Email to grow the donor base in a recession on a tight budget

Recessions force organizations to change how they operate, but the formula for winning, keeping and growing donors does not change. Be more focused in your efforts, improve your communications and provide more value for donors’ contributions. Your organization will be rewarded with stronger donor relationships and a growing donor base.

In today’s recession and ultra-competitive fundraising environment donors are being more selective with their gifts and more sensitive to being asked for money.

The key to winning and keeping their support is strong donor relationships.

Donors that have a strong connection to the organization are more willing to give, recruit additional donors, hold fundraising events, become committee members and join the board of directors. This all contributes to a growing donor base and additional funds for expansion of programs.

Great communication fosters strong donor relationships

How well does your organization communicate its vision? Does every dollar spent support a single story involving this vision? When was the last time you demonstrated the organization’s focus, understanding, ingenuity, professionalism, determination and resolve? How often does your organization communicate with donors without asking for money?

Building great relationships takes time and a consistent message. Successful organizations tell a single story, tell it well and stick to it. Every aspect of the organization’s external communications should fit into this story like pieces of a puzzle.

When an organization supports the core story, whether told through beneficiaries’ experiences, the latest program results or interviews with staff, it demonstrates focus and competency in its field. Donors continually see this organization as the right one to address the issue! Make your vision their vision.

Stop and assess your organization’s communications efforts. Is it time to refocus the message to ensure consistency and clarity?

Grow the Donor Base
With improved communications, your organization distinguishes and differentiates itself as unique, open and accountable.

Your donors receive details on how their donations are making a difference and they are provided additional value for their contributions in the way of close ties and more information.

The connections you build with supporters are stronger and more current. This is the time to ask for their support.

Referrals, larger donations and more frequent donations are all more likely after organizations have built these solid donor relationships. Campaigns can be designed to expand the donor base leveraging current donor support. Both contribute to your organization having a sustainable and growing donor base.

Be Cost-Effective
Clearly this formula for communicating with donors to generate their support can be applied in many ways, but the most cost-effective is with email, eNewsletters, and social networking websites like Facebook. This medium is valuable in key ways:

Prospects and donors are on the Internet all the time! Speak to them where they are.

• It’s cost-effective to create and deliver messages.
• It is flexible which allows for timely topics to be discussed.
• It allows for easy targeting. For different prospect & donor segments, send messages that address their specific interests or concerns.
• It’s relatively easy to get feedback to make your messages more valuable.

Organizations that succeed in growing their donor base in this difficult environment are poised for accelerated growth when the economy improves so it pays to take on the challenge.


Brian Pickett assists nonprofits in developing the key components of sustainable growth. Relationships are an organization’s greatest asset, a fact PickettCRM leverages to help organizations expand their donor base. For more information on strategic CRM solutions please visit PickettCRM, Houston, TX.