In this guide: 

• Why email marketing matters
• How to create an email marketing strategy
• Tools and best practice tips you need for successful campaigns

Why email marketing is important for nonprofits

Email marketing is a powerful way to engage supporters, drive donations, and tell the story of your nonprofit’s mission and goals. 

Some of the main benefits of email marketing for nonprofits include:

• It’s easier to reach your subscribers: You’re not at the mercy of an algorithm—instead, your content is delivered straight to your donors’ inboxes.
• Personalization is possible: Write to your subscribers by name and include key details like the amount they’ve donated, which programs they support, and more.
• You own the data: Unlike social media, you have direct access to your supporters and can reach them directly at any time.
• You can run tests and analyze data: Understand what works and what doesn’t in terms of sending times, call-to-action links, and email subject lines.
• You can reach new audiences: By promoting your email signup across your website and other marketing channels, you can attract new subscribers at any time.
• It can be scheduled: Email campaigns are often designed and scheduled in advance, so your team can focus on other marketing efforts live—like social media or in-person events.
• It’s another way to connect with donors: Nurturing donor relationships over time is crucial, and email gives you another avenue to do this alongside your other stewardship efforts.

Email marketing gives you a more direct connection to your supporters than other channels, allowing you to build relationships and drive fundraising efforts from loyal fans.

Types of emails to send as a nonprofit

There are lots of different types of emails to send as a nonprofit—from automatic donation receipts to multi-email campaigns. Only 45% of nonprofits send a monthly newsletter, so for many organizations, there’s plenty of room to introduce or do more with email marketing.

Popular types of emails to send include: 

• Transactional emails: Automated emails like donation receipts, thank-you messages, and ticket purchase confirmations.
• Automated welcome series: A series of emails that introduces new donors to the organization’s mission and programs.
• Email newsletters: Regular updates on what’s happening, impact stories, and how to get involved. For even more ideas, see our guide on how to optimize your nonprofit newsletter.
• Donation appeals: Requests for funding for specific campaigns, programs, or fundraising days like Giving Tuesday, designed to engage supporters. For an in-depth walkthrough, explore our guide on how to build an effective fundraising email campaign.
• Donor stewardship emails: Emails that express gratitude towards donors for their donations and continued support, with the aim of building relationships. Sending thank-you emails is important, as 57% of donors prefer to be thanked in this way.
• Event invitations: Invitations, reminders, and thank you messages related to events.
• Volunteer recruitment emails: Email outreach about upcoming volunteer opportunities.

Many nonprofits choose to send a monthly or quarterly newsletter for storytelling, consistency, and regular updates, with appeal and event emails before, during, and after key dates.

How to create a nonprofit email marketing strategy

To make an impact with email marketing, you need a strategy tailored to your goals and target audience. Follow these steps to create (or update) your email marketing strategy.

1. Define your goals

Your email marketing strategy should align with your wider organizational goals. Before you choose a template and start writing, decide what your goals are. 

Popular email marketing goals include: 

• Attract new monthly newsletter subscribers
• Convert subscribers into volunteers
• Turn one-time donors into monthly donors
• Drive donations for a specific fundraising campaign
• Raise awareness of your organization
• Attract corporate sponsors

Once you’re clear on what you want email marketing to achieve, you can start to plan campaigns that get you closer to your goal.

2. Choose your email marketing software

Many fundraising CRMs have email tools built in, but not all of these are equipped to handle email marketing campaigns or newsletters. You’ll want software designed for email marketing, that integrated with your CRM. 

Look for an email marketing platform that aligns with your budget and resources, then see which works best for you with a demo or free trial. Email marketing software is typically priced depending on how many subscribers you have, so if you’re just starting out you can often send emails for free or at a low cost.

If you already have email marketing software, use this time to re-familiarize yourself with it. Explore new-to-you features, refresh your templates, and look for ways to streamline workflows.

Not sure which email marketing software to choose? Keep reading to find a list of the best email marketing tools for nonprofit organizations and how to find the right software for you.

3. Build an email list

To stay in touch with your supporters you’ll need to build an email list. Most email software will give you multiple ways to do this with standalone signup forms, pop ups, and simple forms that you can add to your website. 

To build your list faster, try: 

• Importing existing subscribers: If you have an existing supporter base, ask if you can add them to your mailing list.
• Removing friction: Limit the required fields to only the essentials, like first name and email address.
• Offering a free bonus: Encourage people to sign up with the promise of receiving a free guide, a discount on your products, or another meaningful bonus.
• Telling a compelling story: Explain why your email list is the place to be through storytelling, photos, videos, and impact stories.
• Digital advertising: Run a digital campaign to a dedicated landing page for your email list signup page.

Don’t worry if your list doesn’t grow significantly at first. It’s better to grow a careful, considered, and targeted list over time than a large list of subscribers that aren’t aligned with your mission. 

4. Segment your audience

The best nonprofit email marketing campaigns are those that your donors feel truly connected with, so split your email list into groups or segments based on interests, donor behavior, and engagement. This is known as donor segmentation.

You can build a list based on any demographics, but here are some common groups:

• New supporters or donors
• Supporters who have recently made a donation
• Repeat donors
• Previous event attendees
• Donors based in [location]
• Major donors
• Corporate sponsors and partners
• Supporters interested in capital projects
• Donors that signed up from social media
• Volunteers
• Supporters who haven’t engaged with the last [number] email fundraising campaigns
• Your most engaged supporters

Align your donor segments with your donor personas to create even more specific and impactful content. 

Need to segment your donors?

Wealth screening can help you understand your donors so you can target the right people at the right time.

