Everyone loves a personal letter. It creates a feeling of human connection. In an age of endless texts and messages, a personal letter is a throwback to a simpler time when communication was more thoughtful and meaningful.
With the amount of data available in your donor management software, creating a year-end letter for individual donors is not nearly as time-consuming as it once was. You just need to know which reports to run and what data to pull to give your letters that personal touch!
Donor Giving History
Donation amount: How much they gave last time should inform your decision about how much to ask for today. The “ask” should be reasonable and personalized to not only increase the likelihood of a donation, but to encourage the donor to give as much as they can. Don’t ask for an outrageous amount, but don’t be too conservative!
Of course, give your major donors the extra attention they deserve. Make a phone call, meet for coffee, or schedule a visit to your nonprofit for a private tour.
Donation preferences: Do they pay by credit card or send a check? Customize your call-to-action based on past behavior.
Last donation date: Use this information to segment your donor list and tailor your message accordingly. For example, if a donor has given in the past month, asking for another donation could seem tone deaf. Preventable mistakes like this could raise red flags!
- Lapsed donors: Two common donor segments are Last Year But Unfortunately Not This (LYBUNT) and Some Year But Unfortunately Not This (SYBUNT). It wouldn’t make sense to thank lapsed donors for ongoing support. Instead, say that you miss them and remind them of their previous connection with your nonprofit.
- Recurring donors: If a donor makes recurring monthly gifts or has given recently, thank them and tell them how another gift could expand the impact of those gifts! Remind them how much you appreciate and rely on their recurring gifts but ask for a larger year-end gift.
- New donors: Only two in 10 new donors will give a second time, but six in 10 second-time donors will make a third gift. Segment this group and remind them of your mission. Show how their gift helps your nonprofit make a difference and share success stories. Because they’re still “new,” add a little extra information to your appeal to keep them on board!
Donor and Volunteer Engagement History and Giving Interests
See if there is a pattern related to past campaign involvement as a donor, volunteer, or both. Because engagement history and giving interests are stored in different areas of the donor record, you can run two separate reports and highlight the donor’s activity. You can then craft personalized appeals that highlight impact based on the individual’s campaign involvement and interests.
Volunteer Activity
Did you know 79 percent of volunteers also donate to the nonprofits where they volunteer? This is an extremely important donor segment filled with people who give their time, talent, and energy to your organization because they’re so passionate about your mission!
Run a report of current and previous volunteers. In your year-end appeal letters, thank them for their support, remind them of the impact of their efforts, and let them know what a donation would mean to those who benefit from your programs. Have the letter come from someone they know, like a volunteer coordinator or program manager!
Remember, your donor management software is only as effective as the data you feed it. Enter complete, accurate data throughout the year to make sure your reports are useful and your year-end strategy is on point!
