The issue isn’t effort. It’s hidden friction inside fundraising systems that quietly limit growth.

Many nonprofits face the same patterns: low first-time donor retention, stagnant gift sizes, underperforming recurring programs, and technology that slows teams down instead of accelerating results.

These aren’t isolated issues—they’re signals your fundraising system isn’t working as one.

The good news? These stalls are identifiable and fixable. In this guide, we’ll explore five common fundraising growth barriers, how to recognize them, and what steps can help your organization move forward.

The 5 revenue stalls for fundraising

1. The first-time donor “retention gap”

According to the Fundraising Effectiveness Project, first-time donor retention averages at just 14%.

This means that for every ten new donors your organization acquires, nearly nine of them will never give again. Without strong follow-up engagement, donor acquisition becomes a cycle that consumes time and resources without creating long-term growth. This doesn’t just impact retention—it also limits gift growth and recurring conversion. This not only harms donor retention but also restricts gift growth and the conversion of one-time gifts into recurring donations.

The hidden revenue gap

Ultimately, you’re missing out on a lot of money, and long term, those losses compound into a greater financial loss. For example, organizations using Bloomerang have reported first-time donor retention rates as high as 52%,¹ meaning you’re missing out on hundreds or even thousands of donors and potentially tens of thousands of dollars over 5 years.

Want to see how much you’re losing out on? Plug in your numbers with our ROI calculator!

2. The “median gift” stagnation trap

The 2025 M+R Benchmarks report found the average one-time gift to be $126.

If your median gift size isn’t growing, your donation experience could be limiting generosity. Unoptimized donation forms, lengthy checkout flows, or static ask amounts can unintentionally cap giving potential.

The hidden revenue gap

If your standard gift size is plateauing, you’re losing out on potential income. Bloomerang customers see an average one-time gift of $166—and up to $191 for larger organizations,² and those dollars you’re missing add up to some major revenue loss for your mission.

3. The recurring giving “value leak”

According to the 2025 M+R Benchmarks report, the average monthly donation is $24.

Recurring donors are a source of sustainable support you can cultivate. However, many platforms unintentionally limit monthly gift size through default donation levels or unclear giving options.

The hidden revenue gap

Having recurring donors is great—but missing out on revenue can prevent your nonprofit from growing. For instance, Bloomerang customers report an average of $38 per monthly gift.³ What could you do with 58% more each month from your recurring donors?

4. The “legacy tech” growth tax

The Fundraising Effectiveness Project report found that mid-sized nonprofits ($250K–$1M revenue) experienced −0.5% median revenue growth.

Your software can be a big contributor to stunting your growth. Outdated fundraising systems often create hidden costs—requiring your staff to spend more time managing data, exporting reports, and fixing workflow issues instead of building donor relationships.

The hidden revenue gap

Spending more on software can cost your mission hundreds and thousands of funds every year. Similar nonprofits using the Bloomerang Giving Platform 9.5% annual growth⁴—highlighting a lot of revenue left on the table for other organizations.

5. The “fragmented platform” growth gap

Many nonprofits rely on a patchwork of tools: one system for CRM, another for donations, another for volunteer management. These disconnected systems prevent organizations from seeing the full donor journey—from volunteer activity to event participation to giving history.

Without that context, engagement strategies become fragmented and less effective as opportunities get lost between systems and data silos, resulting in a measurable decline in year-over-year revenue.

The hidden revenue gap

How much are data silos and unconnected tools costing your nonprofit? The answer may surprise you. For example, organizations leveraging the full Bloomerang platform see an grow around 1.5x the rate⁵ compared to customers using only two products of the platform. That’s thousands of dollars in potential income loss.

The answer isn’t five strategies—it’s one unified system

Each of these “revenue killers” may look like separate problems—but they all stem from the same root issue: disconnected systems and manual processes.

When donor data, giving experiences, and engagement workflows operate in silos:

• New donors aren’t followed up with consistently
• Gift amounts stay static
• Recurring programs underperform
• Staff spend time managing tools instead of building relationships

Fixing each issue individually can create incremental improvements—but it doesn’t eliminate the underlying friction. Sustainable growth requires a system that works as one.

