

Taking these steps will improve the accuracy of your data, helping you increase your ROI by ensuring that you’re reaching real people with your messages.

3. Track overall progress.

Individual profiles are one of the most valuable tools in your donor database for maintaining personal connections and relationships with your supporters. However, to make the most out of your solution, you should also track your organization’s overall progress toward your predetermined goals.

There are two primary ways you can leverage your donor database to analyze organizational progress:

• Customized reports. After discussing your goals and metrics, you can create custom report templates to measure progress and report to your team.
• Your dashboard. Customize your donor database’s dashboard so that you can check in on progress every time you open up the system. For example, you might include your donor retention rate, current fundraising campaign revenue, and other metrics most relevant to your goals.

When you track your metrics and goal progression using your donor database, all your data will be stored in a single place, making it easy to find at any point as you work through your strategic plan.

Wrapping up

This guide is just the beginning of your nonprofit’s donor database research. Finding the right platform for your nonprofit takes time and careful collaboration with the team members who will use the solution daily. To learn more about donor database software and donor management in general, check out these additional resources:

• How to Buy Fundraising Software That Lasts: Essential Guide. The right software is an investment that will benefit your nonprofit for years to come. Be intentional about your choice with the help of this complete guide.
• Nonprofit CRM Software: Explore 20+ Solutions for 2025. Explore more nonprofit CRM options to simplify donor database management.
• Effective Donor Management: 7 Best Practices for Nonprofits. This resource reviews best practices for leveraging your donor database and managing your donors.
• The Ultimate Fundraising Software Checklist. Kick off your search for the perfect fundraising software with this comprehensive checklist!

The post Donor database buyer’s guide: tips for nonprofit success appeared first on Bloomerang.

Nonprofits use donor management software to organize donor data, ensure its accuracy, streamline fundraising, and reach out to donors with personalized communications. This tool helps build more genuine relationships with supporters.

That makes finding the right donor management software solution for your organization crucial. In this guide, we’ll cover how your nonprofit can find the best solution to solve your most pressing needs.

The post The 18+ Best Donor Management Software Options for 2026 appeared first on Bloomerang.

“Donor numbers have dropped by -4.5% year-over-year, with smaller donors ($1-$100) showing the sharpest decline at -8.8%. This highlights weakening grassroots support, which is critical for sustaining broad-based contributions, especially during year-end campaigns.”

New donors invigorate your nonprofit with a fresh wave of funding and engagement. And, when you properly steward and build relationships with these new donors, they can become lifelong supporters of your mission.

But first, you have to find and connect with these individuals. This guide covers the following strategies for finding and engaging new donors, separated into how to find donors in person and how to find donors online:

• How to find donors in person
• How to find donors online

Whether you’re looking to learn how to find donors online or how to connect with your local community to recruit new support, these tips are a step in the right direction for your donor acquisition strategy.

2. Invite prospective donors to getting-to-know-you events.

Donor research from BWF found that an organization’s most dedicated donors are typically individuals who:

• Know multiple people at the nonprofit
• Are friends with fellow donors
• View giving as a part of their identity and strongly connect with the nonprofit’s donor community

Getting-to-know-you events can be the perfect way to foster these relationships between donors and your nonprofit and strengthen bonds with your community.

These events can be tours of your facilities, panels with guest speakers, or informal meet-and-greets and coffee chats at your nonprofit’s headquarters. These experiences should offer information about your organization’s mission, services, goals, and ways to get involved.

Send follow-up emails to attendees to gather feedback and introduce them to additional engagement opportunities. Reference specific information you learned or interactions with them during the event to show them that you appreciate their involvement and care about forming a real relationship.

3. Build strategic partnerships with businesses.

Corporate partnerships offer win-win benefits for nonprofits and businesses. Nonprofits receive valuable fundraising and volunteer support, while businesses get a PR boost.

You can receive direct donations, in-kind donations, matching gifts, volunteer grants, and other fundraising support from businesses. These initiatives are highly lucrative but often untapped resources for nonprofits. According to Double the Donation’s corporate giving research, about $4-$7 billion in matching gift funds go unclaimed annually. Plus, 84% of survey participants say they’re more likely to donate if a match is offered, demonstrating how corporate philanthropy programs can motivate new donors to get involved.

You can also engage employees in workplace volunteering. Ask your corporate partners to spread the word about your mission or engage with these prospects directly at your events and volunteer opportunities.

4. Form relationships with other community organizations.

Similarly to corporate partnerships, forming relationships with other community organizations, like associations, civic clubs, and other nonprofits, can benefit your organization in multiple ways. You can cohost fundraising events with these organizations, share fundraising resources, and leverage both organizations’ marketing platforms to reach a wider audience of potential new donors.

Look for organizations whose missions align with yours. For example, an animal shelter and a veterinary association may work together to host an event that funds pet adoptions and teaches new pet owners how to care for their animals properly.

5. Treat volunteers as potential donors.

42% of volunteers participate in a volunteer program before deciding to donate to an organization. This statistic shows that volunteering can be a way for potential supporters to learn more about your cause and determine whether they want to support you financially as well as through volunteer work.

Use a trusted CRM system with volunteer and donor data to identify the highest-engaged volunteers. Then, steward your nonprofit’s volunteers by showing them gratitude and explaining the impact of their volunteer work. Next, send them low-commitment donation requests to gauge their interest. For example, you might ask them to contribute a $20 donation to your summer crowdfunding campaign. If they take you up on your offer, you’ll know that they may be receptive to future fundraising opportunities.

6. Turn to your board for help.

Nonprofit board members are often highly engaged in their communities, serving on multiple boards, volunteering, and forming business partnerships. These individuals can be effective ambassadors for your cause, sharing your mission with their family, friends, and colleagues.

Equip board members with talking points and resources they can use to encourage those in their networks to donate, such as your nonprofit’s annual reports or Form 990.

7. Transform donors into ambassadors.

Contact your most loyal, long-term donors to see if they’d be interested in joining your ambassador program. Host training sessions for these donors and provide them with talking points, strategies, and resources to promote your cause effectively.

Offer incentives for joining your program, such as gift cards or free branded merchandise. Present the opportunity as a way for dedicated supporters to take their involvement to the next level and grow their leadership and public speaking skills.

9. Conduct prospect research to connect with new major donors.

Use your internal donor database and external resources to identify prospective major donors who exhibit warmth toward your organization and the capacity to contribute a larger donation.