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5. Plan your content

The best email content is planned in advance and designed to help you further your goal(s). Choose a specific goal and audience segment, then plan your campaign. 

When planning your campaign, consider:

• Audience segment
• Reason for email
• Type of email
• Template or design
• Subject line(s)
• Main email copy
• Call to action
• Buttons or links
• Images and video content
• Send date

It’s a good idea to keep all your email campaign ideas and notes in one place—whether that’s a spreadsheet or a tool designed for marketing campaign management. 

6. Schedule and send

When you’re happy with your email or series of emails, all that’s left is to hit send or schedule. Most email marketing tools allow you to schedule your email for your preferred date and time, and some can even use analytics to automatically suggest the best time to send. 

Tip: Always send a test email to yourself and/or a colleague before you send to your entire database for one final chance to catch typos and broken links. 

7. Review analytics

Keep an eye on your email analytics after you send your campaign. It’s useful to review analytics shortly after sending to check for any potential email deliverability issues, and it’s best practice to check in on analytics over time to track campaign performance and identify trends.

The best email marketing platforms for nonprofits

The best email marketing software for your nonprofit is the one that helps you achieve your goals in the most efficient way. Here are some of the most popular choices for nonprofits in 2026:

1. Ascend

Best for personalized, data-backed donor communications

Ascend is Kindsight’s fundraising CRM, which includes built-in email tools like personalized emails, automation, and advanced analytics—as well as integrations with Salesforce Marketing Cloud for more in-depth nonprofit email marketing campaigns. Ascend combines the power of donor data with the ability to create personalized donor experiences.

2. Brevo

Best for integrated marketing campaigns

Brevo is a customer platform that nonprofits can use for email marketing and more—including SMS, WhatsApp, and live chat. It’s an attractive option for nonprofits that want to build consistent email habits and experiment with other types of marketing in one place. 

3. MailerLite

Best for drag-and-drop email templates

Mailerlite combines email marketing tools with a website builder, landing pages, signup forms, and digital products. The email marketing feature includes a drag-and-drop editor with content blocks and a library of templates—ideal for teams that want an easy to use email marketing platform. 

4. Mailchimp

Best for AI-powered email marketing

Mailchimp is historically known as an email provider, but the platform now also offers SMS, AI-powered marketing, and content creation—making it a popular option for nonprofits that want to combine creativity and automation. 

5. Constant Contact

Best for combined email and social media marketing

Constant Contact is an email marketing platform that nonprofits can also use for AI content generation, event marketing, ecommerce marketing, and social media marketing. This email marketing service could be a good match for nonprofits that sell online or want to invest more in social media.

How to choose the right nonprofit email marketing software

Every nonprofit has unique needs, resources, and goals, which is why it’s important to choose the right email marketing platform. 

Here’s what to consider as you compare options: 

• Features and functionality: Does the software do everything you need it to? Can you customize emails, use list segmentation, and analyze results?
• Customization options: Can you create your own email designs or are you limited to a template library? Can you adjust colors, add your logo, and make everything match your brand?
• Pricing: Is the software within budget? Does the price change depending on how many subscribers you have? Are there hidden costs to consider?
• User experience: Is it an easy to use tool, or will team members find it challenging without support? 
• Automations: Can you create automated workflows to move subscribers through an email series?
• List size limitations: Are you limited to a certain number of email subscribers before you need to upgrade your plan? 
• Data import and export: Is it easy to move data to and from the software, if you decide to move to another tool in the future?
• Customer support: What support options are available, and is the support highly rated?

Alongside your own research, look at real user reviews to understand what your experience might be like—this can be especially helpful in uncovering potential issues around billing, technical issues, and customer support.

Which fundraising tools are right for you?

Tailor your tech stack to your unique organization. Learn which tools are built with nonprofit work processes in mind.

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Nonprofit email marketing best practices

A well-planned strategy and the right software can help, but to really make the most of your campaigns try these nonprofit email marketing best practices:

• Group your audience by demographics and interests: Create audience segments so you can run targeted campaigns.
• Use templates: Save time by using built-in email templates and customize them to match your brand.
• Create compelling content with storytelling: Encourage your supporters to give with heartwarming stories and meaningful impact stories.
• Send emails at the right time: Analyze your emails for the best send time and adopt this schedule.
• Personalize your emails: Include the supporter’s name and any other information that feels relevant.
• Test different subject lines: Try several options and then roll out the one that performs the best—most email marketing software allows you to do run A/B testing. Although it’s popular with direct-to-consumer retail brands, only 35% of nonprofits use emojis in subject lines. Experiment whether your supporters prefer an emoji in your headlines or not.
• Monitor campaign performance: Check your analytics to see what works and adjust your future campaigns based on data and trends.
• Use automation: Create automated welcome emails and let AI take care of manual tasks so you can create better supporter experiences.
• Prioritize mobile responsiveness: Design emails that work just as well on mobile devices as they do on desktop.
• Stay compliant with legislation: Learn how to comply with the CAN-SPAM Act, and research whether any other laws apply if sending emails to international donors.

Use these strategies to help you turn average email marketing ideas into high-performing campaigns that motivate donors to give.

5 Examples of nonprofit email marketing in action

There’s a lot to learn from seasoned nonprofit email marketers. Explore these nonprofit email marketing examples for ideas, inspiration, and tactics you can use for your next campaign.

1. Email newsletter

This email bulletin from The Tracksmith Foundation is a strong example of a first newsletter, with an introduction to the organization from its executive director. The newsletter continues with features on recent articles, products, and a call to action. 

