The Power of the Personal: Why Your Best Donors are Leaving
Written by Ellen Graf-Martin
Recently, I received the most disappointing email from a charity I had supported for over 18 years. I had increased our gift over time, giving month after month - starting before I was married, and only stopping two years ago.
No one asked why I stopped giving. I never received a thank-you note or even an email for the many, many years of monthly support. If I were to add up my total giving…the amount would be significant. I don’t regret giving - I still deeply believe in the cause.
Instead, their system routed me to a generic, lapsed-donor email list, asking me to start giving again.
And now, with one generic, disappointing email, I'm unlikely to start giving again. I’m sure they received expert advice to take this approach, or invested in a new donor cultivation system that promised increased revenue, but at what cost?
After 18 years, I felt I had been reduced to a data point in an automated campaign.
The damage to their brand reputation was expensive. I am regularly asked for recommendations on where to give, and I’m often consulted on who is trustworthy with donor dollars. Right now, I wouldn’t risk my own reputation by recommending them - and all it took was one thoughtless email.
Conversely, another organization I’ve supported monthly for several years contacted me last fall to let me know that my credit card had expired. I was on leave at the time and wasn’t checking email regularly, and this slipped through the cracks. They hadn’t received a donation from me in six months. However, a recent email from them highlighting organizational needs served as a gentle reminder to update that information ASAP.
The following week, a member of their donor relations team called to say thank you. They left a voicemail and then followed up with an email. They didn’t ask for anything more from me, but genuinely wanted to thank my husband and I for joining them again. It wasn’t AI. It wasn’t scripted. It was a big encouragement to me. She even invited me to visit their facility and connect with her personally. Again, not to ask for more, but to genuinely connect.
So, what can you do with this information today?
Remember: your work is not with “donors” but with real, live humans. Humans who are navigating this crazy time alongside you, and facing real challenges of their own. When you write them an email, write them an email. Even in mass communication, the steps you take to make it personal truly matter.
Consider how you can encourage and thank your donors, including those who have lapsed, without asking them for anything.
Instead of asking, consider what you can invite them to engage in. A tour of your offices? A peek behind the scenes? A letter-writing campaign to the program beneficiaries they’ve invested in? A kit-packing event?
Bulk up your communication segmentation based on psychographics and behaviours. Your donor team may already know this information, and it should absolutely be part of your brand strategy!
With that stronger segmentation opportunity, ask, are there other programs you need support for that better align with their interests? Are they enthusiastic about entrepreneurship? Mother’s clubs? Animals? Education? Invite them to participate based on their interests.
I know that the organization that sent me that discouraging email does have a program that inspires me and I’d be interested in (I’ve actually told them so!). Yet, they’ve never invited me to participate.
Recent data reminds me that people are still giving; they’re just being more intentional and mindful of where they give. If you treat them with the same intentionality and care, your brand value will grow exponentially.
If you feel stuck and want to stop sending disappointing emails, reach out. I’d love to help you grow stronger in this season.
