The opportunities for your nonprofit to host an event are nearly endless. You can host a simple thank you get-together, open your location for tours or an open house to show off your work, celebrate a major breakthrough with your work or gather your major gift donors or some other exclusive club of givers. Whatever event you are hosting, the good news is that it can open the door for your nonprofit to boost donor retention through engagement and awareness.
Here are a few tips for boosting donor retention during your next nonprofit event:
Get to know your donors personally
When it comes to building relationships, it’s important that your nonprofit is actually taking the time to meet and talk to your donors. You might be surprised at how far that personal relationship will go. Events play a crucial role in your overall fundraising strategy, both as opportunities to raise more money and to have staff network with donors and build positive relationships.
Ask for one-on-one feedback on programs
It is important to ask your donors and supporters for feedback, and events are a great opportunity to do so. This feedback will help your nonprofit learn important demographics and what strategies and programs are working right for you. This feedback can help you modify your strategies to help provide donors with relevant information and programs they enjoy participating in. This feedback can also give you useful information into what motivates your donors to give to you.
Say thank you in person
As nonprofits, we spend a lot of time thanking our donors and supporters. Whether that be through website thank you pages or thank you email campaigns, it is important that you are letting your supporters know that you are grateful for their donations. Take the time to thank donors at your events in-person and make a personal connection with them.
Share stories of impact
Share with your donors at your events by reinforcing how their gifts have made a difference. Take the time to tell your donors about the impact that different sizes of donations have on the recipients and show them the outcomes of your work with slideshows, videos or personal testimonials during your event.
Have fun with your supporters
Ultimately, it’s important to have fun with your supporters at your events. You don’t want to leave them feeling you only care about their money. Take the time to thank them, get to know them and share stories of impact. If you need a list of fun events you can host to visit with your supporters, check out these 18 quick and easy fundraiser ideas. The event registration process should be easy and don’t forget to send a nice invite and direct them to your website.
Once you have all your supporters at your event and in-person, you can take the opportunity to make a soft ask for a new gift or upgrade donors with higher monthly giving amounts. The main focus should be to say thank you and show off your work, but it is okay to also take the opportunity to raise money.
