Creating a Donor
Communications Plan:
How to Become Their
Favorite Nonprofit
Kivi Leroux Miller
President, Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com
kivilm
nonprofitmarketingguide
Daily Blog
Weekly E-Newsletter
Donor Attrition Rate Between
First and Second Gift
55-65%
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mountainash/5082502256
Fundraising Effectiveness Project 2011 Results from Association of Fundraising Professionals and The Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy
Loss of Regular or
Sustaining Givers from
One Year to the Next
30%
Fundraising Effectiveness Project 2011 Results from Association of Fundraising Professionals and The Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tenaciousme/6860901697
First Gifts Not as Generous
as They Could Have Been
75%
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alancleaver/4279482716
Source: Cygnus Donor Survey
How do
we keep
the love
alive?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ideaablaze/4681998874
Source: Network for Good’s Online Giving Index: http://www.onlinegivingstudy.org/quarterlyindex
Why do people give so
much in December?
Hint: It’s not really about the tax deduction.
People
help
because it
gets them
high.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jorge-11/4787290028
How They Feel Predicts Behavior
• I am a committed
(nonprofit) donor.
• I feel a sense of
loyalty to (nonprofit).
• (Nonprofit) is my
favorite charitable
organization.
Based on research by
They want to feel
appreciated.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ganatlguard/8289339879
They want to feel
included.
They want to feel
in the know.
They want to
know – from you
– that they matter.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/strike/425845828
When you get it
right, here’s
how this works.
You create
communications that
are relevant
to their lives.
You understand your
donors’ inner angels.
1
2
http://www.flickr.com/photos/epsos/8067736728
You create
opportunities for people
to connect and engage.
You become a
favorite organization.
3
4
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stickergiant/8046982406
People say
Yes! when
you ask them.
You get what
you need to achieve
your mission!
6
5
http://www.flickr.com/photos/audiolucistore/7403731050 http://www.flickr.com/photos/usnavy/5601169958
Win!
Favorite Charities Get More
Half of donors give 2/3rds of their annual
donations to a single favorite charity.
5 Essential Tools
in Your Donor
Communications Plan
Not Including Appeals or One-on-One Communications Like Phone Calls
1
Genuine Thank You
Letters
Within 72 hours of each gift &
at multiple milestones each year
Here’s One Approach . . .
Greeting Card
+ Progress Report
+ Invitation
= Awesome Thank You Letter
Kivi’s Formula for Thank You Letter Success
Positive and Personable!
Results!
Invitation
To Feel Like
We Are There
Credit to
Donors
Personable
Integration
More Goodness to Come!
Great Photo
Reminder about
Connection, and
Other Activities
2
Donor-Centered
Newsletter Articles
4-12 times a year in print and/or
monthly or twice a month in email
“Spine care” raised $5,000.
“Zawadi” raised $50,000.
Thank you, Tom Ahern, for the example.
Ten fold increase from
one edition of the
newsletter to the next,
simply by switching from
corporate storytelling to
donor-centered
storytelling.
A Good Donor Newsletter Format . . .
3
Digestable
Annual Reports
End of year, or very beginning
of new year
4
Special Invitations
A few times a year
5
Social Media
Several times a week, or daily
It’s hard to get there with a
communications strategy like this.
It’s much easier if you attract
people to you with substance
and style that feels relevant.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevendepolo/4137096855
Go forward
communicating
like their
favorite
nonprofit!
Kivi Leroux Miller
@kivilm
Facebook.com/
nonprofitmarketingguide
kivi@ecoscribe.com

Creating a Donor Communications Plan