What exactly are your donors thinking? Have you ever thought about the millions of thoughts running through their heads when faced with the opportunity to donate? Are they thinking certain things and just not telling you?
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1. They’re unhappy. Customer experience guru John Goodman shared this jarring fact with me this week: there are two industries in which people are often unhappy with service but don’t complain much: health care and nonprofits.
Just because you’re not hearing disappointment doesn’t mean your donors are pleased with you.
2. They’ll vote with their feet. The number one reason donors stop supporting a charity is the way they were treated by the charity: a lack of gratitude, no clear understanding of the difference they made, endless solicitations.
3. They want you to do better. They want to be acknowledged, involved and informed. Treat them better—it’s the single best thing you can do as a fundraiser. Keep the donor you have and you won’t have to worry so much about finding new converts. A little gratitude goes a long way.