The key to growing a successful charitable organization is finding ways to retain donors. Appreciating your donors and keeping them informed is crucial to getting individuals to contribute to your cause year after year.
Here are a few ideas on how to accomplish that while charity event planning.
1. Personalize correspondence.
While this may not be possible for organizations with a large number of donors, an effort should be made to know your big donors. People can tell when the introduction to a letter is generic. By acknowledging them in a personal way, donors will feel noticed and appreciated. Hand signing letters and making personal phone calls are other ways to accomplish this.
2. Clearly outline your goals.
Let donors know exactly what you plan to do that year. If your goals are vague, how can you expect people to give? Tell donors at the charity event that you plan to build an addition to your center, or send 200 kids to camp, or award 100 scholarships. Knowing this information ahead of time will help donors give confidently.
3. Manage Funds Well.
Use the money for what you say you are going to use it for and set reasonable budgets during the charity event planning process. Keeping donors in the loop as to where the money will go builds trust. If funds are mismanaged or misrepresented, donors will quickly drop out.
4. Thank your donors.
Do it quickly and sincerely. Donors should always be thanked immediately after they donate. People give out of the goodness of their heart, but they do like to feel appreciated. Don’t make the mistake of leaving donors feeling unnoticed; they make take their money elsewhere.
5. Show them how their donation is being spent.
You can include this in your thank you note or follow up with a newsletter later on. When people can see how their donation is specifically helping a current project, they will feel more connected to the cause and more willing to give at future charity events.
Transparency about funds builds trust and encourages giving, both of which are crucial to growth of a charitable organization.6. Hold “must attend” events.
By throwing charity events that donors actually enjoy attending, they’ll be more likely to stick around long term. People love to help out a good cause, but they also love a good party! Charity events are the perfect time to solicit donations, but also show appreciation through delicious food and exciting entertainment.
7. Touch Hearts.
Help donors feel emotionally connected to your cause with real-life stories. Allow them to hear from people who have benefited directly from your organization. When people see all the good that has been done, they will want to be a part of it.
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Retaining donors takes work. It’s not something that will just happen on its own, but with some effort, you will be able to obtain loyal donors and keep them for the long haul. Remember, keeping charity event donors happy and satisfied with your organization is the only way for you to grow!