Tactic to try: Add a personal greeting from your executive director or a board member at the start of your newsletters to drive engagement.

2. Donation appeal email

Charity Water’s year-end donation appeal email has plenty of elements that make it powerful. With emotive language, an impactful image, and data-backed claims, the content stands out—and that’s before you consider the bonus impact of the donation matching offer.

Tactic to try: Using figures to illustrate the real-world impact of donating.

3. Giving Tuesday campaign email

This Giving Tuesday email campaign from Patagonia combines strong visuals, a clear message, and social proof to create a compelling reason for donors to give to their nonprofit partner, the Conservation Lands Foundation. It’s also a great example of cause marketing in action.

Tactic to try: Highlight donors and sponsors that have already contributed to add social proof.

4. Welcome or awareness email

Rare Beauty’s informative email about their Rare Impact campaign gets the message across in a clear way while highlighting the fund’s mission and vision. Readers are invited to learn more, or to make an individual donation towards the fund.

Tactic to try: Welcome new subscribers with a heartfelt introduction to your mission.

5. Personal impact email

This personal impact snapshot email from the American Red Cross is a wonderful example of how you can illustrate the difference that the recipient has made. It’s a unique way to use the donor data that you have, and it’s easy to create a version based on the different ways that someone can support your organization—like repeat donations or volunteer hours.

Tactic to try: Go beyond basic personalization and use donor data to illustrate impact.

Connect with donors through email marketing and personalized moments

Email marketing allows you to reach donors right in their inbox with tailored campaigns that speak to their unique relationship with you. Use this guide to craft a strategy that drives your work forward by sharing story-led updates, compelling appeal messages, and heartfelt donor stewardship emails. 

As you start to plan your email campaigns, consider adding the right software to your toolkit. Kindsight’s tools for nonprofits can help you identify potential donors, nurture long-term relationships, and create seamless giving experiences. 

Nonprofit email marketing FAQs

What are some key strategies for nonprofit email marketing?

Key strategies for nonprofit email marketing include donor segmentation, personalized email messaging, story-driven content, and optimized email subject lines. 

How do I choose the best nonprofit email marketing software?

To find the best nonprofit email marketing software, consider your goals, needs, resources, and budget. Look for software that’s easy to use, affordable, and has all the features you need—including email templates, automation, and email analytics.

What’s the role of a CRM in nonprofit email marketing?

In email marketing, the CRM is the central database that holds all your donor data, including names, email addresses, donation history, and previous engagement. Your nonprofit CRM should allow you to create donor segments and subscriber lists, then either send emails natively or integrate with another tool for email marketing.

What’s the best free nonprofit email marketing software?

Email marketing software for nonprofits with a free plan include Mailchimp, Brevo, and Mailerlite. These platforms all offer a free plan with limited features, analytics, and a maximum number of subscribers or emails sent per month.

How do I get started with email marketing for nonprofits?

To get started with email marketing, follow our step-by-step guide above. Build an email list, create donor segments, plan and create your content, then schedule or send.

The post Nonprofit email marketing: Strategy, tips, and real-life email examples appeared first on Kindsight.

In the article below, we’ll share exactly why donor recognition is so important, the four simple steps to building a strong donor recognition strategy, and donor recognition ideas that work for every giving tier and engagement level. 

What is donor recognition? 

Donor recognition is any act that nonprofits take to appreciate, reward, or recognize their donors and their generous contributions. 

Donor recognition spans the first essential thank-you message following an initial contribution, to more exclusive forms of recognition, like donor appreciation events, donor walls, plaques, and more. 

Often, nonprofits plan out their donor recognition strategies and timelines ahead of time. This helps them stay on top of donor communications and be more strategic about fostering deeper donor relationships. 

Learn the art of the thank-you letter

We’ve got some best practices for expressing gratitude that enhance donor engagement and retention, and inspire future giving.

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Why donor recognition matters 

Donor recognition is essential for keeping new donors invested in your mission. It helps with donor retention, leads to higher donation amounts, and can help put you in contact with more potential supporters. It’s also a core component of any effective donor stewardship strategy— the act of building strong, lasting, and beneficial relationships with donors after their first gift. 

Far from being a box-ticking exercise or a simple way of thanking donors, donor recognition brings real, tangible benefits, like turning one-time givers into recurring donors, or even encouraging legacy giving or major gifts. We’ll explore these benefits in more detail below. 

Why donor recognition matters for nonprofits

• Inspires future giving: Donors who feel appreciated are much more likely to give again, become recurring givers, attend fundraising events, or volunteer for your cause.
• Expands your donor network: When donors feel engaged and appreciated, they’re more likely to share your organization with others, engage with social media posts, or boost your reach by participating in a peer-to-peer fundraising event. 
• Strengthens your community: A strong mission-aligned community not only strengthens your organization financially but also helps you stay true to your wider mission and goals. 
• Brings financial stability: Donor recognition is key to encouraging long-term giving, which helps you advance new programs and initiatives, budget for the future, and keep your nonprofit operating more sustainably. 
• Establishes positive brand recognition: Nonprofit organizations with a strong reputation for recognizing their donors build up brand credibility, which strengthens their organization over time. 

Why donor recognition matters for donors

Donor recognition isn’t just beneficial for nonprofits. For donors, it deepens their personal connection to a cause they care about, which can be highly rewarding. 