Look at the annual reports, donor recognition lists, and newsletters of similar organizations and compile a list of their donors. Ask board and staff members if they know anyone on these lists. If so, ask them to share information about your organization and invite this individual to attend one of your events or sign up for your newsletter.

However, remember that prospects will most often come from your nonprofit’s existing donor pool. Prioritize prospects who exhibit both wealth indicators (real estate and stock ownership, large previous charitable gifts, etc.) and philanthropic indicators (previous donations to your organization or similar nonprofits, a history of political giving, etc.).

10. Reach out to one-time and lapsed donors.

Your one-time and lapsed donors may still be interested in giving to your organization, but perhaps you’ve fallen off their radar, or they don’t know the best way to engage with your nonprofit regularly.

Reach out to these donors with various ways to continue their involvement, such as your monthly giving program, peer-to-peer fundraising opportunities, or upcoming fundraising events. Additionally, thank these donors for their past contributions and expressly mention their donation amounts and impact to show them the value they’ve already added to your organization.

11. Build your email list.

Email is a highly effective fundraising tool. In fact, according to the Global Trends in Giving report, 33% of donors in the U.S. and Canada say email is the communication channel that most inspires them to contribute—more than any other platform.

Collect email addresses during community events and volunteer opportunities and via your social media channels. Create a welcome series for new subscribers that introduces your organization’s mission, describes your impact on the community, and offers engagement opportunities.

Additionally, ensure your website includes a simple email registration form for visitors to sign up for your newsletter.

12. Optimize your website.

Statistics show that over half of all nonprofit website traffic comes from mobile devices, so your site must be mobile-friendly to help you engage new and current supporters alike online. Also, use your website to entice visitors with a “pop-up” offering free information and resources. Send interested individuals a welcome email and relevant informational emails over several weeks.

Finally, ensure your online donation form is easy to find and fill out. 63% of donors prefer to give online with a credit or debit card, so ensure your form can process multiple card types.

Use various call-to-action buttons and links on your homepage to attract visitors to your donation page. Then, only ask for necessary information, such as names, contact information, and payment information, to make it as convenient as possible to complete.

13. Engage with your local media.

Reach out to your local newspaper, TV station, and radio station with fascinating stories from your nonprofit’s work or beneficiary community. These news outlets often run human interest stories about people overcoming hardship or communities coming together to support those in need, and your nonprofit can be an excellent fit for those PR opportunities.

Leverage Bloomerang to acquire and steward new donors

Finding new donors and building a reliable donor pipeline takes time and dedication. Bloomerang’s donor database simplifies the process by offering all the data you need to identify and steward new donors at your fingertips. With Bloomerang, your nonprofit can:

• Conduct wealth and philanthropic screening in your donor database through a DonorSearch integration to identify top donor prospects.
• Segment supporters based on shared characteristics to send personalized messages to each group.
• Leverage clean data to support your outreach efforts—Bloomerang automatically checks for and corrects duplicate records, outdated addresses, and birth year updates.
• Grow your donor network with built-in email marketing tools, templates, and scheduled email sends.
• Evaluate donors’ feelings about your nonprofit through satisfaction surveys.
• Send yearly giving statements to thank donors for their ongoing support.

Learn more about our donor management solutions in this short video:

Wrapping Up

Use a combination of these engagement strategies to ensure you’re reaching various new donors across your numerous communication platforms.

Once you find new donors for your nonprofit, your stewardship strategy should immediately kick in. Send personalized thank-you messages, show donors the impact of their gifts, and invite them to engage in additional activities your organization offers, like volunteer events or peer-to-peer fundraising challenges.

With these strategies, you can transform your new donors into long-term supporters. Then, these supporters can recruit other new donors by sharing their fulfilling experiences, creating a cyclical process.

For more information on finding new donors and stewarding them effectively, check out these additional resources:

• Donor stewardship: key tips to build relationships. Use this guide to help you build a strong donor stewardship plan that turns new donors into lifelong supporters.
• Cultivating donor retention to grow your giving garden. Take a deep dive into the current state of donor retention and learn how to improve your nonprofit’s donor retention rate with this eBook.
• Donor welcome series email templates. Cultivate lasting connections with new donors with these email templates.

The post 13 Ways to Find New Donors for Your Nonprofit Organization appeared first on Bloomerang.

Every member of your nonprofit team already knows how to build strong relationships with friends, co-workers, family members, significant others, and more. Magic happens when you build relationships with prospects and donors. This is where donor stewardship comes into play.

This guide covers everything you need to know to develop a powerful donor stewardship strategy that builds genuine, long-lasting relationships. We’ll cover:

• What is the donor stewardship process?
• How does donor stewardship impact donor retention?
• How to use the donor pyramid to facilitate stewardship
• 5 key steps in a donor stewardship strategy
• 8 best practices for enacting your donor stewardship plan
• How Bloomerang supports donor stewardship

A solid donor stewardship plan ensures your donors feel seen and appreciated, setting your organization up for long-term fundraising success.

The post Donor stewardship: key tips to build relationships appeared first on Bloomerang.

Email marketing for nonprofits is a powerful tool that can do far more than raise awareness. A recent Global Trends in Giving report reveals that 33% of donors in the U.S. and Canada find email to be the communication channel that most inspires them to contribute, more than any other platform. Investing in a strategic email program can amplify your fundraising ROI, deepen supporter relationships, and rally more people to champion your mission.

In this guide, we cover everything you need to build and optimize a nonprofit email marketing strategy—including best practices, platform comparisons, benchmarks, deliverability essentials, and ready-to-use copy assets. Use the quick-answer summaries at the top of each section to get to what you need fast.

Why is email marketing worth it for nonprofits?

Email outreach is as relevant and useful for nonprofits as ever. Here’s why it deserves the top spot in your communications budget:

• High email adoption: 99% of email users check their inbox every day—and most check multiple times. Your message reaches supporters when they’re already paying attention, unlike social media where algorithm changes can suppress your reach overnight.
• Exceptional ROI: For every $1 email marketers spend, they receive an average of $36 in return—making it one of the most cost-effective channels available to resource-constrained nonprofits.
• Brand and mission awareness: Email lets you tell your organization’s story on your own terms, directly to people who have already raised their hands to hear from you.

When combined with social media, direct mail, and website engagement, email becomes the connective tissue of a holistic outreach strategy that keeps your nonprofit top of mind for supporters year-round.

What types of emails should nonprofits send?

