{"id":24618,"date":"2021-08-24T05:05:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-24T09:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.donorperfect.com\/nonprofit-technology-blog\/?p=24618"},"modified":"2024-07-01T14:18:05","modified_gmt":"2024-07-01T18:18:05","slug":"ask-a-donor-5-reasons-why-a-donor-doesnt-give-after-their-first-donation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.donorperfect.com\/nonprofit-technology-blog\/featured\/ask-a-donor-5-reasons-why-a-donor-doesnt-give-after-their-first-donation\/","title":{"rendered":"Ask a Donor – 5 Reasons Why a Donor Doesn\u2019t Give After Their First Donation"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Ask
Believe me when I say I\u2019m a nice person. Pets instinctively like me. I over-tip at restaurants, and I don\u2019t forget to tip hotel housekeepers. Sure, I suffer from the occasional road rage, but I keep my fingers on the steering wheel instead of out the window to avoid making unkind gestures. But I\u2019m sorry, just because I gave to your nonprofit last year does not mean I\u2019m going to give again this year.<\/p>\n

Yes, I got your lovely pen in that five pound direct mail piece, but I kept the pen and tossed the rest with my recyclables (see, I recycle!) I also get all your emails, but I delete them immediately, and I\u2019m probably going to unsubscribe soon too because, after deleting 50 of them, I have to ask why I\u2019m still getting them at all!<\/p>\n

I know what you\u2019re probably thinking: \u201cWhat gives? Why won\u2019t you keep donating?”<\/i><\/p>\n

Sorry, it’s not gonna happen…unless–<\/p>\n

\u201cOh wait a minute, there\u2019s a chance?\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Sure there is!<\/p>\n

I\u2019m going to let you in on some ways to win over those one-time donors who are just like me. The short answer? Understand why they gave to you in the first place.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/section>\n

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5 Reasons Why a Donor Gives Once and Ghosts<\/h2>\n

Just because you received a gift doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019ve started a long-term relationship with that donor<\/a>. It’s like going on a blind date. You may not know what someone\u2019s motivation was for meeting you in the first place. And when the experience seems pretty positive, from your perspective, it\u2019s a head-scratcher when you don\u2019t end up on that second date.<\/p>\n

Understanding why<\/i> a donor gave is how you\u2019ll ensure the relationship continues. Here are five reasons why a donor may have given, so you can learn what you can do to keep that relationship going.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

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Why Donors Give, Reason #1<\/h3>\n

They gave to a friend\u2019s crowdfunding campaign<\/h4>\n

Being a nice person, I\u2019m asked many times by friends, family, and coworkers to support the causes that are important to them, including yours. So when they send me the snazzy crowdfunding<\/a> form you\u2019d supplied them from DonorPerfect, I donate. I\u2019m a people-pleaser – it’s what I do.<\/p>\n

But your mistake is thinking I\u2019d give again when you ask me directly. I have my own charities that I\u2019m passionate about, and I give to them every year, even without a reminder.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

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Why Donors Give, Reason #2<\/h3>\n

They gave to your nonprofit on Giving Tuesday<\/h4>\n

Giving Tuesday<\/a> is that genius social media fundraising<\/a> holiday that puts the focus on donating to charity at a time when people just spent the last four days keeping the economy afloat with lots of shopping. Like a crowdfunding campaign<\/a>, your one-time donor may have asked family and friends to shift their focus to gifts that really matter: donations to your cause! Given the Giving Tuesday social media trends and desire by some to be seen doing good, they may have loved sharing an \u201cunselfie\u201d on Instagram or Facebook without any thought of doing it again. Remember: your job is not to judge someone\u2019s motivation – it’s to understand it so you can take actions to keep it going.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/section>\n

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Why Donors Give, Reason #3<\/h3>\n

A story on the news or social media motivated them to find a cause like yours<\/h4>\n

When asked when they began to take COVID-19 seriously in the US, the consensus in a news poll was: the week Tom Hanks announced he had it and the NBA stopped their season. There is nothing like the power of a celebrity or a major news story to direct attention to a cause. Online giving<\/a> has revolutionized the way we react to current events, from natural disasters and national tragedies to policy changes and social movements. Something they\u2019d never imagined or considered becomes front and center in their life, and they want to be a part of it – whether to help, or to participate in something bigger than themselves.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

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Why Donors Give, Reason #4<\/h3>\n

They tagged along with a friend to your fundraising event<\/h4>\n

Whether your events are live or online, fundraising events<\/a> are a big day or night \u201cout\u201d on a lot of social calendars. From Monte Carlo gambling nights to golf outings to charitable auctions<\/a>, people like a fun event, and if a worthy cause benefited from it, all the better!<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

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Why Donors Give, Reason #5<\/h3>\n

They benefited from giving to you<\/h4>\n

In some ways, people are like our pets, they are motivated to act in accordance with their self interests – lots of times with a treat. Perhaps you had an incredible giveaway contest that featured a prize they really wanted<\/a>, so they contributed a few bucks to get a chance to win. Why not? It’s like buying a lottery ticket! Perhaps they knew their boss supported your cause and they wanted to impress to get the promotion (remember – no judging!) Fundraising tax laws<\/a>, regulations, or other mandates may also provide an incentive to give to you – this is something to consider, especially for corporate and major donors<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

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The Key to Winning Back Your Lapsed Donors? Know Why They Gave in the First Place<\/h2>\n

Those are just some of the reasons a person may have given to you without any real affinity for your cause. This makes getting them to donate again even harder. The average nonprofit retains less than half their donors every year, and for most nonprofits only 19% of first-time donors give again. Do you know what your donor retention<\/a> rate is for first time donors? In DonorPerfect, you can figure it out by looking at the donor retention<\/a> rate for the current year on the Comprehensive Donor Revenue Analysis report and filtering for donors who gave their initial gift last year<\/a>. Go take a look right now. I\u2019ll wait.<\/p>\n

Yikes! Shocking isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n

Perhaps if you understood a donor\u2019s motivation, you could decide on who and how to reach out to each donor. You can also decide on who not<\/b> to reach out to so you can save time and money on that expensive direct mail piece or calling them. Yes, there\u2019s a chance a new donor<\/a> may become passionate about your cause and a lifelong donor. Your data, including the reason why I give, can tell you how likely that is, and if it’s worth it to keep trying.<\/p>\n

There are several ways to learn about your lapsed donors:<\/b><\/p>\n<\/section>\n

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Run a LYBUNT report<\/h3>\n

You\u2019re probably saying to yourself right now, \u201cUgh, do I have to run a report? Can\u2019t I just send an email to everyone without knowing this information? They gave us a gift once!\u201d<\/p>\n

I guess you could, but I\u2019m one email away from unsubscribing forever<\/i>.<\/p>\n

So the first order of business is to run your LYBUNT report in DonorPerfect<\/a> and identify which donors didn\u2019t give again. LYBUNT stands for \u201cLast Year But Unfortunately Not This (year)\u201d. You\u2019re going to want to target these donors differently than everyone else, including whether you should do it at all.<\/p>\n