Here are some of the key benefits of donor recognition for nonprofit supporters: 

• Creates a value-aligned community: Donors who feel recognized and valued are more likely to feel part of something bigger than themselves. Plus, donor recognition events or volunteering opportunities help like-minded people build lasting relationships, friendships, and community. 
• Brings opportunities for deeper involvement: Donor recognition can include invitations to events, membership or volunteer programs, or other learning opportunities. For donors invested in your cause, this can be an exciting opportunity to develop their skillset and make an even bigger impact.
• Builds a culture of gratitude: The ultimate goal of donor recognition is to make donors feel valued, appreciated, and seen for their efforts—these positive feelings can move beyond just your organization, creating a wider culture of appreciation and gratitude. 

Donor recognition strategies: 4 steps to effective recognition 

For many nonprofits, thanking donors after a first gift is automatic. Similarly, nonprofits that regularly practice strong donor recognition can bake it into their operations so it becomes second nature. The steps below will help you craft a strong donor recognition plan that’s easy to implement,  builds strong donor relations, and keeps donors enthusiastic about giving to your cause. 

Step 1: Determine when you’ll recognize donors

First, you’ll need to decide when you’ll practice donor recognition. Pick two or three of the times below and schedule them into your calendar: 

• Straight after receiving a donation: Share a thank-you text or email immediately after donors have given. This is the first, essential step in any effective donor recognition strategy, and this basic level of appreciation is expected by most donors. 
• Once they’ve become recurring donors: Taking the step from one-time donor to recurring donor shows a higher level of commitment that’s worth celebrating. 
• At events: Whether you’re hosting a specific donor recognition event or a broader fundraising event, designate time and resources to recognize your donors through in-person events. 
• At the end of the year or quarters: Send an annual or quarterly report sharing impact, and acknowledging how your donors have helped you reach these milestones. 
• On their donation anniversary: Keep track of when your donors first gave, and highlight significant milestones like 1, 5, and 10 years. 
• During holidays: Holidays are a great opportunity to recognize your donors—send a thoughtful holiday card, or throw a holiday recognition event. 

Step 2: Choose your donor recognition ideas

Once you’ve decided when to recognize your donors, you’ll need to decide how you’ll recognize them. The best donor recognition strategies usually include a few different forms of recognition to help increase engagement. You’ll need to find the types of recognition that will resonate most with your support base.

Digital e-cards 

Digital e-cards are a simple and affordable way to show donors you value them. They show more thought and creativity than an email, but they’re easy, affordable, and get delivered right to your donor’s inbox. 

Phone calls 

Connect with your donors over a ten-minute phone call. Share the specifics of how their gift has helped your cause, and ask thoughtful questions to learn more about them. Just remember, recognition is about showing appreciation, not asking for additional donations. 

Branded or mission-related gifts

Show appreciation for small donations with branded mission-related items. For example, if you’re an animal rights charity, this might be a stuffed toy. Other popular examples include branded tote bags, T-shirts, or pens. Be sure it’s a high-quality item your supporters will be excited to use. 

Social media spotlights

Showcase groups of supporters with a series of social media highlights, or create a “Donor of the Month” recognition program, highlighting individual contributions and sharing your donors’ personal stories and motivations for giving. Just be sure to get their permission first, as not all donors are comfortable with this type of public recognition. 

Beneficiary videos

Beneficiary videos can behugely impactful—while statistics can be impressive, these types of personal stories can really illustrate the difference donor contributions make in a way that resonates. Record a video montage, or share a special, personalized thank you from one of your beneficiaries.

Appreciation events and award ceremonies

Create special appreciation and recognition events centered on showing your donors just how much you appreciate them. Host a special lunch, or give them free branded merchandise to take home. To keep costs low, use a venue you already have access to, like a nonprofit building or a boardmember’s house. 

Deepen engagement: Volunteer opportunities, donor groups, advocacy efforts, and attending events

Your donors are the people who care most about your work and mission. Recognize their commitment by opening up invitations to special volunteer opportunities, advocacy efforts, or events related to your organization. They’ll likely appreciate the opportunity to deepen engagement with your cause. 

Plaques or donor walls 

Create special plaques for your high-ticket donors to honor significant contributions, like funding a new program or building development. You could also create a donor wall in a clearly visible space within your organization and add to it over time to showcase your supporters. Plaques or donor walls are a great option for recognizing your most influential donors or legacy donors. 

Private tour or educational event

Offer a special private tour of your facilities to groups of donors, or ask an expert on your mission to give a presentation tailored towards your supporters’ interests. 

Step 3: Create donor tiers

Best donor recognition practices can vary depending on how much – or how often – donors are giving to your organization. Segment your donors into tiers based on donation type and engagement frequency, including: 

• First-time donors 
• Recurring donors 
• Major donors 
• Volunteers 
• In-kind donations

Once you’ve determined your donor segments, you can create more personalized donor communication tailored to each tier. 

Remember, just like donor recognition, donor segmentation is also key to any effective donor stewardship plan. Keeping all your donor data and segments centralized in a fundraising CRM platform can help you keep a donor list that’s consistent across your entire fundraising strategy, and save you from confusion or duplicating work down the line.

Step 4: Adjust based on feedback

Not every type of donor recognition works for every donor. For example, some donors may prefer more private recognition, like thank-you cards, private tours, or phone calls, over more public recognition, like social media spotlights or award ceremonies. 

Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from your support base directly. Send a short survey asking which types of recognition they prefer, and how they feel about your current strategy. Measure retention and donor engagement levels to get a sense of how your strategy is working. If you’re not seeing results to match your goals, try a new donor recognition idea. 

Donor recognition best practices

While every donor base is different, these strategies will complement and enhance any donor appreciation strategy or idea. 

Follow these donor recognition practices to get the most from your donor recognition program, and ensure you’re not missing out on any opportunities to show extra appreciation. 

