Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/how-to-fight-donor-fatigue/5023556/
Donor fatigue isn’t a national trend that you can’t fight. It’s a challenge that can be effectively addressed by rethinking the way you cultivate and sustain relationships with donors. If your organization is experiencing donor fatigue — when previously active donors stop being charitable — identifying the causes of the apathy is the first step towards fixing it.
When donors become disenchanted, they may not be tired of giving but tired of you. Brad Davies, vice president of Next After: Fundraising Optimization for Nonprofits, noted that donors don’t get tired of supporting causes they care about. Rather, organizations have failed to excite them or talk about what they do in a new way that inspires donors to continue giving. By cultivating meaningful relationships with philanthropists and community members, you will build an engaged audience prepared to give again, purchase what you are selling, or show their support by attending your special event.
Joe Garecht, of The Fundraising Authority and author of How to Raise Money for any Nonprofit: The Definitive Guide, advises stewarding donors, a process whereby an organization develops an ever-stronger relationship with the donor through regular communication. He adds that the only way to truly do this is to draw donors into ...