Retain and Upgrade Your Donors: Top Tips from a Successful Nonprofit
We've got more in-depth information on these donor retention tactics on our blog. Check it out to get the whole scoop.
“It is infinitely more cost-effective to retain a donor that we already have than go out and find a new one.”
Wise—and true!—words from Henry Decker, Director of Digital Fundraising at the Innocence Project.
If you’re looking for an excellent example of nonprofit growth, Innocence Project is one you should keep on your radar. Over 2021-2022, Innocence Project grew their online revenue by 50% YoY. They also increased their recurring revenue 80%+ during that same period, with the average donation amount per recurring donor going up by 60%.
Funraise CEO and Co-founder Justin Wheeler joined forces with Henry at a NonProfit PRO event to deliver Innocence Project’s top tips for retaining and upgrading donors. Watch the video for a donor deep dive.
Donor retention tips for growth-oriented nonprofits
Pulled directly from the video, complete with timestamps for your convenience: explanations and revelations for more donations.
0:40 On your two main levers for growth: the How and the Why
How are you making it easy for donors to give? To grow, you need more donors, and an easy way to begin getting those donors is to increase your conversion rate with a first-rate giving experience.
1:10 On changing to a Contextual Giving mindset
Your job as a fundraiser is to break down the barriers to generosity. And a simple way to do that is to view every single page on your website as a donation page. It’s easier than you think; Funraise’s pop up donation forms have proven to be a game-changer for orgs across the nonprofit sector.
2:50 On using your donation form to prioritize recurring giving
How do you get one-time donors to become recurring donors? Well, the first step is making them aware that a recurring donation is an option, and a natural place to make that introduction is on your donation form.
3:31 On using your existing donor file to grow your nonprofit
In a year like 2023, one of the most cost-effective and labor-saving paths to growth is identifying the expansion opportunities present in your current donor file. Look at it from every angle and when you find something that works, let us in on your secret!
7:48 On the best fundraising strategy, period.
You can’t argue with Henry when he says, “The best fundraising strategy is the one that works.” And for that, you need great reporting structure, great transparency, and a great attribution system. If you can’t do it over and over again, it’s just revenue rain.
10:07 On the secret to Innocence Project’s 50% growth YoY
It’s all about combining the strong-yet-subtle fundraising presence on Innocence Project’s website with recurring donor upgrades. A large part of that is the giving experience that provides space for donors to be generous more than just once.
10:49 On the cost to retain donors
You got the donor to your page. You convinced them to give. Now, the challenge is to upgrade them to a sustaining member. More segmentation, more experimentation, more personalization, more streamlining of the giving experience are all on the table.
14:16 On building a peer-to-peer program to strengthen other fundraising efforts
Innocence Project isn’t an expert in peer-to-peer fundraising—yet. And that’s the point: they’re a big, well-known org, they’re growing at an unbelievable rate, and yet… they’re still on the lookout for the next Big Idea. Never give up your creativity and your passion—it’s what your supporters are here for.
10 steps to grow donor retention like Innocence Project
The average donor churn here in the United States is over 50%. Yet, Innocence Project managed 50% growth YoY in 2021-2022.
The checklist below is a great place for most org to start.
- Upgrade donors from one-time to recurring.
- Use automated card updaters and payment expiration notifications.
- Thank your donors for their support when they cancel or reduce a recurring subscription.
- Implement one-click donation form access on every page of your website.
- Utilize abandoned cart tools to bring donors back when doubt has crept in.
- Incorporate tracking into every element of your fundraising.
- Never underestimate the range of tactics you can use to upgrade a donor.
- Engage donors at every touchpoint.
- Focus on finding P2P fundraisers. Their value is at least double your donors.
- Never stop innovating.
Use these tips to tap into the tools that growth-oriented nonprofits rely on. Good luck!