Leveraging Donor Gift Info: A Strategic Approach to Fundraising
In the dynamic landscape of nonprofit fundraising, organizations are constantly seeking innovative strategies to maximize their impact. One powerful tool at the disposal of fundraisers is donor gift information. By harnessing the data from previous contributions, nonprofits can create targeted and personalized campaigns that resonate with donors, leading to increased engagement and support.
Donor gift information encompasses a range of data points, including the amount and frequency of donations, the campaigns or projects donors have supported, and the methods they prefer for giving. Analyzing this information provides valuable insights into donor behavior and preferences, enabling organizations to tailor their fundraising efforts more effectively.
Below you’ll find a list of four data points and how to use them to further engage donors and raise more funds.
First gift date
This can be used to segment all of your new donors from the past year into one grouping. Create a strategy to retain these donors by completing welcome calls every quarter; inviting them to small on-site cultivation events; and send updates on how their donations have been used along with some educational opportunities highlighting your most popular programs and services.
Last gift date
Create a really easy calculation (Excel can help) to minus the first gift date from the last gift date. This will give you the number of years a donor has been engaged with your organization. Reward your donors that are long-term supporters with a custom message. Consider adding them to a VIP group with special benefits (early updates, special event invites, etc.). Get creative to steward and show your long-time donors the love.
You can also connect with your donors that have given the past year with recent impact and mission updates; invites to tours and engagement opportunities; and opportunities to get further involved with volunteer roles or committees.
Lastly, use the last gift date to create a lapsed donor initiative to recruit these supporters back into the fold of your organization’s activities. It can be as simple as an appeal with a “we miss you” message to an elaborate strategy including personal one-on-one outreach.
Number of gifts this year
Determining how often a donor gives annually can be an opportunity to upgrade donors from this segment to monthly sustaining donors.
Dive into the data to review donors that have given once in the past year. Did they give to a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign; as a tribute or memorial gift; or perhaps they always give at year-end? What opportunities exist to engage these donors further? Perhaps it’s an update from the peer to peer event host to donors or the opportunity to see year-end gifts in action for a specific program. This is your chance to get creative!
Total gifts this year
While many nonprofits segment their database by total amount of gifts and show the love to the highest donors in the database, don’t forget to create a strategy for the mid-level donors. These donors are passionate about your mission and could very possibly give more than your top donors over time. Consider calculating the total gifts per year over a number of years to further identify high level supporters and those with potential to stretch their giving over a year or several years.
In the digital age, where data plays a crucial role in decision-making across various sectors, nonprofits can harness the power of donor gift information to elevate their fundraising efforts. By strategically leveraging this data, organizations can create targeted, personalized campaigns that resonate with donors, foster trust, and ultimately drive increased support for their missions. In an era where donor engagement is paramount, using donor gift information as a strategic tool is not just an option—it's a necessity for nonprofit success.
Want to leverage your donor gift information to drive fundraising strategies?