Fundraising emails

When your nonprofit launches a fundraising campaign, email is your primary engine for generating a steady flow of donations. According to the Nonprofit Tech for Good report, 74% of nonprofits that use email marketing send fundraising appeals. These emails should clearly communicate your campaign’s purpose, goal, and the specific impact a donation will make.

Best practice: Use a series of three to five emails per campaign—an announcement, a mid-campaign update with progress data, at least one urgency send in the final 48 hours, and a closing thank-you. Each email should have a single CTA. For more detailed guidance, see our 10 steps to a successful fundraising email.

Fundraising email example: Help for Heroes boxed figure campaign

Help for Heroes is a UK-based charity that supports veterans with physical and mental health, welfare, and social needs. The email below depicts a campaign the organization launched to raise funds by sending donors a boxed figure to represent their commitment to the cause. It’s a compelling message because it clearly outlines the problem the organization is trying to solve and how supporters can play a role in the solution.

Expressing gratitude after donors give is one of the most effective ways to increase donor retention. Send thank-you emails within 24 hours of a gift—and ideally within minutes via automation. Connect the donor’s specific contribution to a tangible outcome: “Your $50 will provide clean water for a family of four for one month.”

Best practice: Segment your thank-you emails by gift size, campaign source, and whether the donor is a first-time or returning contributor. First-time donors deserve a warmer, longer message that welcomes them into your community. See the copy-and-paste assets section below for two ready-to-use templates.

Gratitude email example: charity:water thank-you message

charity:water is a nonprofit dedicated to bringing clean drinking water to developing countries. A recent email they sent included a thank-you message at the end that uses donor-focused language to spotlight the essential role supporters play.

A welcome series turns a new subscriber or first-time donor from a stranger into a committed supporter. Your welcome sequence should introduce your mission, share a compelling impact story, and give new supporters a clear path to get more involved—whether that’s volunteering, following on social media, or making a sustaining gift.

Best practice: Send four emails over 14 days. Day 0: warm welcome + mission overview. Day 3: impact story. Day 7: how to get involved. Day 14: soft donation ask. See the full welcome series template in the copy-and-paste assets section below.

New supporter welcome email example: Four Freedoms Park Conservancy

The Four Freedoms Park Conservancy is a nonprofit that maintains the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms State Park memorial in New York City. The following email is a welcome message for new email newsletter subscribers. It helps recipients feel welcome, with opportunities to join upcoming events, connect on social media, and learn about FDR’s legacy.

An email newsletter is your nonprofit’s digital bulletin—keeping supporters updated on ongoing initiatives, upcoming events, recent wins, and the people behind your mission. According to the Nonprofit Tech for Good report, 92% of nonprofits that use email marketing send newsletters, with most sending monthly.

Best practice: Keep newsletters to 100–200 words of body copy with one primary story and one to two secondary items. Lead with impact, not logistics. Every newsletter should include at least one link back to your website to drive traffic and track engagement. Remember, email quantity is as important as quality when it comes to staying top of mind with supporters.

Nonprofit newsletter example: charity:water’s Good News

charity:water’s Good News World Channel is a community of supporters devoted to furthering charity:water’s charitable mission to bring clean water to underserved communities. The following email is a newsletter update featuring a recent success story and a few ways to engage with the organization.

Advocacy and volunteering emails

Donating isn’t the only way supporters can show up for your mission. Advocacy and volunteer recruitment emails expand engagement beyond the transaction and build the kind of personal investment that correlates strongly with long-term giving.

Advocacy and volunteering email example: Help for Heroes call for volunteers

Help for Heroes also created a useful example of a volunteer request email. The following email uses eye-catching red button calls to action (CTAs) to inspire recipients to sign up.

Seasonal emails

Timely communications tied to holidays, awareness months, or seasons create an additional touchpoint with supporters and capitalize on donors’ increased motivation to give during certain times of year. Year-end giving season (October–December) is especially high-impact for nonprofit email campaigns. For guidance on timing your sends effectively, check out our guide on when your nonprofit can and cannot send an email.

Seasonal nonprofit email example: CJ holiday campaign

This email is an example of a seasonal email sent by a business in an effort to support nonprofit causes during the holiday season. The email allows recipients to vote for the cause they think the business should support with their holiday donation.

What email marketing best practices matter most for nonprofits?

Segment your communications for a deeper connection

No one likes generic emails. A personalized message builds meaningful, long-term donor relationships—and the data backs it up: 71% of consumers expect personalized interactions, and 76% get frustrated when this doesn’t happen (McKinsey).

Start with these five core segments and build from there:

• New donors
• Active donors
• Lapsed donors
• Prospects / email subscribers who haven’t yet given
• Volunteers

For a deeper dive into effective segmentation strategies, read our guide on using segmentation to boost nonprofit email campaigns.

Adopt a consistent communication cadence

Email quantity matters as much as quality. Too many emails overwhelm supporters and drive unsubscribes—too few cause your organization to fall off their radar. Here’s a practical nonprofit cadence framework:

• Newsletters: Monthly at baseline, quarterly if team capacity is limited
• Fundraising appeals: 1–2/month standard
• Welcome series: Four emails over 14 days for all new subscribers
• Thank-you emails: Automated, triggered within minutes of a gift
• Re-engagement sequences: One email every two weeks for three sends, then suppress unresponsive contacts

Track email metrics to optimize your strategy

Your email metrics are as good as gold for determining the best ways to optimize your email strategy. See the full benchmarks glossary below, and prioritize tracking these key data points:

Optimize your subject lines

Your subject line is the single most important factor in whether your email gets opened. Research shows that 60%+ of email opens now happen on mobile devices, which display only 30–35 characters before cutting off. Here are the rules:

• Mobile sweet spot: 30–35 characters or 6–7 words
• Desktop sweet spot: 40–50 characters
• Safest range for both: 35–45 characters
• Avoid: ALL CAPS, excessive punctuation, and spam-trigger words (“Free,” “Act now,” “Guaranteed”)
• Use: Personalization ([First Name]), numbers (“47 families”), and questions (“Will you help us reach $10,000?”)

Write concise email bodies

The body of your email should be as long as it needs to be—and no longer. Here are the recommended lengths for each type of nonprofit email:

• Urgent campaign appeals: <50 words
• Donation thank-you emails: 50–75 words
• Supporter welcome emails: 75–100 words
• Newsletters: 100–200 words

Use a single, clear call to action per email

Every email should have one primary CTA. Multiple competing CTAs dilute attention and reduce conversions. Place your primary CTA button above the fold (visible without scrolling on mobile), repeat it as a text link near the bottom of the email, and use high-contrast colors so it’s readable for supporters with vision impairments. For example, your CTAs could have white text on a red background like the Help for Heroes example below—strong color contrast ensures your CTAs are readable for recipients with vision impairments.

