First time donor retention rates are surprisingly low– between 22% and 29%, according to Blackbaud’s Charitable Giving Report. If we apply the key principle of account-based marketing to charitable giving, we can reason that it should be easier to convince a one-time donor to give again than it is to acquire a new donor in his or her place. What are some fundraising ideas organizations can leverage to increase donor retention rates? delivered at the right time in the right way, can make all the difference.
One key donor appreciation strategy is recognition. Both privately and in public, donors should receive sincere expressions of gratitude from the institution they have chosen to support financially. This can be done with a donor appreciation speech at fundraising or other events, with a donor appreciation letter, by a mention in newsletters, or with a meaningful donor appreciation gift.
Even more important than recognition is stewardship and impact reporting, demonstrating the return on the donor’s investment. What has their donation achieved? Whose lives have been impacted by their gift? The answers to these important questions help donors feel good about their contribution and encourage continued giving.
One key donor appreciation strategy is recognition. Both privately and in public, donors should receive sincere expressions of gratitude from the institution they have chosen to support financially. This can be done with a donor appreciation speech at fundraising or other events, with a donor appreciation letter, by a mention in newsletters, or with a meaningful donor appreciation gift.
Even more important than recognition is stewardship and impact reporting, demonstrating the return on the donor’s investment. What has their donation achieved? Whose lives have been impacted by their gift? The answers to these important questions help donors feel good about their contribution and encourage continued giving.
Video is a powerful, personable means of delivering a message. With a personalized message from a university dean, scholarship recipient, or another benefactor, video can be leveraged to clearly demonstrate how their donation was used to make the world a better place and give donors a sense of satisfaction and well-being that leads to further giving. But how can we ensure that the donor actually watches this personalized video?
One of our favorite donor appreciation tactics is to incorporate the video into the customized packaging of a meaningful gift. When the recipient opens a presentation box with their own name and company logo on the exterior, a video player embedded inside the lid begins playing a personalized message with a clear call to action. The gift, the enclosed note, and all other elements of the experience demonstrate that a lot of thought has gone into this donor gift, and that they are deeply valued by the sender.
Video is a powerful, personable means of delivering a message. With a personalized message from a university dean, scholarship recipient, or another benefactor, video can be leveraged to clearly demonstrate how their donation was used to make the world a better place and give donors a sense of satisfaction and well-being that leads to further giving. But how can we ensure that the donor actually watches this personalized video?
One of our favorite donor appreciation tactics is to incorporate the video into the customized packaging of a meaningful gift. When the recipient opens a presentation box with their own name and company logo on the exterior, a video player embedded inside the lid begins playing a personalized message with a clear call to action. The gift, the enclosed note, and all other elements of the experience demonstrate that a lot of thought has gone into this donor gift, and that they are deeply valued by the sender.
“Make your donors feel like they are the most important person in the world. On the surface, investments like these seem high. But when you consider how much they’ll talk about you with their friends, it’s totally worth it.”
“Make your donors feel like they are the most important person in the world. On the surface, investments like these seem high. But when you consider how much they’ll talk about you with their friends, it’s totally worth it.”
They wanted this gift to convey the message that the university considers the donors invaluable, and that there are certain privileges associated with exclusive generosity. We worked with their Development Communications team to understand the university’s values and self-image and learned that the school’s heritage was of great importance to staff and alumni.
In 2012, Boston University launched their biggest fundraise initiative ever, with a goal of raising $1 billion dollars. By the campaign’s end, on September 21st, 2019, over 175,000 people had supported the fundraising effort, to the tune of over $1.85 billion dollars.
To celebrate the end of this monumental era of fundraising for their organization, the donor relations team at BU felt the need to create something truly special to mark the occasion.
In 2012, Boston University launched their biggest fundraise initiative ever, with a goal of raising $1 billion dollars. By the campaign’s end, on September 21st, 2019, over 175,000 people had supported the fundraising effort, to the tune of over $1.85 billion dollars.
To celebrate the end of this monumental era of fundraising for their organization, the donor relations team at BU felt the need to create something truly special to mark the occasion.
For this donor appreciation campaign it was especially important that we not only tell a story, but personalize the experience to the individual recipient. That’s why we were so excited when we found out about the pillars.
Near the center of Boston University’s campus stands the BU Castle. For over 100 years, the Tudor Revival-style mansion has been an icon of the campus. In 2016, while renovating the castle, two 10-ton granite pillars that formed part of the buildings original foundation were removed, and stored away with no particular use in mind. Once our team found out about them, we crafted a meaningful donor appreciation gift idea around those big granite rocks.
For this donor appreciation campaign it was especially important that we not only tell a story, but personalize the experience to the individual recipient. That’s why we were so excited when we found out about the pillars.
Near the center of Boston University’s campus stands the BU Castle. For over 100 years, the Tudor Revival-style mansion has been an icon of the campus. In 2016, while renovating the castle, two 10-ton granite pillars that formed part of the buildings original foundation were removed, and stored away with no particular use in mind. Once our team found out about them, we crafted a meaningful donor appreciation gift idea around those big granite rocks.
We repurposed the stone foundation pillars, cutting them into small cubes that became chilling stones for whiskey. To deliver the stones in a manner befitting both the university and the donor, we crafted beautiful wooden boxes emblazoned with the BU seal, individually engraved with the name of the donor. Opening the boxes revealed a video player with a personalized message of gratitude embedded in the interior of the lid.
The top 150 donors received larger version of the box that included a set of custom engraved BU whiskey snifters, and the same chilling stones and personalized thank-you video as the other recipients. These boxes were hand delivered by Robert A. Brown, the President of Boston U. Both the university and the donors were pleased with the gift, a chance to hold on to a piece of the school’s history!
We repurposed the stone foundation pillars, cutting them into small cubes that became chilling stones for whiskey. To deliver the stones in a manner befitting both the university and the donor, we crafted beautiful wooden boxes emblazoned with the BU seal, individually engraved with the name of the donor. Opening the boxes revealed a video player with a personalized message of gratitude embedded in the interior of the lid.
The top 150 donors received larger version of the box that included a set of custom engraved BU whiskey snifters, and the same chilling stones and personalized thank-you video as the other recipients. These boxes were hand delivered by Robert A. Brown, the President of Boston U. Both the university and the donors were pleased with the gift, a chance to hold on to a piece of the school’s history!
