Strengthening Donor Bonds by Listening at Scale

At this year’s ADRP conference, Amber Redman with Planned Parenthood Federation of America and I explored one of the most powerful drivers of donor loyalty: listening.

The Edelman Trust Barometer puts it plainly: People don’t trust institutions that talk at them — they trust those that listen to them.

Same goes for donors. When nonprofits seek their supporters’ opinions, acknowledge concerns and close the loop by showing how feedback informs action, trust deepens.

Listening That Scales

But listening deeply isn’t easy when you’re communicating with thousands or tens of thousands of supporters. That’s where Insight Panels come in.

An Insight Panel is a structured, ongoing listening mechanism that allows nonprofits to engage supporters personally — at scale. Participants regularly share their opinions through short surveys and open-ended reflections, giving organizations real-time feedback to guide messaging, stewardship, and strategy. In return, they get a summary of how the organization is taking action on that feedback.

What Insight Panels Deliver

Organizations using Insight Panels are seeing clear benefits:

Higher retention and loyalty. Panelists feel heard and valued, leading to longer relationships.
Increased lifetime value. Connected donors give more generously over time.
Stronger two-way relationships. Regular listening reinforces that their voices matter.
Faster, actionable insights. Panels surface feedback that helps refine communications and engagement.
New stewardship touchpoints. Panels naturally open doors to DAF, bequest, and monthly giving conversations.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) launched an Insight Panel for its President’s Circle donors (midlevel) to foster two-way engagement and deepen connection. Panelists are invited into meaningful conversations — from requesting a primer on sex education resources (which PPFA promptly delivered) to hearing unfiltered discussions with President & CEO Alexis McGill Johnson and author Jessica Valenti, to sharing their thoughts on the Trump Administration’s defunding of Planned Parenthood.

The National Audubon Society uses its Insight Panel to explore supporter perceptions and build community through co-created content. Members shared bird photos, travel stories and reflections on conservation priorities.

One panelist summed it up best: “The nice thing about the Insight Panel is that you can read other people’s responses — they’re often really insightful. I love that it includes people’s photographs of birds in their neighborhoods.”

The model worked so well that Audubon expanded it to other supporter groups — including advocates.

The takeaway: Listening isn’t just a courtesy. It’s a strategy. It builds belonging, deepens loyalty and makes philanthropy more personal — one conversation (at scale) at a time.

Listening