Ensure compliance with email marketing regulations

The CAN-SPAM Act sets regulations for commercial email marketing practices that apply to for-profit and nonprofit organizations. See the full deliverability and compliance checklist below for a complete breakdown of requirements across CAN-SPAM, CASL, and GDPR.

Emotional, specific language drives opens and action. The most effective emotional triggers for nonprofit email are urgency, impact (with real numbers), community belonging, and fear of missing out. Avoid vague language like “help us make a difference”—replace it with the specific outcome: “help us serve 200 more meals this month.”

Maintain consistent branding across every send

Your emails should be instantly recognizable: consistent logo placement, brand colors, fonts, and tone of voice. Create templates for each email type and document them in a style guide every team member can access. Consistency builds trust—and trust drives opens.

Use multimedia intentionally

Emails with images have up to a 42% higher click-through rate than text-only emails (Vero). Use one to three primary visual elements per email—header image, a single supporting photo, or an infographic—and keep images compressed to under 200KB to protect load times on mobile.

Nonprofit email metrics glossary: plain-English formulas and 2026 benchmarks

Use this glossary to understand what each metric means, how to calculate it, and what counts as a healthy range for nonprofits in 2026. Benchmarks are drawn from the M+R Benchmarks 2025 study, Mailchimp, and MailerLite nonprofit data. Treat open rate with particular caution—Apple Mail Privacy Protection (MPP), launched in 2021, automatically marks emails as “opened” for all Apple Mail users, artificially inflating open rate dashboards by 15–25 percentage points.

Which email marketing platforms work best for nonprofits?

Nonprofit email platform comparison

All pricing reflects estimated costs as of April 2026—confirm directly with each platform before purchasing, as nonprofit discount terms can change.

Platform	Best for	Nonprofit discount	Automation depth	Segmentation	Native CRM integration	Compliance & deliverability	Starting price
Bloomerang ★ Best for donor management + email unified	Nonprofits that want donor management, email, and volunteer management in one system	N/A — purpose-built nonprofit pricing	Automated thank-yous, drip sequences, scheduled sends	Donor lifecycle, giving history, engagement score	Built-in — CRM and email share the same database	Deliverability insights, readability testing, DMARC compatible	From $125/month (includes CRM + email)
Mailchimp ★ Best value / getting started	Small-to-mid orgs, early-stage programs, budget-conscious teams	15% discount via TechSoup for paid plans, free tier (up to 500 contacts)	Visual automation builder, conditional logic, multi-step journeys	Up to 5 audience groups on free tier, advanced on paid	Separate CRM— Bloomerang integration available	Built-in compliance tools, dedicated IP available (Premium)	Free (500 contacts) | From ~$13/month
Constant Contact ★ Best for event orgs	Nonprofits hosting events, galas, and in-person campaigns	20–30% nonprofit discount (contact sales)	Basic automation: welcome series, drip, event reminders	Tag-based and list-based segmentation	Separate CRM— Bloomerang integration available	Strong deliverability, CAN-SPAM tools, real-time analytics	From $12/month (no free tier)
Campaign Monitor ★ Best for template control	Teams wanting tight brand control and multi-user management	No standard nonprofit discount — contact sales	Visual automation, time-based and behavior-triggered flows	Link-click-based segmentation, custom fields	Separate CRM— Zapier integrations available	Advanced deliverability dashboard, suppression management	From $9/month
ActiveCampaign ★ Best automation depth	Mid-to-large orgs with complex donor journeys and sequences	25% nonprofit discount (apply directly)	Industry-leading: conditional branches, lead scoring, predictive sending	Robust: dynamic segments, custom fields, engagement scoring	Built-in CRM lite (add-on)—Bloomerang integration via Zapier	Spam testing, deliverability reporting, blocklist monitoring	From $15/month
Flodesk ★ Best design experience	Orgs where visual storytelling and brand aesthetics are top priority	No standard nonprofit discount	Basic: welcome series, timed drips	Simple list-based segmentation	No native CRM— Zapier/API only	Basic compliance tools, less robust deliverability reporting	$38/month flat (unlimited subscribers)

Platform deep dives

1. Bloomerang Giving Platform

Bloomerang is a purpose-built nonprofit platform that unifies donor management, fundraising, volunteer management, and email marketing in a single system. Because Bloomerang’s email tools share the same database as its CRM, you can segment by giving history, engagement score, volunteer activity, and more—without any data sync or integration layer. Features include a built-in drag-and-drop editor, brandable templates, deliverability insights, A/B testing, scheduled sends, and readability testing. Best for: organizations that want to eliminate the gap between donor data and email marketing. Learn more about Bloomerang’s marketing and engagement features.

2. Mailchimp

Mailchimp is the most widely used email marketing platform in the nonprofit sector. Its free tier supports up to 500 contacts with basic automation, templates, and reporting—making it a strong starting point for early-stage organizations. Paid plans unlock advanced segmentation, behavioral automation, and multi-step journeys.

3. Constant Contact

Constant Contact is especially strong for nonprofits that host events—its event promotion, registration, and attendee tracking tools integrate directly with email outreach. Its drag-and-drop editor is one of the most beginner-friendly on the market. Nonprofits qualify for a 20–30% discount (contact Constant Contact directly). Bloomerang and Constant Contact integrate natively, allowing donor engagement data to inform email segmentation.

4. Campaign Monitor

Campaign Monitor offers strong brand control with a sophisticated drag-and-drop editor, template management with team access controls, and detailed geographic and device performance reporting. It’s a solid choice for nonprofits with multiple staff managing email and strict brand standards. No standard nonprofit discount—contact sales for custom pricing.

5. ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is the strongest platform for nonprofits with complex donor journeys that require multi-step behavioral automation. Its conditional logic, lead scoring, and predictive sending capabilities support sophisticated cultivation sequences—for example, automatically moving a lapsed donor into a re-engagement series when they haven’t opened an email in 90 days. Nonprofits qualify for a 25% discount (apply directly). Integration with Bloomerang is available via Zapier.

