Latest / The Nonprofit Podcast / Ep 194| Why Donor Retention Starts After - Not During - the Ask

Transcript

Ep 194| Why Donor Retention Starts After - Not During - the Ask · The Nonprofit Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: Most supporters don't wake up one morning and just decide they're done with your organization.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_01: It is almost never that dramatic and it's rarely tied to a single moment.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_01: What usually happens is quieter than that.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_01: Over time, people just stop feeling as connected as they once did.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_01: And it's not tied to a single bad moment or because something that goes wrong during a campaign or at the point of giving, typically.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_01: It's what happens after that initial yes.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_01: Not the fact that time passes, but what fills that time.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_01: When communication slows down or goes quiet, when supporters don't quite know what's happening anymore, when your organization understandably shifts its focus to the next urgent thing, that's where donor retention tends to break down.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_01: Not because something failed, but because nothing happened to step in and hold the relationship in place between campaigns.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_01: The Nonprofit Podcast, powered by DonorBucks.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the Nonprofit Podcast.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_01: I'm Jenna Lynch, head of community engagement here at DonorBox.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_01: Each week we bring you practical strategies, clear insights, and inspiration to help you raise more, reach further, and take your nonprofit to the next level.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_01: Today I want to talk about donor retention.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_01: No surprise, but probably not in the way that it's usually framed.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_01: A lot of retention advice focuses on tactics, better thank you emails, more creative stewardship ideas, maybe a list of things you should be doing to keep people engaged.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_01: And those things do matter.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_01: I am not dismissing that.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_01: As a matter of fact, I have a great resource for you in the show notes, and I'll share more about that later.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_01: But in my experience, they're not usually where retention actually breaks down.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_01: What I keep on noticing is that retention rarely falls apart during a big campaign.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_01: It usually slips quietly over time when people stop feeling connected and really don't know where they fit anymore.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_01: And the more I think about that, the more convinced I am that retention isn't really an effort problem.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_01: It's a structure problem.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_01: And I don't mean structure in a very rigid or corporate sense.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_01: I mean structure in a very human sense of what keeps a relationship from disappearing once that moment has passed.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_01: I think without some kind of structure, communication becomes reactive.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_01: Supporter hear from you when there's an ask or an emergency and not much in between.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_01: And over time, that absence does more damage than a single misstep ever could.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_01: So that's the space I want to spend time in today.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_01: And I think this is where it gets a little uncomfortable, but I think it's important to call out.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_01: A first-time supporter who doesn't hear from you in the first 90 days is very unlikely to give again.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_01: Not because they regret giving.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_01: They probably are happy that they gave.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_01: You know, not because they suddenly don't care about your mission.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_01: Usually it's because nothing helped that initial care turn into a relationship.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_01: We work incredibly hard to get people in the door, right?
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_01: You plan all the campaigns, your appeals, events, your year-end pushes.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_01: That is not for the faint of heart.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_01: There's so much energy that goes into getting that first, yes.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_01: But if we're honest, a lot of organizations don't have a clear plan for what happens after that first moment, especially once that urgency and that energy fades.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_01: And not because I don't think leaders value retention.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_01: I think many do, but I think it's because everything else feels louder and more immediate.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_01: You are working with your boots in the ground.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_01: There are urgent needs all the time.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_01: And this is just one of those things that can fall to the wayside.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_01: I've totally been there.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_01: I want to pause here for a moment because I know how this can land sometimes, especially if you are on a small team, you're a team of one and a half, or doing a lot of this work by yourself.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_01: This is not a conversation about doing more.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_01: You do not need to have a touch point with every single donor personally.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_01: You don't need a massive team.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_01: You don't need to turn stewardship into a full-time job.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_01: Of course, yeah, that's the dream to have a full-time stewardship coordinator.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, but you don't need to worry about that.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_01: What actually makes the difference is making just a few clear decisions up front.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_01: I think some of the decisions that really matter are about where human effort really matters, decisions about um what can be consistent without being custom every time, or even what you can realistically sustain without burning yourself out, because that's an important thing to consider.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_01: And once those decisions are made, retention stops feeling chaotic and intimidating and like this huge lift and starts feeling manageable.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_01: You know what I mean?
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_01: This is usually where people jump straight into a communications calendar.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_01: And calendars can be helpful, don't get me wrong.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_01: I love a good communications calendar, but if you start there, you often end up organizing output instead of designing an experience.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_01: So instead of starting with what you're sending and when you're sending it, I'd actually encourage you to start somewhere else.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_01: Start with the experience, the donor experience.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_01: So again, not what you send, but what it really feels like to become a supporter of your organization over time.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_01: And you do not need fancy tools for this.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_01: So I just want you to walk through this activity honestly.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_01: So not what you hope happens on your best week, but what actually happens most of the time.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_01: So let's picture this.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_01: Someone gives for the first time.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_01: Then what actually happens?