• Acknowledge gifts immediately: Always send a thank-you note via email as soon as you receive a donation. Timely recognition is essential to any donor recognition strategy. 
• Keep receipts separate: Donor recognition and gift receipts should be kept separate. While they’re both necessary, if you send a thank-you note alongside a receipt, it risks getting missed or feeling less impactful. 
• Create donor recognition levels: Once you’ve chosen the donor recognition ideas that work for your nonprofit, group them based on donor type. For example, your first-time donors might get an e-card and branded merchandise, recurring donors might get a beneficiary video or social media spotlight, and major donors a private tour or plaque. 
• Use a mix of approaches: Use a range of channels and methods to show recognition—like social media, in-person events, or more personal one-on-one communication. 
• Personalize recognition: Always include a supporter’s name, gift size, and acknowledge any other involvement each individual donor has contributed to your mission. Overly generic recognition often doesn’t strike the same chord. 
• Share specific impact: Don’t just say a generalized thank you—share exactly how each contribution helps advance your mission. For example, share that an individual donors $100 contribution provided food and shelter for one animal in need. 
• Acknowledge all gifts, regardless of size: No gift is too small to be properly recognized. While you likely shouldn’t award a donor plaque for a $20 contribution, be sure to offer thoughtful, creative recognition for every single gift. 
• Keep track of donor data and timeline: Keep an organized donor database and donor recognition calendar. This makes it easier to stay on top of communications, so recognition doesn’t get repetitive and supporters don’t get missed. 

Just like fundraising events, capital campaigns, or prospecting major gifts, an organized, strategic donor recognition practice is a key component of a financially healthy nonprofit. 

Start by segmenting your donors by giving amount and engagement level, map out your donor recognition timeline, and choose a handful of recognition and appreciation ideas. Remember, you can—and should—adapt your strategy as you go. This way, you’ll build a cadence that shows donors just how much they’re valued, and take your organization from strength to strength. 

FAQs about donor recognition

What does donor recognition mean? 

Donor recognition refers to any step nonprofits take to show how much they appreciate and value their donors. Examples include special donor appreciation events, e-cards, donor walls and plaques, or social media shoutouts and spotlights. 

What are the 5 stages of donor development? 

The 5 stages of donor development refer to the process of intentionally building donor relationships, from identifying a potential donor to stewarding them to build a lasting relationship. 

These are the 5 stages of donor development:

• Identification: Conducting research to find potential new donors who care about your mission. 
• Qualification: Learning if your donor prospect has the capacity to give. 
• Cultivation: Building a relationship with your prospect through communication and engagement. 
• Solicitation: Securing a donation. 
• Stewardship: Continuing to build and strengthen the relationship until it’s time to make another ask. 

What is the donor recognition strategy? 

A donor recognition strategy is a systematic approach that nonprofits take to show recognition and appreciation to their support base. This strategy involves sharing prompt appreciation after every gift, organizing appreciation ideas based on giving levels and engagement, and personalizing donor contributions based on your donors’ interests and giving amounts. 

The post Your guide to donor recognition appeared first on Kindsight.

In this guide, we’ll explain the benefits of using social media as a nonprofit, along with how to create your own social media strategy in a few clear steps.

What is a nonprofit social media strategy?

A nonprofit social media strategy is a plan that informs your team on how to use social media to help you reach your goals, create a community, and encourage support. It should be a living document that you reference and update regularly.

Social media is ideal for building donor relationships at every stage (as defined in our donor journey mapping guide), so whether your current focus is on raising awareness, recruiting volunteers, or engaging supporters, there’s a way you can use social media to your advantage. 

Benefits of social media for nonprofits

There are major benefits to using social media for your nonprofit organization—especially if you do it well. Some of the main reasons to engage with social media include:

• Increased awareness: Reach an audience beyond your immediate community and spread the word about your mission, vision, and goals
• Community building: Stay in touch with your audience regularly and engage with their comments, and you’ll soon build a loyal community of social media followers
• Opportunity to increase trust and transparency: Candid posts on social media allow your audience to get closer to your organization’s day-to-day work, future strategy, and success stories
• Raise your profile: A strong presence on social media can attract the media, raising your profile with potential sponsors, donors, and partners
• Attract more donations: With greater reach and a higher profile comes the opportunity for more donations to come your way—and some platforms even have built-in donation tools (like Facebook and Instagram)
• Find new volunteers: Use social media content as part of your overall volunteer recruitment strategy to attract new people to your volunteer pool

Social media can play a key role in raising awareness and building a strong community—both of which you’ll need to create lasting supporter relationships.

How to create your own social media strategy in 8 steps

Learn everything you need to know to build your own nonprofit social media strategy from the ground up.

1. Set a goal

The first step in any strategy or plan is to confirm what your goals are, as they’ll guide all your future decisions and keep the whole team aligned.

For many nonprofits, choosing just one goal can be hard. Try to narrow it down to one main goal and secondary targets that you can also work on throughout the year.

Examples of social media goals for nonprofits include: 

• Grow page following by 20%
• Raise awareness of the charity or nonprofit with a national audience
• Attract 5 new corporate partners this year
• Increase donations made on Facebook by 15% in 2026
• Add 100 new volunteers to the roster
• Keep audience informed by sharing more project updates this year
• Build (or rebuild) reputation by sharing good news stories

Get started with one of these or come up with your own that reflects your mission, vision, and values. Turn it into a SMART goal and be as specific as you can, so it’s easier to measure progress.

2. Choose your audience

The best social media content is written with a specific audience in mind. Before you start posting, get clear on your target audience(s). 

