A large majority of first-time donors will never give a second time. You went to all that trouble and expense to bring them on board -- for nothing.
This is one of the central forms of disfunction in fundraising. It's a factor we should constantly work on.
Here's a post from Wired Impact focusing on things that often go wrong when donors give on line, at Why Donors Stop Giving: 5 Red Flags in Your Post-Donation Process:
- Your donation experience is purely transactional. Treat each donation as a relational exchange, not just a monetary transaction. Don't just tell them their donation is completed -- thank them. Immediately. With heart. Often.
- There’s a lack of immediate donation follow-up. There should be an immediate thank-you page for online donations. And a thank you email right away. And a paper acknowledgement sent within 24 hours. And a phone call. Many donors are hesitant to give because they think their donation is unimportant. Don't let that feeling fester!
- Donors don’t receive updated reporting on the outcomes. Do they know that their donation actually makes a difference? They don't unless you tell them!
- They don’t get plugged into the donor (and larger) community. Let them know they've joined a community -- even a family -- by giving.
- Donors develop privacy concerns about their personal information. Treat their information as the precious treasure it is.
