The New Year is here. Do you wonder what’s ahead for us? The last two years have brought about so much change and uncertainty. Sometimes it’s hard to predict what’s going to happen next. 

I’m sure your nonprofit continues to face challenges, but since the pandemic started many organizations were able to confront these challenges and make changes to the way they ran their programs and implemented their fundraising and communications. Some were successful and some weren’t.

If 2021 was not a successful year for your organization, you can work to make 2022 better. 

Here are some ways to ensure a more successful year.

Have a plan in place

You must have fundraising and communications plans. If you haven’t put together these plans yet, do that now! 

You know from recent past experience that you may need to make changes to your plans. In 2020, organizations that were able to make changes to a plan already in place were most successful.

Take a look back at 2021 to see what worked and what didn’t in your fundraising and communications. Incorporate what you’ve learned into your 2022 plans. 

Be sure your fundraising plan includes a diverse stream of revenue. Individual giving has been fairly successful throughout the pandemic. A lot of small donations can add up!

Planning an in-person event right now is tricky. If you rely on event revenue, it might be best to stick with virtual or have a plan to shift to virtual, depending on what’s happening with the virus.

Revisit your fundraising and communications plans regularly and make changes as needed. You may need to do this more often now.

Remember that donor engagement and donor retention should be part of your fundraising plan. Those are key to your success.

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Pay attention to your donor retention

Many donors have stepped up over the past two years to support nonprofit organizations. You don’t want to lose these valuable donors.

Donor retention should be a priority. You’ll have more success if you work to keep the donors you already have instead of focusing on getting new ones.

First, if you don’t already know it, figure out your retention rate. Do this after every fundraising campaign.

A Guide to Donor Retention

If it’s low, it’s something you can fix, usually with better communication. Donor retention is a huge problem for nonprofits. Your goal should be to have donors who support you for a long time.

It’s easier and less expensive to keep your current donors than to find new ones, so, once again, make donor retention a priority.

That said, you may have some new donors who saw a need and felt a connection to your cause. Don’t let these donors slip away either.

Donor Retention Strategies: Get Donors to Give Again

Ultimate Guide to Donor Retention

Make Time to Welcome Your New Donors

Step up your monthly giving program

Speaking of retention, the retention rate for monthly donors is 90%. These donors are dedicated to your nonprofit. 

Monthly giving makes sense at any time, but it’s been especially crucial over the last two years. Organizations that had monthly giving programs saw a steady stream of revenue throughout the year. Donors who opt for monthly giving find it’s easier on their finances. Dedicated monthly donors have also stepped up and have given additional donations.

Work on starting or growing your monthly giving program so you can have a bunch of highly committed donors. A good way to start is to invite your current donors to become monthly donors.

Monthly donors are also potential major and legacy donors.

Why Monthly Giving Makes Sense

10 Quick Tips to Create a Great Monthly Giving Program

Do a better job of communicating with your donors 

Lets’s say goodbye to boring, generic communication. Over the past two years, donors have seen real people with real problems in real time. They turned on the news and saw long lines at food banks. They’ve witnessed a much-needed awareness of systemic racism in our society. 

It makes a difference if you can put things in human terms. Organizations that do this did a better job of connecting with their donors.

Stop using jargon, such as at-risk and underserved. These terms are demeaning to your clients, especially if they’re people of color. Tell more stories and go easy on the statistics. If you’re making a difference, you have stories to tell.

Better communication also means more frequent communication. Donors want to hear from you and they want to feel appreciated, too. Better, more frequent communication will help you raise more money. A communications calendar will help you with this. 

Keep relationships front and center

You may think the most important component of fundraising is raising money. While that’s important, so is building relationships with your donors. 

It’s hard to raise money year after year if you don’t build a good relationship with your donors. Every single interaction with your donors needs to focus on building relationships. That includes fundraising appeals. It’s possible to raise money and build relationships at the same time.

Good relationships with your donors will help you with retention.

How to Build Authentic Relationships With Nonprofit Donors

Don’t forget about gratitude

A big part of building relationships is showing gratitude to your donors. Many nonprofits do a poor job with this. 

You need to start by sending a heartfelt thank you immediately after you receive a donation and then find ways to thank your donors throughout the year. Put together a thank you plan to help you with this.

A Donor Resolution for 2022 You Will Want to Keep

Start the New Year off by making fundraising and communications plans, if you haven’t already done so. Prioritize donor retention, donor engagement, and monthly giving. This will help bring you more success in 2022.

Here are a few more ideas on how to plan for the New Year.

6 New Years Resolution Ideas for Nonprofits

Preparing for 2022: What Your Nonprofit Should Know

Photo by Marco Verch