A unified system doesn’t just fix individual problems—it systematically removes the friction causing them. The result: every part of the fundraising system reinforces the others—turning isolated improvements into compounding growth.

What is the long term impact? 

Over five years, this difference compounds significantly. Nonprofits using the full Bloomerang platform experience roughly 70% cumulative revenue growth, demonstrating how unified systems can accelerate fundraising momentum.

1. Transform your retention gap with lifecycle automation

With a unified platform like Bloomerang, every new donor triggers an automated journey:

• Immediate, personalized acknowledgment
• Timely impact follow-up
• Targeted second-gift ask

This ensures consistent stewardship without relying on manual intervention—directly improving retention rates.

2. From gift stagnation to dynamic giving optimization

Giving experiences adapt in real time when you use a unified giving platform:

• Suggested amounts adjust based on donor behavior
• Forms are simplified to reduce friction
• Express donation options reduce drop-off

This removes barriers to generosity and increases average gift size.

3. Transform your value leak into structured upgrade paths

Recurring giving is built into the system—not treated as an afterthought:

• Monthly giving is promoted as a primary option
• Annual impact is clearly communicated
• Donors are prompted to upgrade over time

This increases both participation and long-term donor value.

4. Move from legacy tech to workflow automation

With a unified system, manual processes are replaced with automation:

• Data flows seamlessly across tools
• Reporting is generated automatically
• Staff time shifts from administration to donor engagement

This reduces operational drag and improves team efficiency.

5. Replace fragmentation with a 360-degree donor view

One unified giving platform means all your engagement data lives in one place, including:

• Giving history
• Event participation
• Volunteer activity

This creates a complete picture of each donor, enabling more relevant and effective outreach.

Final thoughts

Fundraising growth rarely stalls for a single reason. It’s often the result of multiple small inefficiencies: low retention, flat gift sizes, underperforming recurring programs, and disconnected systems.

Fortunately, these obstacles can be overcome through a combination of effective strategy, strong stewardship, and appropriate technology. Genuine, sustainable growth isn’t about fixing individual issues in isolation—it comes from eliminating the disconnects and friction points between your fundraising efforts. When your fundraising functions as a unified system, every positive change amplifies the others, transforming modest improvements into sustained, long-term revenue momentum.

Additional resources

• A Complete Guide to Streamlining Your Systems. Explore how to cut the clutter in your tech stack and do more without adding more systems.
• How to Upgrade Nonprofit Donors Using Suggested Donations. Learn more about how suggested donations impact online fundraising.
• Donor Stewardship: Key Tips to Build Relationships. Discover effective strategies that ensure your donors feel seen and appreciated.

Data Validation

¹ Organizations using Bloomerang have reported first-time donor retention rates as high as 52% for nonprofits under $100K in revenue, and around 45% for organizations in the $1M–$10M range, demonstrating the impact of strong donor relationship management.

² Bloomerang customers report an average one-time gift of $166. For larger organizations ($1M–$10M in revenue), average gifts rise to $191, significantly exceeding industry averages.

³ Bloomerang data shows nonprofit customers between $100K and $10M in revenue averaging $38 per monthly gift, approximately 58% higher than the industry average.

⁴ Organizations in the same mid-sized revenue segment using the Bloomerang Giving Platform report 9.5% annual growth, outperforming the industry. Nonprofits switching from other platforms see even greater growth with Blackbaud eTapestry users switching to Bloomerang have reported average revenue growth of 98% in their first year.

⁵ Nonprofits using the full Bloomerang Giving Platform experience an average yearly revenue increase of 11.14% compared to those using only a single product. This means organizations using the complete platform grow 1.5× faster than those using only two products.

The post The 5 Silent “Revenue Killers” Stalling Your Mission—And How to Fix Them appeared first on Bloomerang.

The urgency of year-end giving has passed. Inboxes are quieter. Teams are tired. And yet—this is often the most important moment of the year for your donor relationships.

For many nonprofits, the year-end season brought a surge of generosity—new supporters giving for the first time, longtime donors renewing their commitment, and recurring donors continuing to show up month after month. What happens next matters more than the ask that brought them in.

Before donors are asked to give again—whether it’s their second gift, their tenth, or the next installment of a recurring commitment—they need to be thanked. They need to see the impact of their generosity. And they need to feel that their support—ongoing or new—wasn’t just received, but truly valued.