6. Flodesk

Flodesk stands out for its visual design capabilities—custom fonts, branded graphics, and a clean aesthetic that makes emails feel like editorial content rather than marketing blasts. Its flat $38/month pricing (unlimited subscribers) is attractive for organizations with large lists. Trade-offs: segmentation is basic (list-based only), CRM integration requires Zapier or API, and deliverability reporting is less robust than competitors.

How do I choose email marketing software as a nonprofit?

Work through this five-step decision framework in order. Each step narrows your shortlist before you invest time in demos or trials.

Decision paths by org type

• Small nonprofit (<1K contacts, team of 1–3): Start with Mailchimp’s free tier. Upgrade when you hit 500 contacts or need automation beyond a welcome series.
• Mid-sized nonprofit (1K–10K contacts, dedicated comms staff): Evaluate Bloomerang (if you want CRM + email unified), Constant Contact (if events are central), or ActiveCampaign (if automation is your top need).
• Large or high-volume nonprofit (10K+ contacts): Bloomerang or ActiveCampaign for sophistication—request custom nonprofit pricing from Campaign Monitor. Avoid platforms with per-contact pricing that scales punitively.
• Org already using Bloomerang CRM: Use Bloomerang’s built-in email marketing tools first—the native integration is worth more than any standalone platform’s feature advantage.

Deliverability and compliance checklist for nonprofits

1. Configure your sending domain and sender identity

• Use a branded sending domain (yourname@yourorg.org)—never send campaigns from a Gmail, Yahoo, or Hotmail address. Free email providers are flagged as spam by major inbox providers.
• Use a consistent “From” name and email address in every send. Changing your sender identity mid-program confuses filters and reduces open rates.
• Avoid “no-reply@” addresses. They signal inaccessibility, hurt engagement, and can increase spam complaints. Use a monitored mailbox like hello@yourorg.org or connect@yourorg.org instead.

2. Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC (required since 2024)

Google and Yahoo now require bulk senders (5,000+ emails/day) to authenticate their sending domain with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records—enforced with stricter penalties from November 2025. Even below that threshold, proper authentication dramatically improves deliverability for all senders. Your email platform’s support team can help you configure these—here are the patterns:

SPF (Sender Policy Framework) — Add a TXT record to your DNS that authorizes your email platform to send on your behalf:

Replace sendingplatform.com with your platform’s SPF include string (e.g., include:mailchimp.com). Use ~all (soft fail) rather than -all (hard fail) while testing.

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) — A cryptographic signature that proves emails haven’t been tampered with in transit. Your email platform generates this. Add the CNAME or TXT record they provide to your DNS:

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) — Tells inbox providers what to do with emails that fail SPF/DKIM. Start with p=none (monitoring only), then move to p=quarantine once your authentication is stable:

The rua address receives daily reports from Gmail, Yahoo, and other providers showing which servers are sending mail as your domain.

3. Maintain list hygiene on a regular cadence

• Remove hard bounces immediately after every send—your email platform should do this automatically, but verify.
• Suppress soft bounces after three consecutive failures.
• Run a list-cleaning pass every six months: identify contacts who haven’t opened or clicked in 12 months and run a re-engagement sequence before suppressing them. Monitor domain reputation in Google Postmaster Tools (free) to catch deliverability problems early.
• Never buy, rent, or import email lists without verified consent. Every purchased contact is a potential spam complaint. For strategies on growing your list the right way, see our guide on how to build a nonprofit mailing list.

4. Include all required footer elements

Every email must include the following elements in the footer to comply with CAN-SPAM (US), CASL (Canada), and GDPR (EU):

• Your organization’s legal name
• Physical mailing address (a P.O. Box qualifies)
• A clearly visible, one-click unsubscribe link
• A link to your privacy policy

Copy-ready compliant footer example:

5. Compliance law quick reference for nonprofits

Copy-and-paste email assets for nonprofits

20 subject lines by goal

All subject lines are written for nonprofits. Swap [bracketed placeholders] with your real details. For best performance, A/B test two subject lines per campaign using a 20% sample of your list. Remember: don’t be lazy with your email subject lines—they’re the single most important factor in whether your email gets opened.

Four urgent appeal email bodies (<50 words each)

These are designed to be short, high-impact, and mobile-first. Use them as the full body copy for urgency sends—day-of or final-hours campaign emails.

Appeal 1: Matching gift — final hours

Appeal 2: Year-end / tax deadline

Appeal 3: Emergency / crisis response

Appeal 4: Campaign milestone / almost there

Two donor thank-you email variants (50–75 words)

Variant 1: First-time donor (warm, welcoming)

Variant 2: Returning donor (relational, impact-forward)

Four-email welcome series

Trigger Email 1 immediately on signup. Schedule Emails 2–4 automatically. Each email should have a single CTA and be shorter than 100 words of body copy. Primary metric for the series: CTOR on Emails 2–4 (measures content quality, not just inbox placement).

Eight high-performing CTAs with character counts

All CTAs are written in first person (“my,” “me”) where possible—research consistently shows first-person CTAs outperform third-person (“Donate” vs. “Make my gift”) by as much as 90% in some studies. Use ALL CAPS for CTA buttons.

Wrapping up

A strong nonprofit email program isn’t built in a day—but it compounds faster than almost any other channel in your communications mix. Every consistent send, every personalized thank-you, and every well-timed appeal reinforces the relationships that keep donors coming back year after year.

Start with the four foundations: segment your list, establish a cadence, optimize your subject lines, and use a single CTA per email. Layer in the compliance checklist, then use the copy assets above to accelerate your first campaigns. Track CTOR as your north-star content metric and let your data guide every iteration.

For more resources on nonprofit communications and donor engagement, explore these related guides:

• Donor retention strategy: A guide to donor retention
• Donor segmentation: How to segment your donor communications
• Troubleshoot your fundraising emails: How to troubleshoot your fundraising email

The post Email Marketing for Nonprofits: the Ultimate How-to Guide appeared first on Bloomerang.

Monthly donation appeal prompt

“As a nonprofit development officer, generate a compelling email to our donors requesting their continued support through monthly donations. Start with a warm greeting, reference their previous support, outline how their monthly donations help achieve specific goals (like funding a new project or maintaining a program), suggest a specific donation amount, and emphasize how their ongoing support is crucial for our mission’s success.”

Why this prompt is effective:

• Provides a personal touch: Using a warm greeting and mentioning previous support personalizes the email.
• Delivers a clear impact: Explaining how monthly donations will be used provides a concrete reason for giving.
• Makes a specific request: Suggesting a specific donation amount guides donors on how much to contribute.