If you don’t already have them, create ideal donor profiles based on common characteristics of your donors and supporters. Write down who your donors are, what they care about, where they spend their time, and why they’re driven to support you. Assign each persona an age, location, giving habits, and even a name. If you have a fundraising CRM like ascend this step is easy.

Some examples of donor personas might include:

• The advocate: Loudly supports your organization and always engages with your posts. Regularly donates $20-50 to every campaign you share. Cares about encouraging even more people to sign up to support the cause
• The monthly donor: Signed up to donate every month via recurring giving. Rarely checks in on your social media feeds but occasionally likes your posts. Cares about their legacy of giving over time
• The volunteer: Signs up to volunteer at any event they can. Regularly re-shares your content on social media, and engages with all your peer-to-peer fundraising ideas. Cares about making a personal impact on their world
• The corporate supporter: Rarely engages with your social media content, but privately shares it with their manager or board members. Talks positively about your nonprofit at networking events and dinners. Cares about social impact and creating partnerships for good

Understanding your target audience(s) allows you to craft content that’s more tailored to their wants and needs. When you plan content for your key social media channels later on, you’ll write every post with one of these personas in mind. 

3. Research what other nonprofits do

In a for-profit organization, this is the section of the nonprofit social media strategy where you’d complete competitor research and analysis. Instead, we suggest taking a look at what other nonprofits in your local area or your niche are doing. 

The goal here is to understand what other organizations do, where they post, and what appears to engage their audience. Look for content gaps too. These are areas where you can step up and create something unique—like a video series, podcast, or live videos about a specific topic.

Create a library of inspirational social media posts. For every post you collect, consider: 

• Content type and platform
• The intended audience or persona
• Whether any partners or influencers were involved
• What hashtags and emojis they used
• Tone of voice
• The call to action (e.g. donation button)
• What you liked most about the content
• Why you think it was effective

The idea isn’t to copy other organizations, but to gain an understanding of what makes an effective nonprofit social media post. Studying successful content will help you create better posts of your own.

4. Choose your key channels

Your nonprofit’s social media presence should feel as consistent as possible, so don’t overcommit when it comes to your chosen social platforms. Pick one or two platforms to focus on, and post to any of the others only when you get the chance.

The most popular social media platforms include: 

• Facebook
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• X (formerly Twitter)
• TikTok
• Reddit
• Discord

Facebook and Instagram are the most-used among nonprofit organizations: 93% of nonprofits have a Facebook page and 85% actively use Instagram. LinkedIn is close behind at 81%, while X and TikTok are further down the list (at 25% and 15% respectively). 

The social media platforms you use should depend on where your target audience spends their time. If they’re always on Facebook, then you should be too. Use the data you have about your audience and the demographics of social media platforms to figure out where you should be.

5. Create a social media content strategy

A content strategy could be its own document entirely, but the purpose here is to create a simple plan that covers what type of content you’ll create, where you’ll share it, and how often you’ll post. It should align with both the rest of the nonprofit social media strategy and your overall communications strategy.

Put together a social media content calendar that includes: 

• Date and time
• Social media platform
• Type of content (e.g. photo, video, audio, text)
• Theme or content pillar (e.g. volunteering, behind-the-scenes)
• Which goal(s) this post supports

As well as “evergreen” social media posts that you could schedule for any time, make sure you plan for annual events too. For example, select your favorite year-end giving campaign ideas and add them to your content calendar, or plan content around an awareness day that’s central to your mission.

6. Choose your social media and donation tools

Crafting every social media post and scheduling it manually is possible, but it’s also time-consuming. These days there are so many useful tools out there that simplify the steps, save you time, and help you make something incredible—even if you’re new to graphic design or video editing.

Choose a platform to help you schedule content to multiple platforms, then add tools that make content creation easier. You’ll also want a place to store ideas and work on your social media content calendar—even if that’s just a spreadsheet for now.

Popular social media tools include:

• Planning and team collaboration: Trello, Asana, Monday.com
• Social media management: Buffer, Hootsuite, Sprout Social
• Graphic design: Canva, Kittl, Adobe Illustrator
• Video editing: CapCut, DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Premiere Pro

If you’re not sure which tools to invest in, ask your network: other nonprofit professionals are often happy to recommend software or tell you which tools to avoid. You can also check to see which software integrates with your existing prospect research tools or fundraising platform. Review sites like G2 and Capterra are also useful places to compare different software.

7. Build your community and engage your followers

85% of marketers say an active community is crucial to social media success, and this applies in the nonprofit world too. In fact, community building is one of the top donor stewardship best practices.

Start building your community by creating opportunities for engagement. Your social media channels should feel like a two-way conversation, not just a way for you to post updates on what you’re doing.

Content ideas to drive engagement and community include: 

• Hosting a Q&A session
• Community spotlight on volunteers and donors
• Sharing photos from a recent event for top supporters
• Asking people to vote using emojis or in the comments
• Regular weekly posts that people come to expect (e.g. rescue animal of the week)
• Co-hosting a livestream with a content creator
• Behind-the-scenes of running your social media page
• Inviting your supporters to vote on the theme of your next fundraising event

When you regularly show up, take part in the conversation, and show your supporters that they’re part of the journey, the community starts to grow naturally. 

8. Track performance metrics

The only way to know whether your nonprofit social media strategy is working or not is to measure your performance over time. For this, you’ll need to decide on which metrics to track.

Some metrics are obvious and easy to monitor over time—like your follower count. Others require a little more digging into the data to uncover. Decide which metrics matter most based on your main social media goals.