Because while fundraising calendars move on, donors remember how you made them feel.

That’s why we created Love Your Donors Day. Not as a seasonal distraction or a one-off moment, but as a deliberate pause—an opportunity to recognize the people behind generosity. The donors and the doers. The volunteers, advocates, board members, and supporters who show up again and again to fuel your mission.

This moment exists for one simple reason: donor love isn’t extra or nice. It’s essential.

The Data Tells a Clear Story: Retention Is the Real Risk

If the nonprofit sector has a quiet crisis right now, it isn’t generosity—it’s connection.

According to the latest Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP) Q3 2025 report, total dollars raised are estimated to be up 3.7% year over year. At the same time, the number of donors continues to decline—down roughly 3%, even after accounting for late-reported data.

That gap matters, because it tells us something critical: giving is increasingly concentrated among fewer people.

When we look closer, the picture becomes even clearer. Micro-donors—those giving between $1 and $100—make up more than half of all donors, yet they have the lowest retention rate at just 21.3%. New donor retention remains stubbornly low at around 14%, meaning most first-time supporters never return. Meanwhile, repeat donors—those who feel known, appreciated, and connected—continue to be the most stable and valuable segment in the sector.

This is a relationship problem and relationships aren’t built through transactions alone.

What Actually Improves Retention: Start With Appreciation

The good news is that retention isn’t a mystery—it’s measurable, learnable, and deeply human.

In Bloomerang’s Mission Retainable research, donors consistently told us the same thing: they stay connected when they feel informed, valued, and seen. In fact, 65% of donors say receiving regular updates about their impact helps them feel more connected to a nonprofit, and 30% cite personal recognition or thank-yous as a key driver of commitment.

High-retention nonprofits share a few common practices. They thank donors promptly and personally. They show impact early and often—reinforcing the value of every gift, whether it’s someone’s first or part of a long-standing commitment. And they continue the conversation beyond the receipt, using updates, stories, and milestones to reinforce that every gift mattered.

The data also makes one thing clear: appreciation works best when it happens before the next ask. Donors who are thanked within 24–48 hours are significantly more likely to give again, and organizations that prioritize personalized communication see stronger long-term loyalty across every donor segment.

Retention doesn’t start with a campaign. It starts with a relationship—and appreciation is often the first signal that a relationship is worth continuing.

Celebrating the Donors and the Doers

Appreciation doesn’t stop with donors—and retention doesn’t either.

One thing we want to be clear in stewardship and Love Your Donors Day is that generosity shows up in many forms. Yes, through financial gifts. But also through time, expertise, advocacy, and care. Volunteers, board members, peer fundraisers, and community champions are all part of the ecosystem that sustains nonprofit work—and they deserve to be recognized as such.

Sector data reinforces this connection. Volunteers are significantly more likely to become donors over time, and often more loyal ones. When people are acknowledged for how they show up—not just how much they give—they deepen their relationship with a mission and are more likely to stay engaged.

That’s the spirit behind Love Your Donors Day and the toolkit we created to support it. It’s a collection of practical, low-lift resources designed to help nonprofits express appreciation to everyone who contributes—whether they give money, time, or services. Because meaningful stewardship isn’t about narrowing your focus; it’s about widening your gratitude.

When people feel valued for who they are—not just what they give—they stay. And when appreciation becomes inclusive, relationships become stronger across the entire community.

An Invitation for February—and Beyond

Love Your Donors Day is ultimately an invitation.

An invitation to slow down after the rush of year-end giving and focus on what sustains generosity over time. An invitation to thank the donor who gave for the first time, the supporter who has given for years, and the recurring donor who quietly shows up every month. To recognize the volunteer who contributes time and talent week after week. And to celebrate the advocates, board members, and community builders whose contributions don’t always come with a receipt—but matter just as much.

This February, we encourage you to make appreciation a practice, not a checkbox.

Use the free resources in our Love Your Donors Toolkit to help you say thank you in ways that feel genuine and doable. Use the Love Lab to generate appreciation letters. Explore ideas that make impact visible before the next ask. And take part in Love Your Donors Day by entering our $1,000 giveaway—our small way of giving back to the nonprofits doing this work every day.