Event follow-up thank you prompt

“As an event coordinator, craft a thank-you email for attendees of our recent event. Begin with a heartfelt thank you for their presence, highlight a key achievement or outcome from the event (like funds raised or goals met), and extend an invitation for them to engage further with upcoming events or initiatives.”

Why this prompt is effective:

• Shows immediate gratitude: Expressing thanks right after the event reinforces positive feelings.
• Highlights achievement: Sharing the event’s success shows attendees their contribution was valuable.
• Encourages future engagement: Inviting them to future events keeps them involved with your organization.

Thank you for volunteering prompt

“As a volunteer manager, write a thank-you email to volunteers who recently dedicated their time. Begin with a personalized thank you, describe the specific impact of their volunteer work (like how many people they helped or the difference they made), and acknowledge their essential role in supporting your organization’s mission.”

Why this prompt is effective:

• Provides personalized appreciation: Directly addressing volunteers and their contributions makes the message feel sincere.
• Highlights the impact: Detailing how their work made a difference reinforces their value.
• Acknowledges the role: Recognizing their essential role encourages continued support and involvement.

Welcome message with soft ask prompt

“As a communications specialist, draft a welcome email for new subscribers. Start with a warm and enthusiastic greeting, introduce your organization’s mission and goals, briefly mention the ways their support can make a difference, and gently suggest a small monthly donation to help further these efforts.”

Why this prompt is effective:

• Provides a warm welcome: Sets a positive tone and makes new subscribers feel valued.
• Introduces the mission: Helps new subscribers understand your organization’s purpose and goals.
• Makes a gentle donation request: Encourages giving without being too assertive, easing new subscribers into contributing.

Donation thank you prompt

“As a donor relations coordinator, compose a thank-you email for a recent donation. Begin with heartfelt thanks, detail the specific way(s) their donation will benefit the organization (like, funding a new program or project), and include a note about the donation being tax-deductible to provide additional value.”

Why this prompt is effective:

• Expresses heartfelt gratitude: Shows sincere appreciation, strengthening the donor relationship.
• Provides usage details: Explains how their donation will be used, enhancing transparency.
• Includes tax information: Provides useful information about tax benefits, adding extra value for the donor.

Acknowledgement prompt

“As a fundraising manager, generate a heartfelt acknowledgement letter to a donor. Thank them for their contribution, describe the specific impact it will have (like providing winter coats to families in need), mention that the donation is tax-deductible, and invite them to subscribe to the quarterly newsletter for updates on the impact of their support.”

Why this prompt is effective:

• Conveys a heartfelt tone: A sincere and engaging tone makes the donor feel appreciated.
• Highlights the impact: Provides a clear picture of how their donation will help, reinforcing their positive impact.
• Extends an additional invitation: Encourages further engagement through the newsletter, keeping them connected to your organization.

Email newsletter prompt

“As a content creator, write a paragraph for our monthly newsletter that highlights the success of our recent coat drive. Include specific details like the number of families served, the difference made, and the gratitude of those helped. Encourage readers to stay informed and involved with future initiatives and updates.”

Why this prompt is effective:

• Highlights success: Emphasizes positive outcomes, building emotional connections with readers.
• Offers specific details: Provides concrete information about the impact of their support, reinforcing the value of their involvement.
• Encourages engagement: Promotes continued engagement and updates, keeping the audience connected to your mission.

Appeal Prompt

“As a major gifts officer, craft an appeal email targeted at wealthy donors who have not contributed in the past year. Graciously remind them of their previous support, explain the current needs and why their contribution is crucial now, and encourage them to set up a monthly automatic donation for sustained support.”

Why this prompt is effective:

• Offers a polite reminder: Acknowledges past support while making a case for current needs.
• Explains the current need: Provides context for why their contribution is needed now, making the request more relevant.
• Encourages recurring donations: Suggests a recurring donation, providing an easy way for donors to support ongoing efforts.

Tips to refine your content

• Reinforce your mission: Tell AI to mention your mission to keep your content aligned with your organization’s goals and strengthen your nonprofit’s identity.
• Regenerate for fresh results: Don’t like the result? Click the REGENERATE button to get a new version with a different approach or perspective.
• Adjust length easily: If the content is too long or too short, simply ask AI to “make it 3 paragraphs” or “condense to 3 sentences” to fit your preferred length.
• Fine-tune tone: Specify your desired tone by instructing AI to “make it more formal,” “add a friendly tone,” or “be more professional” to better align with your organization’s voice.
• Enhance clarity: For more precise communication, ask AI to “simplify the language” or “clarify the key points” to ensure your audience understands your message.
• Focus on specifics: Direct AI to “add examples” or “include relevant statistics” to provide more depth and context, making your content more engaging and informative.

While the Bloomerang AI content assistant is an incredible time-saver for writing email copy, nothing can replace your personal touch and the unique voice of your organization. As you harness these tools, remember to infuse your content with the distinctive elements that make your story resonate deeply with your donors.

For more information about using our AI content assistant, check out our knowledgebase articles:

• Use the AI Content Assistant
• Write Effective Prompts in the AI Content Assistant

We’d love to hear about your experiences! Share your favorite prompts with us in the comments below!

The post Save Time With AI Content Assistant Prompts You Can Try Now appeared first on Bloomerang.

However, many nonprofits operate with tight budgets. According to a National Council of Nonprofits report, the vast majority of nonprofits operate at the grassroots level, and 88% have budgets less than $500,000. If your organization falls in this range, you may be interested in free, discounted, or affordable software solutions to help carry out your strategies while staying within budget.

This guide highlights the top affordable and free nonprofit software solutions to turn to for support. We’ve grouped these solutions into the following categories:

• Donor Management
• Fundraising
• Project Management
• Communication
• Design
• Forms
• Marketing
• Events
• Website Content Management System

As you assess each option, keep in mind that seemingly “free” platforms may still come with costs. Even platforms with no recurring monthly or yearly fee may require a transaction or processing fee to process donations. Carefully consider fee structures to find the right balance between access to features and a high net donation amount.

Low-cost nonprofit software FAQs

Nonprofit software comparison chart

Top free nonprofit software for forms

There are many moments throughout nonprofit work where a form can come in handy. Whether you need to gather volunteers’ dietary preferences for an event, ask donors for feedback, or survey your nonprofit’s staff about when they’d like to have your office Christmas party, form software can help you design the right form to gather crucial information.

