Having first-time donors would be an achievement to most NGOs. They were successfully able to encourage an individual or perhaps a corporation to support their causes – and some of which may not have even initially been familiar with their organization. While this is good, a few of these first-time donors are neglected and hence turn into one-time donors.
Maintaining a good relationship with donors is a necessity for NGOs. Apart from receiving continuous donations, it has also been proven that repeat donors have the tendency to donate more than they did the first time around. In fact, donors who give on a monthly basis give 42% more than those who give randomly or one-time (Jarvis, 2017). Apart from that, donors usually make large donations on their 5th donation. Hence, a question many have would be how to make sure these first-time donors don’t turn into one-time donors.
- Converse with your donors
As it has been a common thing to get the contact information of your donors, and it would be ideal to actually make use of this. One way to contact them would be by randomly giving them a call to thank them for their donation. This is also assurance for them that you have indeed received their donation. Besides, a personal call would give you higher chances of a response from their end rather than just leaving an email.
- Send a thank you note
Donors will likewise appreciate receiving a note or being thanked through email. An email, however, would be suggested as it would cost to have an actual note delivered to them. Remember that the purpose of their donation is to fund the causes you have endorsed to them. You would not want your donors to think that their hard-earned money is being wasted on cards they don’t necessarily need. To make things more interesting, try to put some creativity in the emails you send them. This can be in the in the form of email gifs where images can pop-up, basically thanking your donor.
- Give donors volunteer opportunities
The reason as to why your donors have decided to make donations is because they believe in the proposals which have been presented to them. That being said, many of them would like to do more than just donate funds for NGOs should they be given the opportunity. In inviting your donors to volunteer, you are giving your organization the opportunity to maintain a closer relationship with those who keep you in business. Apart from that, this is also a way for donors to keep track of the progress your NGO has, and to make sure the funds are being used appropriately.
- Invite donors to internal events
It is expected of NGOs to invite donors to various fundraising events such as auctions, plays or film viewing, and more. Thus, it would seem to some that they are only invited for the contributions they bring. Hence, one way to make your donors feel otherwise is by inviting them to events which don’t necessarily raise funds. Internal events involving beneficiaries could be a good opportunity for your donors and beneficiaries to meet. At times, there will also be seminars conducted to help your employees gain knowledge. In these cases, donors can be invited as speakers, should what they do be in line with the purpose of your training seminar.
Although one-time donors are great, having them donate on a regular basis is a possibility by following the steps provided above. NGOs shouldn’t waste the opportunities to gain and inevitably help more communities through their services.
