How to Keep Your Donors Happy

When you’re operating a charity, it’s natural to operate under the assumption that those who help out are doing so for the benefit of the cause. This is likely true in many ways, but you still want to ensure that their patronage is something you can continue to rely on. In that regard, it’s not enough to simply take whatever is offered to you, and there has to be some benefit that your donors receive.

Sometimes, the idea that they’re helping make a difference in a field they care about is enough. It won’t always be, though, and it never hurts to have some ideas of how to create more engagement.

Host an Event

When trying to improve this aspect of your charity, your mind might go to all of the small ways to refine how you do things, but there’s also room to make the act of donating more exciting. Looking to professionals who offer charity response handling can help you form something like a charity lottery, giving donors an opportunity to win a prize that you feel is appropriate. This can allow donating to continue in the same charitable way that it has always existed and continues to emphasize that as the main point – but with the addition of a chance of a prize, it can increase excitement. This isn’t just about offering something in return, it’s about making the act of engagement with your brand something that’s rewarding for everyone, even while your focus is on your work.

Clear Communication

This one might sound simple, but you’d be surprised at how easy it is to get wrong. In any business, when you’re trying to build up a rapport with your audiences, it’s integral that you communicate regularly. Without updates, they can’t know if you hear their feedback or if you even care. This is arguably even more true when it comes to charitable donors. These people are theoretically helping you through no direct gain to themselves, and simply letting them know where their money is going and being open and communicative can help that process to feel much more rewarding.

You can also achieve this by giving them the option to give you feedback, potentially through survey forms that can be easily shared and viewed.

Involvement 

‘Donor’ typically refers to someone who’s giving money specifically over their time, but getting more directly involved with your cause might be a way to further than connection with them. Not everyone will be interested in this. For many people, giving money is a way to help you continue to do your work while they maintain their distance, but at least having the opportunity to get more involved can allow others to take you up on that should they want to.

For some charities, getting involved is the main draw. In work like environmental conservation, getting involved means that they get a chance to reap the mental health benefits that such constructive work can offer.