Our Donors Need Love Too—Here’s How to Show It

Get Personal—And I Don’t Mean Their Name in the Subject Line

• Generic thank-you emails? Over it. Personalized appreciation is the name of the game. Dig into your donor’s past involvement and contributions. When was the last time you acknowledged how their specific actions made an impact? Were they part of your last campaign? Did they fund a particular initiative or give to a cause that's near and dear to them?

• Take it a step further: write handwritten thank-you notes or offer one-on-one video calls. A personal connection can make a world of difference, and those small, thoughtful gestures? They’ll keep your donors engaged long after the typical email thank-you fades into their spam folder.

2. Host a Donor Love Challenge—Yes, Really

• Love isn’t just about sending a message—it’s about creating an experience. Why not run a Donor Love Challenge? Think about a short-term engagement activity where you involve your supporters in showing love to the cause. It could be as simple as a “share your favorite memory with our nonprofit” challenge on social media. Or, take it a step further and host a virtual event with your most dedicated supporters, giving them a platform to share their impact stories and meet the people who benefit from their contributions.
• The best part? A challenge gives your donors a sense of community and reminds them that their support matters. Don’t just thank them—make them feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves.

3. Provide Swipeable Thank-You Templates

• Let’s be real: donors don’t always get the credit they deserve. You’ve got your hands full managing a nonprofit, so why not make showing love easier for your team? Create Swipeable Thank-You Templates that your team can use for different types of donors: big and small, recurring and one-time. These templates should be easy to customize and come with a personal touch that resonates with each donor’s giving history.
• Best(ie) Practice: Use these templates for social media shoutouts, direct mail, and email campaigns. The quicker you make it to send a personalized, genuine thank you, the better.

• 4. Steal a Page from Corporate America: Gifts That Don’t Suck
• It’s not always about the words. Sometimes, it’s about the action. But here's the trick: gift-giving for nonprofits isn’t about splurging on fancy trinkets. Get creative. A $5 donation might not warrant a $50 gift, but a personalized bookmark, a thank-you video, or a shoutout on your social media page can go a long way. These kinds of gestures communicate that you see the donor as an individual, not just as a dollar sign.

• 5. Conduct a Stewardship Audit to Level Up Your Donor Engagement You want to make sure your donor love isn’t just surface-level fluff—it needs to be part of your long-term retention strategy. If you haven’t conducted a Stewardship Audit, now’s the time to do it. With my Stewardship Audit, you’ll get a deep dive into how your organization is showing up for its supporters. Are you actively listening to their feedback? Are you following up on their contributions in meaningful ways? Or is your engagement limited to the occasional thank-you email?
• By conducting an audit, you’ll be able to identify the gaps and create a clear plan for improving donor engagement. This audit will help ensure that the love you give is authentic and that your donor retention strategies are solid.