The Art of Connection: How to Motivate Donors to Give

Imagine a world where every donor feels deeply committed to your cause, where every contribution is a building block for a lasting relationship. This vision is the holy grail for nonprofits.

However, achieving this level of engagement isn’t always easy. You’re challenged with competing in the crowded online space and communicating impact in ways that resonate. To prevail, focus on cultivating relationships. Ultimately, the difference between a one-time contributor and a fruitful, lifelong relationship hinges on the connection your nonprofit forms with each donor.

Naturally, you want donors to stick around not by chance, but through a genuine sense of belonging. That’s why we’re here to share thoughtful fundraising strategies that motivate donors to keep giving. Let’s explore innovative ideas that’ll enhance the donor journey and deepen connections to your cause!

Use charity eCards to spread goodwill.

Charity eCards are digital greeting cards that donors can purchase to support your mission. Donors buy an eCard, typically branded for occasions like Christmas, Easter, or birthdays. Then, they’ll send it to their friends or family. eCards offer a thoughtful way to celebrate special occasions, commemorate a loved one, or simply reach out to someone with kindness, all while supporting a noble cause.

Alongside plenty of other examples, eCardWidget’s charity eCards guide shares these eCards from One Tail At A Time:

The animal rescue organization designed a series of holiday cards featuring its furry residents. For a $25 donation, donors could choose a festive card and support a specific area of One Tail’s mission. For instance, one card’s proceeds supported high-quality veterinary care while another funded enrichment activities.

Here’s how to follow in their footsteps:

1. Choose an eCard platform. Pick one that offers plenty of templates, fonts, colors, and graphics to customize your designs. Make sure you can enable donations and add suggested giving amounts, too.
2. Create a diverse collection of eCards. Design ones for different occasions, such as birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, and thank-you messages. While eCards are popular during holidays, you can encourage their use year-round.
3. Publish your eCards. Either sell them for a set price or let donors choose a custom donation amount. Supporters can purchase their favorite cards and add custom notes for recipients.

This forges a deeper connection to your nonprofit because donors get something in return and can share their passion for your cause. In that sense, donation eCards help fundraise and spread cause awareness.

Best of all, you don’t just have to sell eCards. With complete design control, you can create event invitations, cause awareness materials, or thank-you cards to enhance supporter appreciation!

Connect donors’ everyday activities to your cause.

We’ve all bought something online, whether it was a new outfit, furniture, or groceries. People make these purchases every day. Now, what if they could donate a portion of these purchases to your cause?

Through shop for a cause fundraisers, you can infuse charitable giving into donors’ everyday lives. With every purchase they make at participating retailers, a part of the proceeds will automatically go to your nonprofit.

Find an online shopping fundraiser platform to make this dream a reality. ShopRaise makes it easy to get started:

1. Sign up for ShopRaise. Your organization will work with the ShopRaise team to get set up and create your nonprofit’s landing page.
2. Spread the word. Let donors know about your online shopping fundraiser and how to get started. You’ll have access to marketing emails, flyers, web banners, and more created by ShopRaise.
3. Donors start shopping. They’ll need to download the ShopRaise app or browser extension. Then, they can shop at participating retailers while paying the same prices and accessing the same coupons they normally would. Just make sure they select your nonprofit as their chosen organization on the platform!
4. Your cause receives the proceeds. A percentage of each sale will automatically be given to your nonprofit.

Shop-for-a-cause fundraisers make charitable giving effortless and habitual, helping to grow each donor’s impact. They’ll connect their everyday actions to your cause, forging deeper relationships with your cause.

Encourage donors to leverage workplace giving.

Tap into corporate philanthropy while also deepening donor relationships with workplace giving. These programs enhance the giving process and increase donors’ impact. Here are popular employee giving programs that can encourage support and build stronger ties to your cause:

• Matching gifts double donors’ contributions and impact. Whenever they give, they’ll research their companies’ matching gift guidelines. If eligible, they’ll fill out a request for their employer after donating. Nonprofits Source’s corporate giving guide explains this can motivate donors, especially since 1 in 3 individuals will give more if they’re match-eligible.
• Payroll deductions enable donors to automatically give a portion of each paycheck to your cause. Supporters can enroll through their company’s payroll system to continuously and effortlessly donate.
• Corporate volunteerism gives donors an inside look into your organization. By lining up corporate volunteer events, you’ll inspire donors to be hands-on with your mission. Some employers also offer volunteer grants, meaning they’ll donate to nonprofits where employees volunteer.

Tell donors about these opportunities! Feature workplace giving on your Ways to Give page, and reach out to individual supporters who work for charitable employers. You can even form relationships with businesses that offer workplace giving. Then, work with them to communicate the benefits of workplace giving to their employees.

Share thoughtful updates.

Most donors want to know how you use their generous contributions. In fact, donor recognition research shows that 41% of donors would donate again after receiving personalized communication on their impact. Some will actually stop giving if you don’t update them.

Make your updates informative, engaging, and heartfelt with these strategies:

• Include stories of those impacted by your nonprofit’s work. For instance, you might share the story of Jamal who struggled to access clean water but now leads his community in sustainable water management practices. Engaging donors on an emotional level through storytelling helps capture hearts and emphasize the impact of contributions.
• Strengthen each message with powerful photos and videos. Visuals help donors envision how their donations impact real lives. For example, you might include a video tour of a community’s new water facilities, complemented by photos of Jamal teaching water safety workshops.
• Share impact metrics to tie donors’ contributions to tangible outcomes. For instance, you might share that you installed 15 new clean water wells in rural communities, benefitting over 5,000 people and reducing waterborne diseases by 35% thanks to donations.
• Customize updates to match the donor’s interests. For instance, provide updates on specific projects they funded. Similarly, track matched donations and report back to show the impact of their gift.

From here, establish a balanced cadence for your outreach to update donors without overwhelming them. Beyond your immediate thank-you post-donation, time messages with project milestones. After all, 34% of donors will give again after receiving a swift thank you, according to that same donor recognition research we referenced earlier.

For mass updates, post updates on social media, on your nonprofit website, or in an annual donor impact report. For individual updates, send thoughtful thank-you letters and emails. You can even repurpose your eCard software to send custom thank-you notes. Everyone loves receiving a greeting card, and this approach elevates the conventional thank-you note with fun visuals.

Final Thoughts

Maintaining interest requires creativity and thoughtfulness. As you deepen relationships with supporters, remember that each effort is a step toward a more engaged and committed donor base. Each donation, big or small, contributes to your nonprofit’s success. By making each donor feel like a valued contributor to your cause, you’ll inspire ongoing support.