Eleven Reasons Donors Stop Responding To Fundraising Letter
Appeals
Eleven Reasons Donors Stop Responding To Fundraising Letter
Appeals
Donors will stop responding to your fundraising letter appeals
for many reasons. Some of which you can manage, but many of
which you cannot. Use these findings to retain as many of your
donors as you can.
1. They forget
I suppose you could call this a case of "poor institutional
memory." Donors simply forget your institution. They read your
letter, decide to give, put your letter down somewhere, and then
forget to mail you their gift.
2. They get distracted
Some stop sending gifts because they get sidetracked by other
priorities, such as the arrival of children, or grandchildren.
Or a hurricane hits their home. Or mum gets diagnosed with
breast cancer.
3. They lose interest
Perhaps through a fault of yours (you've strayed from your
mission, perhaps), but also perhaps because their interests
change, some donors stop their support because your mission no
longer excites them.
4. They suffer financially
In some families, the breadwinner loses his job, and the first
thing to be cut is discretionary spending, such as take out
food, movies and charitable gifts.
5. They die
You have no control over this one, or shouldn't have. A
percentage of your donors will pass away each year, and their
gifts in the mail will cease the same day they do. That's why
you are wise to invite your older donors to include you in their
wills.
6. You mail them too often
Some donors grow weary if they receive too many solicitations in
any year. A letter each month might be too many for some. One a
quarter might be too many for others. Either way, they stop
giving because they feel you are hounding them for their money.
7. You don't mail often enough
Other donors fall away because you are never on their radar
screen. Your letters arrive so infrequently, or so
unpredictably, that you never make a lasting impression in their
minds---or wallets.
8. You don't listen
The donor made a complaint or a suggestion, and then decided
that your organization did not respond properly. So they took
their gifts elsewhere.
9. You treat them like a stranger
How many times would you need to receive a letter addressing you
as "Dear Friend" before concluding that the organization was
interested in your money and not in you?
10. They feel unappreciated
Donors like to feel appreciated, and like to know that their
donations are being used to good ends. If your thank-you letters
arrive late, or never at all, some donors will start giving to
other organizations that show their appreciation.
11. You make them mad
Some donors will decide they do not like your new executive
director's hairstyle. Or your new logo. There is something you
can do to retain donors like this. But I don't know what it is.