What If We Cared?
The Key to Long-Term Fundraising Success
By Courtney Krus
Beyond Acquisition: The Case for Caring
We often pour tremendous energy and resources into acquiring new donors. But what if we invested as much passion into keeping them? When we understand how emotions drive decisions, it becomes clear that caring for donors isn’t just a nice gesture. It is essential.
Emotions like joy, sadness, anger, and fear guide every choice we make. Our brains respond to perceived threats with stress hormones (adrenaline, cortisol) and to rewards with feel-good chemicals (dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin). These emotional triggers play a huge role in why people give and why they keep giving.
Consider the COVID-19 pandemic. When crisis struck, emotions spurred generosity. In our research of 88 organizations across 10 sectors, we saw donations surge 56 percent and revenue rise 27 percent. The U.S. hit a record 471 billion dollars in charitable giving in 2020. Similarly, the tragic death of George Floyd ignited an outpouring of support. The Minnesota Freedom Fund raised 20 million dollars in just four hours.
Emotions spark action. But for long-term support, we must go deeper. We must transform fleeting emotions into enduring feelings of connection and loyalty.
From Emotions to Feelings: The Path to Donor Loyalty
Emotions are immediate and reactive. Feelings are what linger and bond donors to your cause. As Francisco Ambroghetti writes in Hooked on a Feeling, the key is creating experiences that sustain these feelings over time.
So how do we do that? By caring authentically, consistently, and creatively.
Practical Ways to Show You Care
1. Be Human and Personal
Donors are people, not transactions. They want to feel seen, heard, and valued as individuals. One of the simplest ways to demonstrate this is through the way you communicate. Send emails from real individuals, not generic organization addresses like “info@” or “donorservices@.”
When a donor sees a message from an actual person, such as a program director or executive director, it builds trust and invites engagement.
Personalize your messages by using the donor’s name, not just in the salutation but in subject lines and throughout the communication. For example, a subject line like, “Hi, Courtney. I want to help you” feels warm and genuine.
Also, consider the design of your emails. Make them look like personal notes rather than slick marketing materials. Plain-text style emails or simple formats that mimic what you’d send a colleague or friend often perform better. In fact, tests show that emails with a human tone and look can significantly increase opens, clicks, and donations because they feel authentic and relational rather than transactional.
2. Thank Authentically
A thank-you isn’t a checkbox or formality. It is an opportunity to create a lasting connection. Donors want to know their gift mattered and that someone took time to notice. The difference between a perfunctory thank-you and a heartfelt one is immense.
For instance, when UNICEF used internal staff members to call and thank donors, they saw a 15 percent increase in response rates, a 53 percent rise in average gifts, and a 297 percent boost in revenue. The reason is that these weren’t just calls to fulfill an obligation. They were genuine efforts to connect and express gratitude.
Beyond phone calls, simple touches like handwritten notes or postcards can be powerful. One organization saw a 41 percent increase in year-end donor conversion after sending gratitude postcards. The key is sincerity. Donors can sense when your thanks are authentic.
3. Listen and Recognize
Donors appreciate when you invite their opinions and genuinely value their input. By asking questions like, “Where did you hear about us?” or “Where should we focus our efforts?” you’re not just gathering data. You are showing donors that they are stakeholders in your mission.
Simple surveys in emails or on donation forms can give donors a voice and help them feel more invested. This can increase donation rates significantly. In one test, adding a question like “Where should we focus our efforts?” on a donation form increased giving by 34 percent. Listening to donors makes them feel respected and builds loyalty.
4. Reconnect to the Experience
Donors want to see the impact of their giving. Too often, they make a gift and never hear what happened next. By providing stories, photos, videos, or updates, you connect their generosity to real outcomes.
For example, after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Save the Children sent ongoing updates to donors showing how their gifts were helping children and families. These communications didn’t ask for another gift. They showed impact and deepened the emotional connection. Timely and meaningful updates reassure donors that their support makes a difference and encourage continued involvement.
5. Celebrate Donors
Life’s milestones matter, and recognizing them shows donors that you see them as whole people and not just sources of funding. Birthdays, giving anniversaries, new babies, retirements, or other personal milestones provide opportunities to reach out and celebrate.
One organization boosted donor retention by 25 percent simply by calling donors on their birthdays. Many donors said it was the only birthday call they received. Such thoughtful gestures create powerful emotional connections that inspire long-term support.
6. Welcome Complaints
Don’t shy away from feedback or complaints. Instead, encourage dialogue and make it easy for donors to share concerns. Whether it’s about a failed transaction, a website issue, or a misunderstanding, addressing complaints shows that you care about the donor experience.
Research shows that just making your phone number easy to find and inviting calls can increase retention. Retention increased by 9 percent to 18 percent in one study even when complaints weren’t resolved. This happened simply because donors felt heard. When donors know you’re accessible and responsive, their trust deepens.
7. Surprise and Delight
Unexpected, thoughtful gestures go a long way in building goodwill. Send donors articles you think they would enjoy, check in after local storms or crises, or leave a voicemail just to share a meaningful message or prayer.
For example, an organization sent a simple email after a flood asking donors, “Are you okay?” The response was overwhelming. Donors were touched that the organization cared enough to check in. This goodwill strengthened the relationship for future engagement. Small moments of kindness can leave lasting impressions that inspire ongoing support.
The Financial Impact of Caring
This isn’t just about warm feelings. There is a clear return on caring:
- One extra cultivation email led to an 80 percent rise in engagement and 21 percent more revenue.
- A donor-centered welcome series drove 920 percent more donations.
- Flipping a program to focus on cultivation resulted in 875 percent growth in online donations.
Where to Begin
As Stephen Covey said, “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second-best time is today.” Start small:
- Add one meaningful cultivation email per month.
- Make quarterly thank-you calls or voicemails.
- Send a gratitude postcard twice a year.
Above all, remember this: care for your people. Whether it’s a crisis, a birthday, or just a random Wednesday, take the time to show donors they’re seen, valued, and vital to your mission.
Courtney Krus
Managing Partner
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