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_01: What do they hear from you next?
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_01: What do they start to understand about who you are and how you work?
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_01: And what helps them feel like their support fits into something bigger?
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_01: Those are the three big questions.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna ask those again.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_01: What do they hear after they give for the first time?
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_01: What do they start to understand about who your organization is and how you work?
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_01: And what helps them feel like their support fits into something bigger?
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_01: And once you walk through that a few times, something usually becomes pretty clear.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_01: You start seeing patterns, patterns that teach you something.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_01: You realize that this isn't really about one email or one touch point.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_01: It's about how the relationship unfolds over time.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_01: And when you zoom out like that, most donor relationships tend to move through a few basic phases, whether we've named them or not.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um I will say this these phases don't actually happen automatically, right?
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_01: They only work when something intentionally fills them.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_01: Otherwise, they collapse into one another, and supporters mostly experience your organization at the point of asking, and that's pretty much it.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_01: So, first phase is acknowledgement.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_01: So they give and then phase one, acknowledgement.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_01: Not just, we got your gift, thank you, it's valued at this much, but you're here now.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_01: You gave, and now you are here.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_01: That might be one email or a short welcome series.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_01: I love to see that.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_01: But the point is helping someone feel oriented, not overwhelmed.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_01: And then phase two, the recognition.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_01: This is the part that gets skipped past the most and it breaks my heart.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_01: These are moments with no ask attached, impact updates, stories, signals that say, hey, here's what your support is a part of.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_01: Therefore, here's what you are a part of.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_01: This is your community, this is a mission that has brought you in.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_01: And this is where trust builds so quietly over time.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_01: This is a game changer.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_01: And then phase three, this is where trust builds quietly over time.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_01: And then when you do make an ask later, it doesn't feel abrupt.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_01: It feels like a continuation of something that's already been nurtured.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_01: Now, once you start thinking this way, the next question that usually comes up is okay, but how much of this can I actually do?
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_01: And that's where prioritization matters more than effort.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_01: A$5,000 gift probably deserves a call, right?
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_01: A$25 first-time gift might be better served by a thoughtful automated message that still feels human and warm.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_01: It really is dependent on your organization.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_01: There is no one size fits all, and you can kind of define what that means for you.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_01: I think the mistake is trying to treat every situation the same or feeling guilty that you can.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_01: Retention improves when leaders are honest about where human connection truly changes the relationship and where systems and automations can carry the load.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_01: So spend some time thinking about that.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_01: If you want to pressure test your own approach, I think this is a good place to slow down with someone who can zoom out with you.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_01: So look at your current touch points and ask a few honest questions, more questions for you guys.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_01: Write this down.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_01: Where do your supporters get thanked and then maybe left hanging?
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_01: Where are you asking again without really connecting first?
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_01: And what are you doing just because you've always done it?
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_01: I think sometimes the most effective retention work isn't adding something new.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_01: It's just deciding what to fine-tune, revisit, or stop doing altogether.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_01: And this is the piece I really want to land.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_01: I've said this before.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_01: Retention is not built in a single moment.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_01: It is shaped before the ask, tested during it, and reinforced after it.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_01: A lot of retention is earned in what happens once someone gives, how quickly the organization connects, whether supporters still feel seen when there's nothing new to ask for yet.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_01: And when that rhythm is there, fundraising just feels different.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_01: It feels steadier.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_01: And honestly, it feels lighter for everyone involved.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_01: So here's a simple place to start this week.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_01: Write down what happens after someone gives for the first time.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_01: Not the receipt, but what comes in the next few weeks that follow that first gift.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_01: And then pick one spot where that follow-up is fuzzy or inconsistent and decide what will always happen there going forward.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_01: It doesn't have to be perfect.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_01: It just needs to be consistent and thoughtful.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_01: And to make this easier, we're linking a sample stewardship plan template in the show notes for you.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_01: It is meant to help you map out things like receipts, acknowledgments, and those ongoing communications so nothing important slips through the cracks.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_01: You don't have to use it exactly as written, just think of it as a guide to help you see the full picture and decide what makes sense for your team.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_01: Because sometimes having a plan in front of you is the difference between knowing this matters and actually doing something about it.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for being a part of the nonprofit podcast community.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_01: Your work matters, and we are honored to support it.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_01: If you enjoyed this episode, share it, leave a review, or subscribe to our YouTube channel.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_01: Until next time, take that first step and stay inspired.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: That warm feeling when you help someone, it's not just happiness, it's fulfillment.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_00: And we believe it should be available to everyone, from frontline heroes to first time fundraisers.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_00: Our tools empower you to help others.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_00: This is our mission.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: This is DonorBox, helping you help others.