Common metrics to track include: 

• Follower count growth
• Content shares and saves
• Engagement rate
• Link clicks
• Post reach or impressions
• Number of volunteers recruited
• Donations received directly through social media

To help you track the source of volunteer signups and donations, include a field that asks people where they heard about you. This will help you understand which platforms are most valuable for you over time.

Best practices for nonprofit social media accounts

Enhance your social media strategy with these tips and best practice habits from seasoned nonprofit professionals:

• Create a social media policy: Introduce a short policy that explains what is and isn’t permitted for any team members who can access your nonprofit’s social media accounts
• Use each platform’s nonprofit resources: Explore TikTok’s ‘For Good’ program and YouTube’s nonprofit program for guidance, support, and ideas
• Make the most of templates: Use ready-made templates to shortcut your way to professional-looking graphics and videos—Canva is a popular tool for this
• Respond to comments: Use a social media listening or management tool to alert you to new comments and reply as soon as you can
• Consider hopping on trends: Keep an eye on social media trends for your chosen platforms and create engaging content for them if they suit your audience, theme, or goals
• Stick to your calendar but also be flexible: Leave room in your content calendar to pick up trends, and be ready to hit pause if a world-changing event happens
• Use storytelling: Motivate your audience to engage with your content and donate with the power of moving stories, impactful imagery, and the magic of storytelling
• Work with influencers or creators: Facebook fundraisers are down by 42%, but influencer marketing is on the rise. Partner with social media influencers or creators on one-off or ongoing projects if they align with your mission and goals
• Post at the most effective times for your audience: Most social media management tools will learn your best posting times—use this data when you schedule future content
• Experiment with content types: Be open to creating content in a new way or using different formats, styles, or approaches to photo, video, and audio posts
• Try different hashtags: Keep a consistent few hashtags that work for you but also try new ones every now then to see if they help you reach more of your audience

Make social media a part of your overall donor engagement strategy

Social media is a must-have if you want to reach, inspire, and fill your community with interested supporters. Use the tactics in this guide to build your own nonprofit social media strategy that guides you on how to make the most of your chosen social media channels. Don’t forget that social media doesn’t exist in a bubble—tie your activities into your overall donor engagement strategy for the highest impact.

Nonprofit social media strategy FAQs

What social media platforms are best for nonprofits?

The best social media platforms for nonprofits are the ones where their audiences are. Most nonprofit organizations have a Facebook page and a presence on LinkedIn, while fewer are active on TikTok or YouTube. Facebook can be useful for wide engagement and direct fundraising, while LinkedIn is ideal for corporate networking.

Which social media metrics should nonprofits track?

Nonprofits should track social media metrics like follower count, engagement rate, and link clicks. It’s also helpful to track conversions so you can identify how many volunteer signups and donations originated on social media.

How do I grow my nonprofit’s Instagram?

To grow your nonprofit’s Instagram, focus on creating high-quality content that appeals to your audience. Post regularly, several times a week, and update your stories 1-2 times per day. Post Reels for reach and engagement, and always reply to comments from your audience.

How many people should run a nonprofit’s social media page?

The number of people that should run a nonprofit’s social media page depends on the size of the organization and how much value is placed on social media vs. other marketing channels. In a small organization, one person might be responsible for social media. In a large nonprofit, there might be an entire team.

Is social media just for fun for nonprofits?

Social media isn’t just for fun for nonprofits. It acts as a valuable channel for engagement with your audience and potential donors, as well as a wider audience and the media. Nonprofits can use social media to raise awareness, build a community, and attract donors.

The post How to create an effective nonprofit social media strategy appeared first on Kindsight.

This isn’t a hypothetical scenario. It is the current reality for fundraising organizations.

For years, we’ve operated under the assumption that the biggest barrier to fundraising is donor willingness. We worry about donor fatigue. We worry about economic uncertainty. We worry that people just don’t care enough. But the data tells a different, more optimistic story. 

This month, Kindsight asked 512 qualified donors across the United States about donor engagement, their willingness to give, and the importance of timing. From occasional givers to frequent philanthropists, these respondents provided a clear window into how donors perceive—and react to—fundraising outreach today. 

Here’s what they said. 

The readiness gap: What donors told us

The headline finding of this research might transform fundraising outreach as we know it: 66% of active donors say they have been ready to give to a cause but chose not to because the outreach was mistimed, irrelevant, or disconnected from their moment of intent.

In other words, two-thirds of donors have experienced a “readiness gap.” They had the capacity and the inclination to support a cause, but something about the interaction stopped them cold.

When we asked these donors why they didn’t complete their gift despite being ready, their answers pointed directly to a breakdown in communication and trust.

• 37% weren’t sure where their money would go. Transparency remains the bedrock of trust. When a donor is ready to act but can’t see the path from their dollar to impact, they hesitate.
• 16% found the request generic or impersonal. In an era of hyper-personalization, a “Dear Friend” letter sent to a long-time supporter signals a lack of care.
• 15% felt the timing was wrong. The request arrived too early, too late, or felt completely disconnected from what was happening in their lives.
• 14% felt overwhelmed by too many requests. Volume is not a substitute for precision.

The impact of these missed moments isn’t temporary. When asked if these experiences made them less likely to donate in the future, the average response score was 55 out of 100. This suggests that missing the moment doesn’t just cost you a single gift—it causes moderate, cumulative damage to the long-term donor relationship.

This data reveals that our current “spray and pray” tactics could actually be working against us. By prioritizing volume over relevance, we aren’t just missing gifts; we are training our most valuable supporters to tune us out.

The revenue opportunity hiding in plain sight

It is easy to look at missed opportunities and feel discouraged. However, the flip side of this data is incredibly encouraging. If we can close the readiness gap, the potential for increased revenue is substantial.