Jotform

Additional free nonprofit software resources

Now that you’ve reviewed the pros and cons of no-cost fundraising tools, as well as a few top options, you can determine which solutions are worth it for your organization.

Looking for more information about nonprofit software? Learn more about how to make the most of the top nonprofit software solutions available to you with the help of these resources:

• Fundraising Apps: 25+ Tools To Help Your Org Raise More. Fundraising apps help you raise more for your nonprofit’s mission. Take a look at this comprehensive list of the best platforms available.
• 19 Incredibly Easy Online Fundraising Ideas and Expert Tips. Want to revamp your online fundraising strategy? Check out this complete guide to effective online fundraising tips and ideas.
• What is Donor Management Software? 9 Best Solutions. Ready to invest in a new donor database? Take a look at Bloomerang’s software buyer’s guide and ranking of the top donor management solutions.

The post 27 Recommended Affordable or Free Nonprofit Software Tools appeared first on Bloomerang.

Well, Dorethea, it depends on what type of gift and which donor segment (small, mid-size, or major givers) you have in mind. It also depends on your previous conversations or donor surveys. A gift can work to your advantage, but it can also work against you.

Dorethea was asking about sending gifts to her major donors. What defines a major donor varies. An easy way to define your major donors is to look at the range of giving from the top 20% to 30% of your donor base. In this case, Dorethea’s major giving range was $35,000 to $125,000, and she had 52 donors in that range. However, others may want to know about smaller giving donor segments, and whether they should receive gifts too–what we in fundraising call “premiums.” I’ll start there.

Donor premiums

Donor premiums are usually small gifts offered in exchange for donations. Think bumper stickers, coffee mugs, or tote bags. They seem like a great way to acknowledge supporters and turn them into regular givers.

Donor premiums can be a smart part of your fundraising strategy. However, it’s not as simple as it appears.

Not all holiday gifts to donors raise more

A Yale study in The Journal of Economic Psychology explains the counterintuitive effects of thank-you gifts on charitable giving. They focused on small gifts–pens, coffee mugs, or tote bags for example–offered as thank-you gifts to solicit charitable donations. They define “thank-you” gifts as low-value, non-monetary gifts offered to individuals who donate to the charity. You make the donation, you get a small token gift.

Their study describes a series of experiments that showed–contrary to expectations–that rewarding contributors actually cuts donations in most circumstances. The Yale researchers who conducted the study, George Newman, and Jeremy Shen, found that the most probable reason for the negative effect on contributions was that the gift activated a feeling of selfishness in donors, which, in turn, reduced altruism and cut the average donation.

Premiums may actually decrease charitable giving by reducing response rates and total dollars raised. They can change the mental calculus for the best donors and transform them from high-quality, high-motivation donors to non or lower giving donors. In some cases, the extrinsic motivator–the premium — isn’t nearly good enough to match or exceed the intrinsic motivation, the altruism of giving.

The lesson is that quality matters more than quantity. A powerful personal note that makes it to your donor’s fridge is worth 100 tote bags that end up in the trash.

A smallish premium can reduce a donor’s intrinsic motivation and ironically suppress giving. Premiums tend to be most effective for non-donors and, in some cases, lapsed donors. Doesn’t that make sense, given that those donors often have low engagement? Premiums, generally, are best used to boost donor acquisition by “sweetening the deal” so to speak. Some say that for your existing, active donors, there’s less of a reason to make a special offer because they’re already engaged. Should you do away with donor premiums? Not necessarily. Consider these examples of what works before you decide.

What gifts works?

The Yale study found that when nonprofits connected the premium with their mission, there was no reduction in gift size. For example, instead of saying, “If you donate, you’ll get a free tote bag,” frame the premium as an opportunity for the donor to help spread awareness. Explain to the recipient that a tote bag, bumper sticker, or coffee mug can be a conversation starter with someone who might be interested in supporting the cause. Think of all those bumper stickers you just couldn’t bear to throw out.

By connecting the premium to your mission, you encourage donors to advocate for your organization while letting them enjoy the gift. The negative effect found in the study took place when organizations offered the premium upfront as an incentive to donate. Since an unanticipated “thank-you” gift cannot create a feeling of selfishness, it presumably does not crowd out altruistic feelings.

Ask the donor

Consider giving major donors reasonable gifts that will resonate with their values. You may know, for example, that a major donor would welcome a certain type of gift because you have a relationship with them or your organization asked them in a donor survey. In a conversation you can ask, “At year end, we’d like to send you a token of our appreciation that reflects who we are. It’s generally a book related to our mission or a handmade craft produced by our clients. Is that okay? Yes or No.” Then you can record their answer in the donor’s record for future reference.

Examples of gifts that work

• As part of their year-end drive, The Fellowship of Reconciliation, a nonprofit organization, sent one major donor a book on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King. It contained a handwritten note from the Executive Director asking if they could set a time to talk. In reading the book, that donor could recall why their membership in the Fellowship was so important, and happily agreed to the call.
• The esteemed philanthropist, David Rubenstein, asked an Executive Director whether they wanted a copy of his important book, How to Lead. The ED was thrilled to be asked and responded, “Yes” immediately. While not raising funds, David intended to contribute to that nonprofit sector’s public education, a noble goal.
• The international nonprofit, Bread for the World, asked a donor for their input on the organizations holiday card designs. The donor appreciated being asked. There were six designs, and they could pick three. When their year-end appeal comes, that donor always contributes.
• Without asking, the ACLU sent one donor a copy of the U.S. Constitution. They wre very moved. But in this case, that door was already a declared legacy donor, so they knew they had a supporter.

Lastly, there’s giving the gift of a real relationship. It’s probably the most valuable gift you can give. It starts with regular phone calls to the donor, occasional Zoom meetings, and handwritten notes.

All of these examples convey the values of the nonprofit, and all were winners.

Have you sent holiday gifts to donors? What gifts have worked or do you think will work for your donors? Let us know in the comments below.

The post Deck The Halls With Donor Appreciation: Holiday Gifts To Donors appeared first on Bloomerang.

Feeding America’s mission is to advance change in America by ensuring equitable access to nutritious food for all. They support a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs nationwide. Many of their partnerships respond to food insecurity concerns and disaster relief efforts. Their network reaches children, seniors, and families no matter where they live or spend time.

They seek “an America where no one is hungry.”

Aaron and his team provide technical support for the fundraising and direct marketing efforts of the agency partners, especially to support the 200 food banks.

