5 Ways to Make Your Donors Feel the Love
…Before the Holiday Giving Season
With the end-of-year fundraising season just around the corner, there’s no better time than NOW to make your donors feel the love. By telling your donors how much they mean to you (with no strings attached), they will be much more likely to donate when you DO ask them for money during your holiday giving campaign. One study by NextAfter found a 41% increase in online revenue from existing donors after 6 months of additional cultivation emails.
Keep reading for five unique ways to make your donors feel engaged and appreciated prior to this giving season. We'll share free and low-cost options for each strategy to help you get started.
1. Give Your Donors a Call
You want your supporters to hear just how grateful you are, in your own voice. By hearing from a real person at your organization, they’ll build a more personal connection with your cause. You’ll be surprised — a call where you’re just saying “thank you” to your donors goes a long way in making them feel valued.
A study by Bloomerang found that donors who received at least one phone call within 90 days of their first gift were more likely to give again, more generously, and quicker than their previous gift. But don’t get ahead of yourself; the purpose of this call is just to say thanks.
How to do this: Ask your volunteers or board members to help with this. Divide and conquer! Provide them with talking points, which could include sharing the impact of the donor’s gift or asking why they are passionate about this cause. Make sure you log the info from this call into your CRM tool! It’s useful information about your supporter to reference in the future.
Easiest way: Use Slybroadcast, a service that allows you to send pre-recorded voicemail messages. Have someone at your organization record a short thank you message, and you can send it out to your list. It’s easy, quick, and affordable — you can send 1,000 deliveries for $60.
2. Write a Personalized Email
Send out a plain-text email (through your email marketing platform) from someone at your organization thanking donors for their support. Keep it casual, and make it feel personal. Tell them why their support matters, and share a story about the difference their donation has made.
Plain-text emails are way more likely to be opened and read by your supporter, because it feels like someone from your organization actually took the time to sit down and write it. In fact, a study by HubSpot found that plain-text emails are 25% more likely to be opened than an HTML-style email.
Check out the difference between a plain-text and an HTML email from our wonderful client, Oscar’s Place Adoption Center & Sanctuary.
How to do this: Create a list of all your supporters and split it up between your team. Give them a template, and have them personalize it with a few details.
Easiest way: Send a plain-text email in bulk, the same way you'd send out an e-newsletter through your regular email provider. Contact us if you'd like to use our Mailchimp plain-text template that convincingly looks like you wrote the message from your personal inbox!
BONUS: If you have an email welcome journey already set up to thank and warmly welcome new donors to your organization, update it! If you’re new to this concept, you’ll want to start with at least one message going out to donors in addition to their automatic donation receipt. Read our blog post about why you need an email welcome journey.
3. Send a Handwritten Card
Who doesn’t love receiving a card in the mail? In this digital age, a handwritten card can be a delightful, memorable surprise for your donors. According to technology research firm The Radicati Group, the average American household receives just 10 pieces of personal mail per year, not counting holiday cards and invitations. This will help you stand out from the crowd! The cards should just be focused on gratitude and expressing your appreciation for their support.
How to do this: This is another great opportunity to engage volunteers! If you have an office, consider setting up an afternoon of card writing to make the experience more fun. If you’re virtual, you can send volunteers a stack of cards, envelopes, stamps, and a suggested message for them to write and send from home.
Easiest way: Get some help from the robots! Handwrytten uses custom-designed handwriting robots that hold real pens to write out your notes in the handwriting style of your choice. Their AI ensures that the note is completely unique and looks authentic. They’re stamped and mailed for you, too. Cards start at $3.25
4. Record a Video Update
Video is the most engaging form of content. We can’t take our eyes off of them — especially when they are made especially for us! HubSpot reports that in 2023, people are watching an average of 17 hours of online videos per week! It’s clearly a format that we like and are comfortable with. Video messages are another dynamic way to build human connection between your supporter and your organization.
Record a short video updated highlighting the impact of their contributions. Share success stories, the progress that your donors have helped you make, and express your gratitude. Don’t worry, your videos don’t need to be super polished and professional — short and candid is the way to go!
How to do this: Give each of your staff or board members a list of videos to create. Have them use selfie mode on their phones or record directly on their laptops in a quiet room with good lighting. Upload them to YouTube as unlisted videos, and send out the personalized links via email to your supporters.
Easiest way: Use ThankView to request videos from team members or program participants (anywhere in the world) and record and send them in a centralized place. It makes for a much more manageable process! Plans start at $99/month.
5. Mail a Thanksgiving Postcard
Send your supporters a postcard on Thanksgiving that expresses your gratitude for them. You’ll get in their mailbox (and get their attention) before other organizations' direct mail appeals, and chances are they’ll be touched by this gesture. In fact, 64% of people say greeting cards make them feel special, according to USPS mail data.
How to do this: Rely on your volunteers, just like sending out handwritten cards.
Easiest way: Use Mailchimp to design and upload your postcard and they’ll print, stamp, and deliver it anywhere in the world for as little as 75 cents per card. This works well if you already use the platform and your donors’ info is already saved there. There’s also services like VistaPrint, where you can upload your design and have them take care of the rest. Have someone on your team write out the message, take a photo, upload it, and you’re good to go!
BONUS: Send a Birthday Message
Depending on when your supporter’s birthday is, this may or may not come before the holiday giving season! Create a simple form and ask your supporters when their birthday is, and sync this information with your email provider. Then, record a video message or create an ecard wishing your supporter a happy birthday (or to make it even easier, make it one-size-fits-all). Set up an automation so that your message gets delivered on their special day. It will give you one more personal touchpoint each year that makes your donor feel extra special. After all, who doesn’t love birthday wishes?
Which of these non-ask touchpoints feel like the best fit for your organization? If you want a sounding board to talk through your plan from now through the end of the year, book a Free Office Hours time slot with our team. We’ll give you an hour of digital marketing consulting, completely free of charge!
P.S. If you’re feeling swamped or overwhelmed with donor stewardship or year-end fundraising, we’re here to help. Get in touch with our team to learn how we can support your holiday giving goals.
