PatronManager

If getting donors in the door the first time is hard, getting them to donate again is even harder. And just like any new relationship, the first few minutes may set the tone. I urge you to read this article in the blog Clarification that embeds the results of a recent Bloomberg study where they donated $5 to 50 organizations just to see how quickly, and in what manner, the organization followed up with them. The results are fascinating, and a great way for you to benchmark your process. One of their suggestions is that you pick up the phone when you get a new gift of over $X from a first-time donor (where $X is a meaningful amount relative to your donor group). Let’s say most of your unsolicited donations are $40, and you get a $500 donation. Do you call them the next day?

Here’s where a CRM system such as PatronManager can help. Imagine that your online donation page is “intelligent” and when a donation of over $XX (whatever a meaningful amount is to your organization) comes in, a member of the development department has a task automatically assigned to her to call that donor.  An email also goes out to her instantly, along with all the pertinent information, as an additional reminder to call the donor and thank him. This is how the really successful organizations in the future will gain and retain their unsolicited new donors.