Most of all, use this moment as a reset. A reminder that stewardship isn’t separate from fundraising—it’s what makes fundraising possible. Afterall, fundraising is a relationship business. 

When appreciation is consistent, inclusive, and heartfelt, people stay connected. And when people stay connected, missions grow stronger.

Let’s make February a month of gratitude—for the donors and the doers behind nonprofit work, and for the relationships that make lasting impact possible.

The post A Letter to Nonprofits: Why Donor Love Matters More Than Ever appeared first on Bloomerang.

Dear Charity Clairity,

For sustaining donors (monthly), I send a quarterly thank you. Is that sufficient? Do you have a better idea?

— Balancing Priorities

Dear Balancing Priorities,

Let us begin with something I truly believe: You can never thank donors too much.

Yes, it’s work. But the effort is well worth the investment. Because donors who feel appreciated give more and more often.

But, wait. You say these folks are already giving more often? True. But… they’re free to stop at any time. They’re also free to make a larger commitment at any time. That’s what you really hope for. Because a $50/month donor ($600/year) can easily become a $60 donor ($720) without batting an eye. If you have 100 donors doing this, you’ll generate an additional $7200. 1,000 donors? $72,000. That’s so much easier than trying to get one or two major donors to give you this sum.

So, yes, it’s work to thank a little bit more often. Yet it’s one of the most surefire ways I know to increase donor lifetime value.

A thank you is an opportunity to connect meaningfully

Why not reframe your approach from “chore” to “opportunity?” Researcher Penelope Burk has worked over two decades in assessing what donors want, and a prompt, personal, outcome-focused thank you is at the top of the list. In a Burk Donor Survey, 40% of respondents said they had received at least one thank-you letter in recent memory they would describe as exceptional. Its “warm, personal tone making the letter feel like it was written just for me” was cited most often.

• 45% of donors said it was an outstanding thank-you letter that inspired them to give again.
• 23% said they gave more generously because of the quality of the acknowledgement they received.

If your modus operandi is calculating how little you can get away with when it comes to donor acknowledgements, you’re missing the boat.  You’ll still have the original pledge, but you’re unlikely to get an upgrade or legacy commitment.

On top of that, your donors just won’t feel as good as they could. And isn’t part of the social benefit sector’s mission to spread joy – thereby making our world, and the people in it, just a little bit happier?  As the “Father” of modern fundraising, Hank Rosso, is famous for saying:

“Fundraising is the gentle art of teaching the joy of giving.”

Let’s talk a bit about simple ways to leverage the thank-you process to inspire greater happiness and loyalty.

6 keys to effectively thank monthly donors

There is a HUGE difference between thank you’s that fulfill the requirement of acknowledging gifts and thank you’s that inspire donor love and devotion. Don’t forget: monthly donors are some of your best bets for legacy gifts. So, keeping them committed and identified with your cause is tremendously important.

1. Flatter your donor.

People respond to compliments; in fact, they crave them. “You are amazing.” “You made this happen.” Flattery is a gift. When you help people feel appreciated and loved, you help them attain the highest goal to which most people aspire in their search for meaning.

2. Lean on impactful visuals.

A picture, indeed, is worth 1,000 words. Close-ups with captions work wonders. Here are two examples from Vida Joven, which sends something brief (it doesn’t need to take even an hour of your time) every month:

3. Focus on the outcome.

Put this together with the wonderful qualities the donor possesses (e.g., vision, insight, caring, understanding, generosity, compassion, remembrance). “Jimmy will go to bed with a full tummy tonight – because you cared.” “You remembered – because Gloria couldn’t.”

4. Stand out!

It’s critical your donor perceives they are being thanked. Don’t add in an ask. Don’t go on and on with your organization’s case for support – which can make your communication sound like another pitch. Keep it simple. Heartfelt. Pure gratitude.

