Have you ever asked yourself “How do I get people to give again?”. Well, let me tell you. It’s not easy. In fact, it can be downright difficult. But the good news is that there are ways to do it! So we’ve compiled a list of some different strategies you can use to get lapsed donors back into your supporter pool and hopefully keep them coming back for more:
Make it easy for them to give again
In order to get your supporters to give again, you need to make it as easy for them as possible.
The easiest way to do this is by using fundraising software in conjunction with a donor management system. The best ones will connect with your CRM (donor relationship manager) and other tools so that you don’t have to manually enter the data into multiple systems. When a guest goes through an event registration process using your website, for example, then the data will automatically be recorded so that you can track who attended events and what they gave. The best part is that Greater Giving’s fundraising software comes with many integrations!
Use Fundraising Software to Track your lapsed donors
To get your lapsed contributors to give again, you’ll need to keep track of all the gifts, donations, and other interactions they’ve had with your organization. Using a fundraising software creates a database that makes it easy to do this by creating one central location where all information about each donor can be stored.
Your Fundraising Software will help you create contact lists. Evaluate what types of appeals and campaigns were most effective so you can tailor future appeals accordingly. This is important because when people are first starting out in fundraising, they tend to send the same email or letter over and over again. If some efforts aren’t working for certain types of donors, then try something different!
Tracking donors’ interactions with your organization will go much further than just making sure they stay active supporters—it’ll also help measure performance across multiple channels so you know which ones are working best at engaging them (and which ones aren’t).
Hold events
Holding an event is a great way to get your donors back, and also raise awareness about your organization. The goal is to create an experience that everyone involved will remember. You can do this by holding a fundraiser or hosting a cultivation event with food, drinks, and entertainment. You can also ask people to bring their friends along so they can see what their money is going toward!
Once you have your plan in place, promote the event as much as possible before it takes place. Leverage digital and traditional marketing channels to maximize event exposure.
Once attendees show up at your event (it doesn’t matter how big or small), make sure there are plenty of things going on. This allows everyone a chance to engage with your organization in different ways and at different levels. Don’t forget to follow up with them after the event by sending a photo or recap of the event results.
Add photos and videos to your appeals
Photos and videos are more effective than text alone. And they don’t just have to be pictures of your kids or puppies. You can use photos and video to show people how their donations will be used, and how they’ll change lives.
You may not want to show every donor what your organization does, but you might consider a video that shows the impact of your mission on one person who was helped by it. A video like this tells a story that words can’t convey. It also builds trust in donors’ minds as they begin to see how their money is being used.
Provide them with new ways to interact with your mission, and you’ll see lapsed donors spring back into action.
You can win lapsed donors back by thoroughly engaging with them, providing new ways for them to interact with your mission, and inspiring them to get involved again. To do so, follow these steps:
- Determine what motivated them to give in the first place.
- Ask past donors what they like about your organization and their giving experience.
- Send out personalized communications that include compelling content (like stories) related directly to their interests. Follow up on those communications at regular intervals (every month or two). You may have to segment your supporters by giving level, interest, or location.
Bring lapsed donors back into the fold.
Remember that to improve donor retention it’s important to engage with your supporters, provide them with new ways to interact with your mission, and thoroughly understand what was preventing them from giving again. If you take this approach, then we believe everyone wins: your organization gets more funds for its programs and services while the donor feels great about giving again after a long hiatus!
