The quickest way to lose a new donor is to go silent on them after they give. The best way to cement the new relationship is to have a plan for what follows a donation.
Here's an easy 5-part email welcome series for online donors, from the Impact Communications Blog, at Don’t Follow Donations with Silence:
- 0-24 hours after gift: Simple message of gratitude.
- 1-3 days after gift: First-person story about the impact of the donation.
- 1 week after gift: Ask the donor to take another action, such as complete a survey, sign a petition, attend an event, or share on social media.
- 2 weeks after gift: another first-person story.
- 3-4 weeks after gift: ask the donor to become a monthly donor.
You're lucky if you retain 50% of your donors year-to-year (and retention of first-time donors is under 20%). A ready-to-go series is one of the best ways to improve those numbers.