5. Close warmly.

“Sincerely” is a bit formal and does nothing to build a relationship. A thank you letter is a place to gush a little. Instead, try something heartfelt or mission related: “In gratitude,;” “Warmly,;” “With appreciation and admiration,;” “For the love of theater,;” “In celebration of you,;” “From the bottom of my heart,” etc. Here’s another Vida Joven example:

6. Add a targeted, personal touch.

For those who give a gift that’s above your average, it’s worth acknowledging this special commitment with an “above average” thank you. After all, you probably thank donors of $1,000 differently than donors who give $100 or less, right? A $100/month ($1,200/year) donor should be treated similarly. Pick up the phone! [ Grab my free “Donor Thank You Calls E-Book + Script.”] Leave a pure gratitude voicemail if you don’t reach them. Send a personalized thank-you text or video. And make sure, when sending a newsletter or connecting in person, you offer opportunities for donors to get involved in other ways than just giving. Make them feel valued as people, not just wallets, and they’ll value you as well.

Bottom line: you’ve already done the hard part

One of the least acknowledged benefits of monthly giving programs, from the donor perspective, is that giving more frequently in smaller amounts can give your donor a recurring pleasure high.

This is a great argument for a monthly giving program as a way to offer donors greater rewards. Lean into it!  Think of “recurring gifts” as a two-way street. They keep giving AND you keep giving.

They’re doing it monthly. Maybe you should too?

Hope this seems like a balanced approach,

— Charity Clairity (Please use a pseudonym if you prefer to be anonymous when you submit your own question, like “Balancing Priorities” did.)

How often does your organization thank monthly donors? Let us know in the comments.

The post What’s the Best Way to Thank Monthly Donors? appeared first on Bloomerang.

You send the email.
You make the call.
You follow up—politely, professionally, thoughtfully.

And then… nothing. No reply. No acknowledgment. No signal of interest or disinterest. Just silence.

For many fundraisers, donor silence feels personal. It triggers doubt. Did I say the wrong thing? Did I wait too long? Did they lose confidence in us? Should I push harder—or back off completely?

Here’s the truth most fundraisers need to hear—and hear often:

Donor silence usually has very little to do with you.

But what you do after that silence? That part matters a lot. This article will help you separate what’s outside your control from what absolutely isn’t—and show you how to respond in ways that build trust, loyalty, and long-term generosity.

Donor silence often has nothing to do with you

Let’s start by lowering the temperature in the room.

A donor’s decision to pause, delay, or disengage is far more likely tied to their personal life than to your performance as a fundraiser. Donors are human beings first, philanthropists second. And human lives are messy, unpredictable, and constantly changing.

People disappear for reasons that have nothing to do with your mission, your message, or your competency. They go quiet because life intervenes—sometimes loudly, sometimes quietly, and sometimes all at once.

Here are some of the most common (and invisible) reasons donors temporarily go dark:

• Holiday busyness
• A health issue or unexpected surgery
• Buying or selling a home
• Navigating a complicated tax situation
• Moving, downsizing, or relocating
• Caring for aging parents or family members
• Feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or emotionally tapped out
• Experiencing a season of major personal transition
• Family problems

Notice what’s missing from that list: you.

When donors stop responding, it’s easy to overanalyze or assume rejection. But more often than not, silence is simply a signal that life has become crowded. Your message didn’t land at the wrong time—it landed in the middle of something else.

The key lesson here is simple but powerful:

Don’t sweat the things you can’t control.

You cannot manage a donor’s health, stress level, family obligations, or emotional bandwidth. Trying to decode silence without context will only drain your energy and confidence. Great fundraisers learn to stay grounded when responses slow—and they don’t panic when they lose visibility into a donor’s world.

How to respond when a donor’s life gets disrupted

When a donor’s life becomes complicated, your role isn’t to fix it—or to fill the silence with pressure. Your role is to shift into empathy.

This is the moment where average fundraising behavior and exceptional fundraising behavior diverge. Some fundraisers push harder. Others disappear completely. The best fundraisers stay present without being intrusive.

Instead of escalating urgency or retreating into avoidance, respond with humanity. Acknowledge what might be happening. Offer patience. Make it clear that the relationship matters more than the transaction.

When donors feel respected during difficult seasons, something important happens. They learn that your interest in them isn’t conditional. That you value them as people, not just as check writers. And that kind of experience creates loyalty that no clever appeal ever will.

Ironically, the less pressure you apply in moments like this, the more trust you build.

But here’s the twist: you should sweat the things you can control

While donor circumstances are outside your control, donor experience is not. This is where accountability comes back into the picture—not as self-criticism, but as opportunity.

