5 Ways to Engage Annual Donors for the Long Run
Are you engaging your annual fund donors?
Most nonprofits receive the bulk of their operational funds through a small number of grants or major gifts, with the smaller annual gifts being counted upon to fill in the gaps. It may be tempting to dismiss those smaller gifts as you prioritize your fundraising time, but don’t do it. Annual gifts – and more importantly annual gift donors – matter a great deal to your organization and require care and appreciation.
Beyond providing important annual support for your operations, annual giving efforts accomplish important things for your organization.
Building Your Base – The donors who make gifts to your organization become your constituency. You include them in your mailings because they have indicated their interest in what you are doing. Your database of past and potential donors is one of your greatest assets and tools. Whether it is rallying voices to advocate for your cause or being able to show major gift funders the base of your support, your donors/members/potential donors impact the work you do.
Cultivating Your Volunteers and Major Gift Prospects – Your annual appeals show potential donors more about your organization, whether they come via email, text, or paper mail. Watch for donors who increase the size of their gifts. That might indicate the value they see in your work and potentially, interest in stepping up as a volunteer or major gift donor. Today’s inquiry about your organization’s mission may start a path toward a board leadership position years from now.
Creating Opportunities for Planned Gifts – Loyal annual donors who may not be interested in or capable of large outright gifts may want to include your organization in their estate plans. Your mailings and publications continually show them why your work – and their current and future gifts – matter.
As you approach your next annual gift appeal, make sure you have refreshed and updated your plans for today’s donors. Here are five annual giving areas where you could consider refreshing your efforts to raise the impact of your annual gift ask.
1. Make the Ask Compelling – Clearly show the impact annual gifts will have on your work. Every mailing is an opportunity to offer more stories, emphasize your mission and further connect them with your organization. Include the whys your organization addresses: Why does this work matter? Why should other people help with this? Why is this gift important?
2. Make Giving Easy – Donors expect up-to-date technology and easy to access information. Be ready for checks, credit card, fund transfers, appreciated assets, IRA distributions and any other gift vehicle. Include information about them where your donors will see it, such as on your gift intention card and your website.
3. Offer More – Include a QR Code on a mailing or a website link in an email or text. Give donors options to learn more about your organization’s work. Share your social media links. Keep your website current with news, photos, and video.
4. Know Your Donors and Focus Your Asks – Utilize the data and gift-giving patterns you have in your files to plan your ask or consider utilizing a wealth screening service on your data to create more targeted gift appeals. Segmenting your suggested ask amounts can be effective to increase annual gifts and identify potential major gift donors.
5. Show Gratitude – Research has shown over and again that donors want and expect nonprofits to acknowledge that their gift has been received and will be used as indicated on their intention card. Make this a priority. It doesn’t have to be costly in materials or time. How can you best show donors the work gifts support? Are there donors you should call or meet with to say thanks individually and learn why they support your organization?
These engagement tools are neither new nor fancy, but they remain high in priorities because they are important. A compelling message, easy transactions, opportunities to learn about your impact, segmented asks and capital G Gratitude will help your annual giving efforts succeed.
Every gift request matters because every gift and every donor matter to your work.
Let Strawhecker Nonprofit Services help you be more strategic about your fundraising and donor development. Give us a call to learn how wealth screening could help you.