Retaining New Donors Training Webinar
Explore DonorSnap’s resources for managing your new donors including reports, dashboard apps, and the Automated Task Manager.
Training Summary
Donor Retention Rates and Webinar Insights
The trainer presented new data on donor retention rates, revealing that the rate for new donors in 2020 was 19%, which was consistent with the 2017 rate. The trainer had been conducting research for a webinar and promised to share the findings, including links, via the chat and a handout. She encouraged participants, who were primarily from the non-profit sector, to share their own insights and experiences.
Retaining New Donors and Engagement Strategies
The trainer led a discussion on how to retain new donors in the organization. She underlined the significance of acknowledging new donors through a thank you letter system, tracking them with three different reports, and engaging them with an automated welcome series. The trainer emphasized that donor motivation is primarily based on trust, and the organization should communicate how donations are being used, share stories about the impact of donations, and make donors feel connected and appreciated. She also highlighted the need to express gratitude as often as possible. The trainer stressed the importance of understanding the top five elements of their donor engagement strategy, pointing out that 19% of first-time donors only have less than a 20% chance of donating again, emphasizing the need for engagement efforts to increase this figure. She also indicated that over 60% of donors will give a second donation if the first one is successfully secured.
Managing Donor Communications in DonorSnap
The trainer discussed the procedure for managing donor communications in DonorSnap. She explained that while online donors receive a standardized thank you, these donors can be personally thanked once their donations are downloaded into DonorSnap. The trainer demonstrated how to add a new donor to the system, highlighting that the system automatically assigns an origination date, indicating the donor’s entry into DonorSnap. She also noted this could be useful for generating reports on new donor additions in the past six months.
Adding New Donors and Handling Thank-Yous
The trainer demonstrated how to add new donors to the database. She highlighted the importance of ensuring correct mailing labels and customizing salutations based on demographics. The trainer emphasized the need to differentiate between new and recurring donations, and suggested that the donation type field was not necessary for first-time donors, as their donation date would automatically generate a first-time donor date. Lastly, she underscored the significance of sending a thank you letter to new donors, especially new members, and began building her letter using the new donor data.
Creating Special Welcome Letters for New Team Members and Donors
The trainer emphasized the importance of creating a special welcome letter for new team members and donors, highlighting their role in the organization and outlining what they could expect in return. She advised keeping the letter concise but comprehensive, covering the organization’s history, future plans, and available opportunities. DonorSnap allows you to have multiple thank you letter templates for efficient processing of the many types of donations. She encouraged the team to use the system’s document management for uploading and maintaining these letters.
New Donor Policy and Reporting
The trainer emphasized the importance of establishing a separate policy for new donors and highlighted the need to report on these donors promptly. She introduced an app specifically for new donors, which would allow board members or directors to easily access new donors’ information. The trainer also demonstrated how to use the fund development analysis reports to generate detailed reports on new donors, including specific donation types and appeals. She explained that the report would show the date of their first donation, the donation type, amount, campaign, and appeal of that first payment.
Generating Comprehensive Reports on New Donors
The trainer explained the process of generating comprehensive reports on new donors using the DataMiner Platinum software. She demonstrated how to create targeted mailing lists based on specific data fields, such as the ‘Donation Date’ for the current year, and highlighted the various uses of these reports, including email communication and printed reports for the board. The trainer emphasized the importance of understanding what motivates new donors for effective communication and retention, and noted that these reports are essential for mass email campaigns and texting, but not for the Automated Task Manager.
DonorSnap Automated Email Campaigns
The trainer introduced the concept and benefits of setting up an automated email campaign for welcoming new donors using DonorSnap. She explained how the campaign can engage new donors, remind existing members about renewing their membership, and stop sending emails under specific circumstances. The trainer also demonstrated how to create and set up email tasks within the system, emphasizing the importance of creating content that remains relevant throughout the year. Lastly, she stressed the importance of understanding why individuals donate and advocated for utilizing email as an effective communication tool to build a series of engaging messages to retain first-time donors and increase their donor retention rate.