Many donors don’t stop giving because life got busy. They stop giving because something quietly eroded their confidence in the organization. Not dramatically. Not all at once. But gradually, through small misses and overlooked details.

Here are the most common reasons donors disengage that are within your control:

• They didn’t feel thanked in a meaningful way
• Their generosity felt taken for granted
• Communication was inconsistent or sloppy
• Impact was vague or never clearly shown
• Messages felt generic or mass-produced
• Follow-up was slow, unreliable, or impersonal
• You sent too many messages that started to annoy them

None of these issues are about money. They’re about experience. And experience is where great fundraising lives or dies.

Your job isn’t to control donor behavior. Your job is to control the quality of every interaction they have with your organization.

Become a standout fundraiser by mastering the controllables

Exceptional fundraisers don’t obsess over outcomes they can’t dictate. They obsess over execution they can perfect.

They understand that loyalty is built through hundreds of small, thoughtful moments—not one big ask. They know that donors stay when they feel seen, respected, and confident that their generosity matters.

Here’s where elite fundraising teams focus their energy:

• Upgrade donor communications by thanking promptly, writing personally, making thank-you calls, and avoiding generic language that makes supporters feel like a line item in a database.
• Demonstrate impact clearly and consistently, using real stories, emotional close-up photos, and tangible outcomes that connect the donor’s gift to meaningful change.
• Deliver excellent donor care, treating donors like partners, responding reliably, following through, and communicating with warmth and professionalism

This is where organizations quietly separate themselves from the pack. Most nonprofits are decent at asking. Far fewer are exceptional at stewardship.

When donors experience consistent excellence—especially in small things—they don’t just continue giving. They deepen their commitment. They advocate. They trust.

And trust is the most valuable currency in fundraising.

Happy donors become loyal donors

Donor loyalty doesn’t come from pressure. It comes from confidence. Every timely thank-you reinforces trust.

Every thoughtful update builds reassurance. Every personalized interaction reminds donors they matter.

The cumulative effect of these moments is powerful. Donors who feel valued don’t disappear easily. Even when life gets complicated, the relationship remains intact. They may pause—but they don’t detach.

This is why the small stuff matters so much. Sweat the details. Polish the experience. Show up consistently. Yes, it takes effort. Yes, it requires discipline. And yes, it may make you sweat a little. But the return is worth it.

Final thoughts

Great fundraising isn’t about pressure—it’s about presence. It’s about understanding when to lean in and when to give space. It’s about extending empathy when donors are navigating life, and excellence when you’re shaping their experience with your organization.

Don’t internalize silence that has nothing to do with you. Do take responsibility for every touchpoint you control. When you do both well, you don’t just raise more money. You build durable, respectful, human relationships—the kind that last for years.

And that’s what great fundraising has always been about.

The post Unresponsive Donors: A Smarter Way to Respond appeared first on Bloomerang.

Dear Charity Clairity,

Right now, I am signing and jotting a note on the acknowledgement letter for every gift made by a donor in my portfolio of roughly 1,500 donors of $1,000-$9,999, as well as prospects (event attendees/invitees, some non-donors, and others who’ve been identified through research as having good potential). These are all folks whom I am attempting to build relationships with to some degree. While I recognize it might be more effective for the signer to be someone higher up in the organization, we are all geographically spread out and, even if we weren’t, nobody else has the bandwidth to be signing these. We recently promoted someone to Senior Development Associate/Board Liaison, and I’m wondering if we could have them sign letters? This would be mostly for gifts below $1k, with the goal of giving these folks extra attention to bring them up to, and beyond the $1,000 level. 

— Too Many Letters to Sign

Dear Too Many Letters to Sign,

You note your goal is to build relationships.

And the strategy you’ve outlined towards achieving this outcome is signing and jotting personal notes on acknowledgements.

Let’s break this down.

• The goal is spot on.
• Your strategy of special, individual notes is terrific – a great starting point.
• Getting personal is key to building and sustaining relationships.

But whether this works effectively will depend on what else you do. As well as what others within your organization do. Because philanthropy facilitation is a team effort.

A team approach to the gratitude game.

