Give your donors some love

Nurturing donors is something we should be doing all year long.  Cultivation helps to increase donor retention and overall revenue.

But when things get hectic, cultivation is one of the first things we let slip.

With the all important December fundraising season just three months away, now’s a great time to add some high-engagement touches to the mix. This will help ensure donors are feeling good about your relationship as you head into what will be a very competitive year-end.

Here are some ideas. Add yours in comments:

• Send your donors an “insider” email note from your CEO about what’s top of mind for her/him.
• Mail your high-value donors a news clip that is relevant to your work and tell them how their support has been crucial to your efforts.
• Host a conference call with a campaign organizer or program staffer and invite all your donors to attend and submit questions.
• Get a beneficiary of your work to write a thank you note or testimonial and send it to your donors.
• Write a donor spotlight feature — where you highlight stories of donors and why they support your work. This will help donors see themselves as a part of your larger donor community.
• Make 3 phone calls thanking high-value donors each day from now until mid November.
• Ask program staff to recommend a book they’ve read this year that relates to your work. Send out a top five reading list to donors.

What else can you do?