Every center should be acquiring new names to be added to their mailing list each month. Those names are important to the lifeblood of the center and should be carefully handled.
If you support several organizations, you probably receive mailing packages from them that cover your initial gift receipt, a follow-up letter the next month asking for support and possibly a premium item or newsletter. Each letter says something about the organization and how they feel about you.

So, without going into the process of when to mail, what to mail, and how often to mail these new friends or donors, let me talk about those people who have made a gift to your center and how you communicate with them afterward.

One important principle for you to remember is what Adrian Sargeant, professor at Indiana University Center on Philanthropy, said in an article he wrote several years ago. “Retention is the single biggest issue we face as a sector today.” He also noted later in that article that boosting a donor to become a repeat donor can produce returns up to 200 percent.

You probably know it is far more cost effective to retain an existing donor than to spend money trying to acquire a new donor. So how do you nurture a new donor so they will want to give again?

First, know what is being sent to that donor

If the new donor is going to receive letters, email, or notes (and even phone calls) from your center, make sure you know what is being said. This means, receipt letter content, thank you notes from staff, phone calls about a program they gave to, or follow-up letters on a project they gave to.

Don’t confuse the donor with mixed messages. Don’t have a project for adding beds go out to the donor, who then responds only to have the thank you letter talk about the leadership training programs. If the donation was specific to a program or project, make sure the receipt letter mentions it. The donor wants to be reassured their gift went to the right project/program.

Second, Does it make sense?

It is always a good practice to have another person in your office read the letter, note, or email you are sending out to your donors to see if it makes sense to them. If it doesn’t make sense to the staff member, it probably won’t make sense to your donor. Review everything that goes out to the donor so it makes sense and doesn’t say something that confuses them.

I remember receiving a response letter from an organization that I had given a small gift to and they wrote back stating that they hoped “the enclosed literature is informative and we hope you will become a member of (ministry name).”

I read the letter again to see if I missed a sentence or two. I thought I had become a member of their ministry. I had given a gift, but what membership they were asking me to become a part of completely missed me. I could only guess they wanted me to send another gift to “join” this organization.

Simply said, I was a bit confused, a bit miffed, and wondering if there was someone at the helm of that ship directing how they were talking to me.

When you write anything, ask questions. Is there anything unclear? Am I confused about something they wrote? If you or the proofreader answer yes, go back and rewrite it.

Third, be sensitive to what the donor may think

One organization I supported sent me a “your gift is on its way” note. This note arrived about a week after I received my receipt letter. What confused me was that I didn’t ask for a gift, nor did I check off a box asking for a gift.

What troubled me more was the note saying that they hoped the gift would encourage me to make a generous contribution after I received it. Hum. I thought, “I didn’t ask for a gift, now they are sending me a gift that is asking for me to send another gift. Was this coercion or bribery?”
If you are wanting to deepen your relationship with a donor, it would be proper etiquette, not to press for another gift before they receive the gift you promise is coming. As one friend in Dallas commented, “This gift/gimme tactic bothers me.”

If you want to keep a relationship, by all means follow through on your promise. If you are sending a gift, make sure it gets there quickly. If you request another gift, make sure it comes after the promise, not before.

Finally, write like you talk

“If you cannot provide a gift at this time, please respond as soon as you possibly are able.” That is not how most of us talk, so don’t write like you are trying to pass an English class. Using contractions, hyphens, or sometimes even appropriate slang is preferred, as long as your reader knows this is how you talk.

“If you can’t make a gift now, that is okay. I know you will give when you can.” It might read a bit rough, but using conversational English is far better than stilted writing. If you are excited about a program or project, use language that communicates excitement.

For example: “I can’t wait to get this program started. It will completely transform the lives of our students. Just talking about it puts electricity in the air . . . and I am praying God will change your heart and you will get involved.”

Or, if you want to make it “you” focused: “You are a critical factor in getting the program started. Can you imagine the electricity in the air as students are introduced to Jesus Christ? You can help make that happen through your gift.”

Or, pull words from other letters, or brochures, that have been used, like:  Broken people. Caring People. Jesus does the healing. You make it possible. Support Teen Challenge.

It’s rough, but it lets the reader fill in the blanks.

Bottom line? You work hard to acquire donors, and it costs plenty of money to find them. Make sure your follow-up communications work just as hard to keep the relationship growing and going.