Ideally, everyone is part of your culture of philanthropy. Sometimes, the task of instilling this culture falls to a visionary development staffer. It begins with encouraging team members to come from a place of “love of humanity” in all their interactions – extending this both internally and externally.

The key is playing to each individual’s strengths. When they get personal, they should do so through an expression of their unique selves.

So, before assigning donor-facing, relationship-building duties to anyone, consider where their strengths lie. Are they good with people? Do they listen well. Are they curious? Would any of these adjectives apply to them: empathic, kind, generous, creative, optimistic, inspiring, collaborative, resilient?

How donor relationships blossom.

If they don’t put their best, most authentic self into the relationship then it’s not really going to become a relationship.  It will simply be a transaction. Transactions end. Relationships bloom.

It’s a mistake to get fixated on a single task (signing; note jotting) lest it become a mere transaction. One you simply check of your list, before planning ahead for the follow-through moves and touches that will result in a transformative journey for the donor – and, hopefully, for your organization as well.

Okay, let’s get to the meat of your question.

Here are some strategies I’ve found effective for acknowledgements:

1. Prompt response. This means 48 hours for snail mail and instantaneous for email or texts sent in response to online gifts. Note, I consider this the “official” response that lets donors know their gift was received and appreciated (i.e., it didn’t go into a black hole). This does not mean a subsequent thank you, from someone else, might not be optimal (see below).

2. Handwritten signatures. Some people will actually lick their fingers to see if the ink smudges off. They want to know someone took the time to personally sign their letter. And, yes, the more important the better. Because sometimes people care that the head of the organization knows they gave.

3. Adding personal handwritten notes. These are MAGIC – so keep doing what you’re doing. To me, a thank you letter without a personal note is like a Hallmark card with nothing but a signature.  It simply looks like you couldn’t be bothered to even try to connect. They’re best when you can refer back to a recent communication or meeting with the donor to show them you know them (e.g., “Great to see you at the Gala,” “Hope your daughter is enjoying college!,” “Seen any good films lately?” or “Looking forward to our coffee!”). But even something simple like “Your dedication means a lot!” or “You are our hero!” work well. 

• The note can be written directly on the appeal letter itself, or
• On a little sticky note you affix to the top (visible when the recipient opens the appeal).

4. Adding more personal handwritten notes. Whatever you do, don’t cut back on these. You likely won’t have the bandwidth to write notes on every letter, but you can definitely do so where it’s likely to give you the biggest bang for your buck.  There are two places where I’d suggest you focus:

• Donors who’ve made above-average gifts to you in the past. First, figure out what the average gift was to your organization. Second, run a report of everyone who gave more than this amount. Might you be able to add notes to these folks’ appeals? You can have a volunteer or staff person do this. Just something simple like: “Thanks for your support. It means a lot!” “You make all the difference!” “Your generosity means the world to those who rely on our support.” What’s important is you begin with you and you put it in handwriting, so the donor feels special. Because you took the time to single them out.
  
• Donors who have connections to your board and committee members, other donors, and volunteers. People give to people, not organizations. So, if someone the recipient knows adds a personal note, they’ll automatically pay more attention. It’s a form of social proof, one of the key principles of influence espoused by Robert Cialdini. If someone else thinks your organization is worth supporting, then the recipient is likely to agree. For them, the note acts as a decision-making shortcut.

5. Added thank you phone call. (See below)

6. Additional thank you letter or note. (See below)

Here are some relationship-building ideas for you moving forward:

1. Continue signing acknowledgements and writing brief personal notes for everyone in your current portfolio. (I’m assuming it’s mid-level, and you have someone else handling major gifts) If you have too many folks to handle, hand some off to your new Senior Associate. If there are a few who would benefit from a note from your senior leadership, select these out and ask your staff or board members what they can realistically handle.

• You might consider having the letters signed by a senior leader, while you then add the personal, handwritten note. It could be something like “You rock! All of us here are so grateful for your meaningful support.” If you know the donor is close to your Executive, you might even write: “Monika asked me to let you know personally how much we all appreciate your support.”

2. Create a mid-level portfolio for your Associate (starting with donors from $500 – $999). Prioritize those who’ve made first-time gifts at this level (this is a significant initial commitment, so special treatment is warranted) and those for whom your research shows additional capacity.