Aaron stressed how varied the food banks are: “Food Banks are not just how we’ve always thought of them, they are customized by region.” For example, he recently visited the San Antonio Food Bank located in San Antonio, TX. There, they welcome local hunters to donate specific, legally tagged, wild game meat, including deer, and they’ve designed an FDA-approved butchering process to package the meat for community members who select that food option. “It’s popular,” Aaron shared.

Feeding America, originally founded in 1979 as a faith-based organization, is headquartered in Chicago, IL, a central hub of the food industry. In 2021 it had an annual budget of $4.1 billion with net assets of $578 million. Founder John van Hengel developed the concept of food banking when he was a soup kitchen volunteer. The Feeding America National Organization relies on individual, corporate, and foundation support. Charity Navigator has awarded Feeding America a four-star rating for ten consecutive years. More than 98% of all donations go directly to feeding programs for people facing hunger.

Feeding America’s donor thank-you process

Here are the guiding principles for Feeding America’s donor thank-you process:

• Make the thank you as personal as possible, within scale.
• Send a series of automated email thank yous—starting with the one sent immediately after a donor makes a gift online—expressing thanks and encouraging engagement. “A thank you received a month after donating is not good,” says Aaron. “Instead, the email series is an opportunity to go deeper into donor relationships.” For each subsequent message, the Feeding America team will:
  • Customize the automatic email confirmation message to make it more personal and heartfelt, going beyond a simple acknowledgement.
  • Address the donor by name, explain how their contribution will make a difference, and consider including a short video featuring a beneficiary expressing gratitude. They usually send three emails over ten days. One of those emails will be an invitation to become a monthly donor/sustainer. They draw from an archive of videos and pictures to insert in the series that they also make available to their members.
• Refine donor segments to align with the communication as much as possible.
• Include specifics about the program that their donation funds.
• Make sure that the donation experience is both personalized and consistent for the donor across Feeding America and its member agencies.
• Make use of a New Donor Welcome Kit that contains sample content. Having a special packet for first-time donors that includes personalized thank-you notes, information about your organization’s impact, and future engagement opportunities is a best practice. One example of a new donor outreach email focuses on families that recently moved into an area served by one of their member agencies: the family receives a welcome email from Feeding America with community resources listed in it, but no request for financial support. Another example of engagement is when Feeding America asks its volunteers to sign cards to include in a new student backpack that a pantry is distributing.

Aaron pointed out that, “While the national Feeding America office provides guidance on which components the donor thank-you process should contain, there are 200 different thank you processes unique to each of the 200 food banks, and that’s just fine because each member of the Feeding America network is independent.”

Aaron also knows that constant quality improvement must be included in all their work as there’s always room for improvement.

When asked about the ultimate point of paying attention to the donor thank-you process, Aaron said, “Retention. Thanking a donor well increases donor retention multiple times. There’s nothing better than that.”

Taking a multi-pronged approach to nonprofit marketing

Feeding America advises using a multi-pronged direct marketing approach that includes and integrates direct mail, personal phone calls (including telemarketing), texting, and video.

Multichannel coordination is essential so that the donor isn’t sent competing messages. Aaron points out that only 34% of their food banks have a staff focused on digital services, but 85% work with a direct marketing vendor.

Aaron defines digital as integrating the website donation page, with digital paid ads, organic social media, with occasional infusions of peer-to-peer giving. While Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being developed for use in fundraising, most food banks have yet to integrate it into their strategies.

Direct mail had been Feeding America’s top revenue source, and while it continues to perform well, digital giving surpassed direct mail during the COVID-19 pandemic. We asked Aaron about Feeding America’s current commitment to direct mail. He said, “Direct mail’s role is changing, and how we use it is shifting and adapting to the power of online giving. Feeding America’s direct mail performance has stayed consistent, while digital has grown faster. But it’s the mail piece that often drives people to give online, so it’s all connected.”

All of these intersections make it possible for Feeding America to streamline their direct marketing efforts.

Aaron has been in regular discussions with Feeding America network food banks about adding a QR code to the direct mail exterior envelope in case the donor doesn’t even want to open the piece.

Texting donors is a more customized approach, so Aaron taps network members directly to learn more about their readiness for texting before sharing his guidance with them.

Most Executive Directors in the network make regular calls to their top donors, a practice encouraged by the national office. They also make sure to optimize their partner agency website giving page. And they often feature monthly giving programs during year-end giving drives to boost giving, and work toward more predictable and reliable income flows.

Overall, Aaron’s approach is to meet partner agencies where they are, but not leave them there if there is a reasonable path forward to advance their fundraising efforts.

Donor thank-you best practices

Here are other best practices to thank and inspire your donors:

1. Reach out personally: Make it a priority to personally thank your donors within 24-48 hours of receiving a donation either with a phone call or a handwritten note. Regardless of the size of the gift, every donor should receive a handwritten note to show your sincere appreciation. Many direct mail houses offer a handwritten note service that is genuine and effective.
2. Engage your board members and clients: Involve your board members and clients in the thank-you process. At the end of each board meeting, allocate time for members to write and sign thank-you cards. You can keep generic cards on hand, ready to personalize with the recipient’s name. Similarly, encourage clients to participate in creating thank-you cards.
3. Organize a designated thank-you team: Establish a team responsible for thank-you calls and notes to ensure consistent follow up. This team should include board members who are committed to reaching out to donors promptly. When a gift comes in, the team member receives the donor’s details and a script to guide the conversation.
4. Send holiday greetings: Send holiday postcards or email messages, including for New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and the year-end holiday season.
5. Use eNewsletter communications: Create an eNewsletter to regularly communicate with your donors. Share success stories and accomplishments, demonstrating the impact of their contributions on your clients. Shorter copy that tells a moving story is best.

Working in the food and hunger nonprofit industry

We asked Aaron what he thought about the field he works in, he said, “I’m inspired and impressed with the food support networks that exist. They’re creative, and they care about their communities. In every shared resource, they aim not just to make a difference, but to make a lasting impact.”

“We are actively feeding America!”

Aaron wanted us to remind you that by thanking donors for their gifts, you can increase supporter engagement with other opportunities, like volunteering, gala events, or in-kind donations.

We know from research that donors who feel appreciated will be more likely to champion your cause to their friends, family members, and other social connections. And that can only increase awareness for your mission and work.

What’s your experience unlocking the power of a donor thank you? Let us know in the comments below.

The post Unlocking the Power of a Donor Thank You: Feeding America’s Approach appeared first on Bloomerang.