3 Donor Relations Tips to Freshen Up Your Fundraising Efforts

Have you gotten lazy with your donor relations efforts? If you’re like the rest of us, you probably have. We start out being so excited about stewarding donors and building relationships, but over time, it’s easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day activities and we forget to keep our eye on the prize.

If you’re ready to get back to the basics of good donor relations, try these three ideas to help you breathe some new life into your fundraising efforts.

1. Tell your donors how you will use their money. This is critical. Make sure the donor knows how you plan to use the donation he or she just sent you. Text like “Your gift will ensure that 15 children will go to summer camp for one week” makes the process of donating more real and tangible to the donor.

2. Add personal notes to Thank You letters. This can bring big rewards in terms of stewarding donors! Taking a few minutes of a busy day to go through a stack of letters may seem like a chore, but trust me – donors who get a Thank You letter with a personal note will be thrilled that you took the time to personally acknowledge their gift.

3. Invite donors for a tour of your facility. Always include in your letter an offer for a guided tour of your facility or program site (if appropriate). You may never have anyone take you up on this, but they will remember that you offered. You will probably get a few people who want to visit you. Seeing firsthand the work that you do may make all the difference in the world to a particular donor.

Always remember that your donors are your most important asset. Without them, you’d have no fundraising program. Do everything you can to take care of them and your efforts will be rewarded.