3. Make prompt thank you phone calls to targeted donors. Yes, this adds to your workload. But, research shows it’s well worth it.

• BONUS: For folks on your list who should really get a letter from senior leadership, you can make the prompt call, letting them know they’ll receive their official thank you later. Do leave a quick message, letting them know how to contact you should they ever have any questions. It’s so nice when people feel they have “their person” with whom to connect!

Having too many letters to sign is a good problem! If you can hire folks to help you, great. If not, identify others on your team who may be the right fit for this sort of task. Then, allocate a portion of their time to what I like to call your “Donor Love and Loyalty” program.

Hopefully, these tips will help you make the case to allocate more resources to this magical relationship-building strategy.

— Charity Clairity (Please use a pseudonym if you prefer to be anonymous when you submit your own question, like “Too Many Letters to Sign” did.)

How does your organization navigate stock donations? Let us know in the comments.

The post What’s the best way to acknowledge gifts if you hope to use them to build donor relationships? appeared first on Bloomerang.

Introducing Mobile Video Acknowledgements from Bloomerang. We’ve built a new way for you to effortlessly spark richer, more meaningful donor connections by sending personalized thank-you videos directly from your mobile device. This feature is designed to make every supporter feel seen, valued, and deeply connected to your cause, turning your expressions of gratitude into your next wave of impact.

Mobile Video Acknowledgements bring your message to life, conveying emotion and sincerity in a way that text alone never can!

Create deeper, more meaningful connections

Imagine a donor receives a donation receipt for a gift they just made. A few moments later, they receive an email with a personal video from you. You greet them by name, thank them for their specific gift, and perhaps even show them exactly how their contribution is making a difference—a new book for the library, a happy animal at the shelter, a smiling face at your community center.

This is the kind of memorable, standout experience that inspires a true sense of shared purpose. With Mobile Video Acknowledgements, you can:

• Record videos up to 90 seconds long: Perfect for a short, heartfelt message.
• Send directly via email: The video lands right in your donor’s inbox, ready to make their day.
• Acknowledge donors from anywhere: See a special donation come in while you’re at an event? Thank them on the spot.

Effortlessly communicate your impact

As a nonprofit professional, your time is your most precious resource. You’re constantly balancing fundraising, program management, and community outreach. We designed Mobile Video Acknowledgements to be as efficient as it is effective.

The entire process happens within the Bloomerang mobile app, built right into the Bloomerang Giving Platform.

1. See a donation: When you see a new gift in your activity feed, you’ll have an option to respond.
2. Tap to record: Select “+ Video” to open your camera and record your message.
3. Personalize and send: Review your video, make any edits to the email, and send it on its way.

That’s it. There’s no need to export lists, switch between apps, or manage complex third-party integrations. If you have Bloomerang’s Journey Automation you can even schedule reminder tasks for your team to create thank-you videos after a donation is made! It’s a seamless part of your workflow, empowering you to create impactful messages that transform every interaction into a meaningful gesture of appreciation.

Inspire lasting donor loyalty

Timely, personal thank-yous are a cornerstone of donor retention. When a supporter feels genuinely appreciated, they are far more likely to give again. In fact, donors are 4x more likely to give to your organization again if you thank them within 48 hours of receiving their gift. Mobile Video Acknowledgements helps you build this cycle of generosity.

Every video you send is automatically logged as an acknowledgement interaction on the constituent’s timeline in Bloomerang. This ensures your team has a complete view of every touchpoint, allowing you to build smarter, more personalized engagement strategies over time to boost your donor retention. You’ll have a clear record of your personal outreach, helping you understand what resonates most with your supporters and keep them coming back to give time and time again.

This feature is included in all Bloomerang Giving Platform bundles, with no limit on the number of videos you can create or send. We want to empower every organization to make personal connection a central part of their fundraising strategy.

Start fostering deeper connections today

Change doesn’t happen by accident. It happens on purpose, fueled by the relationships you build with those who share your vision. Mobile Video Acknowledgements provides a simple yet powerful way to celebrate generosity, deepen those connections, and inspire the kind of loyalty that will accelerate your impact for years to come.

The post Turn gratitude into impact with Mobile Video Acknowledgments 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.

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