How to become an expert at building donor loyalty

Nearly all nonprofits need money to run well, but just how effective is it to measure your success simply in terms of money raised? While that will most certainly figure in your evaluation, if you don't also look at donor loyalty you are missing one of the most fundamental parameters of a successful organization. It's exciting to gain new donors, but even more important is whether those donors give again. By building a base of loyal donors, you can weather hard times and expand your services during good times.

FundRaiser Basic exists to help you build on your interactions with donors and assist you in creating trust and loyalty between yourself and donors. Fundamentally, every feature in Basic can be boiled down to 'helps build donor loyalty.' That's how essential building donor loyalty is. As Tony Poderis says,

When we set fund-raising goals, we usually cast them in terms of dollars. However, the major fund-raising goal of any organization should be to build a base of loyal, supportive donors who give money year after year, campaign after campaign. It is that base of loyal, supportive donors upon which the financial goals of every campaign are built, making donor loyalty the most critical element of long-term fund-raising success.

To become an expert on building donor loyalty, try this exercise. First, read through Tony's  advice on building donor loyalty. He can't be beat for his skill at writing on this topic. He gives concrete tips and has a wealth of personal experience from his own long and successful career as a development director.

Then take a look at FundRaiser Basic and see how you can back up every step he advises with some action in Basic. You will become much more aware of what is most important to focus on when you use your database.