That's a mandate, not an exclamation. To grow your donor base you can't just attract new donors; you have to keep them. In industry speak this means you have to have to convert your donors. No altar call necessary. What is necessary is to make your newly acquired donors feel so welcome that they couldn't possibly think of leaving early, or even at all.
Several factors go in to welcoming new donors, and they aren't unlike welcoming new guests into your home (with the important exception, of course, that you do want your guests to leave -- eventually).
- Invite them into a neat, organized, and attractive space. People feel more comfortable when they aren't surrounded by your dirty laundry, stacks of last year's newspapers, and smelly shoes. The same goes for your new donors. Before you invite them to be a part of your organization, make sure your public space is neat, organized, and attractive. This includes any published materials such as brochures, handouts, or business cards as well as your web site. A neat and well-designed site will allow new donors to feel comfortable enough to linger and really get to know you.
- Thank them for coming. It takes effort, time, and resources to go to a new place. People often must leave their comfort zone to enter yours. Acknowledge this and thank them for it. And when you're done, thank them again. It's virtually impossible to thank your new donors too much -- that is, if you're sincere and heartfelt in your thanks. Don't shout to a room full of guests "Thank you everyone for coming." The silent ending to that declaration is "now please go home." You do go to each one of your guests, acknowledging them as individuals, and say "Thank you very much for coming." Do the same thing for your donors. Acknowledge their gift, what they gave to, and what this means to your organization's mission.
- Let them get to know you. You don't have to introduce your kids to your oldest friends every time they come over for coffee. But you should introduce your children, and make several references to their names throughout the evening, to your new guests. You also probably don't have to keep telling your brother what it is you do for a living, but you can't expect your new neighbors to know your life's story. The same goes for your organization and your many areas of service. Make reference to them. Explain what you do and why you do it. Give some history. You don't have to do it all at once, but use every communication with your new donors as an opportunity to share a little more about your organization and its mission.
- Finally, stay in touch. If you invite new guests into your home and you'd like to get to know them better, you need to stay in touch. Contact your new donors frequently. You don't need to wake them up at 2 a.m. and pester them, but you do need to stay present in their day to day routine. Send them an email. Write them a letter. Send a postcard. Thank them. And if they don't write you back, let them know (nicely) that you've noticed. New donors need to hear from you frequently.
When do your new guests become old friends? That's up to you to decide. But industry surveys show that once you've received 3 gifts from a person, they are more than three times as likely to give again to your organization. That sounds like a good friend to me.
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