We asked donors: “Would you donate more if organizations understood when you’re ready?”

Nearly half—47%—said yes. Let that sink in. Nearly half of your donor file is telling you that they have more to give, and the key to unlocking that capacity is simply understanding their timeline.

Crucially, this isn’t about shifting money from one charity to another. This is about incremental giving. Among those who said they would give more:

• 58% would give “modestly more.”
• 39% would give “moderately more.”
• 3% would give “substantially more.”

This shatters the myth of the “tapped out” donor. Your supporters are not ATMs with a fixed withdrawal limit; they are partners who want to invest when the time is right. When you align your ask with their life events and readiness signals, you aren’t pestering them—you are facilitating their desire to do good.

How donors actually experience fundraising outreach

We’re uncovering a stark difference between how fundraising organizations think they are communicating and how donors perceive it. We asked respondents to rate how well charitable organizations understand when they are ready to give. The average score? 45 out of 100.

In other words, donors perceive our timing as below average. They feel like we are guessing—and often guessing wrong. This perception gap is fueled by outreach that feels robotic rather than relational.

When we analyzed open-ended responses about how fundraising organizations could improve, three themes were consistent and loud:

1. Transparency is non-negotiable. Donors want to know the “how” and “why” of their gift. As one respondent put it, “Share real stories that show the difference being made, be open about how funds are used.”
2. Authenticity beats formality. Donors are craving genuine connection. They want to hear from humans, not institutions. One donor advised, “Be less formal and much more natural with how they approach communications.”
3. Respect their history. Nothing kills readiness faster than asking a loyal donor for a first-time gift amount or ignoring their past support. “Remember how much and when the person has donated,” one respondent urged.

The frustration is palpable. Donors want to be seen as individuals with unique lives, not just rows in a database segment. So many fundraising organizations have incredible impact stories to tell. But when outreach ignores donor context—blasting them during tax season or asking for another gift days after a donation—it makes them feel like the organization cares more about its own goals than the donor’s experience.

The healthcare signal

Nowhere is the importance of timing more critical—or more frequently missed—than in healthcare philanthropy. Our study found that healthcare organizations are the most supported cause, with 49% of respondents directing their giving to this sector. This makes sense; health is personal, emotional, and urgent.

However, despite healthcare giving being tied directly to specific life events (a diagnosis, a recovery, a grateful patient experience), the outreach is profoundly out of sync.

Among donors who experienced a health situation involving themselves or a loved one:

• 28% were never contacted by the healthcare organization
• 25% don’t recall being contacted
• 22% were contacted after a month or more
• 17% were contacted within weeks
• 8% were contacted within days

You read that right: only 25% received timely outreach within days or weeks of their experience.

This is a massive missed opportunity for grateful patient programs. When a patient or family member has a positive outcome, the gratitude is often immediate. But that feeling has a half-life. If you wait months to reach out—or never reach out at all—that emotional momentum fades.

Healthcare donors are telling us that they want to express gratitude, but the systems aren’t in place to receive it. By tightening the loop between care and connection, healthcare foundations can honor the patient’s journey while securing vital support.

What this means for fundraisers: Practical takeaways

The data is clear: the old playbook of “more volume, more frequency” is broken. To capture the 66% of donors who are ready but waiting, we need to shift our strategy from volume to precision.

Here are three actionable steps you can take today to close the readiness gap:

1. Prioritize timing over frequency

We can worry less about how often we email and start worrying about when. The “right time” isn’t just “End of Year.” It’s when a donor has had a meaningful interaction with you, when they’ve hit a milestone, or when they are showing digital signals of interest. Use your data to identify these triggers. A single, well-timed personal note is worth more than ten generic blasts.

2. Radical transparency is your best hook

Since 37% of ready donors walked away because they didn’t know where the money would go, make impact the centerpiece of every ask. Don’t just ask for $50; tell them exactly what that $50 achieves. Specificity builds trust, and trust converts readiness into action.

3. Personalization must go beyond the name tag

“Dear [First Name]” is no longer enough. True personalization means acknowledging the relationship. If they gave last month, start your next email by saying, “Thank you for your gift in January.” If they are a long-time volunteer, mention that service. Show them that you know who they are. The data shows that acknowledging past support is a top driver of donation decisions.

A (brief) Kindsight perspective

At Kindsight, we conducted this research because we believe the future of fundraising isn’t about shouting louder; it’s about listening better. We built our platform to solve exactly this problem—to help organizations move beyond static lists and understand the dynamic signals that indicate when a donor is ready to engage. You can learn more here. 

Final thoughts

This gap between donor readiness and organizational action represents a significant loss—but more importantly, a massive opportunity. By understanding the “when” and “why” behind these missed connections, fundraisers can unlock a new level of support that has been hiding in plain sight.

The generosity is out there. The donors are ready. It’s time we met them in the moment.

The post Two-thirds of donors were ready to give, but didn’t. Here’s what that means for fundraising. appeared first on Kindsight.

But the real magic of fundraising isn’t in the funds; it’s in the relationships that make giving possible. For any organization to be sustainable, fundraising operations must include far more than simply asking for money. The most successful fundraisers build authentic connections that inspire people to give, to stay engaged, and, in time, to give again. Cultivation and stewardship are two key practices that make those ongoing and return gifts possible.

Cultivation is the intentional development of a donor relationship leading up to a gift, while stewardship is how that relationship is maintained after the gift is received. Many organizations lump these two concepts together or even use the terms interchangeably. Understanding the differences between them—as well as how they work together—is key to growing and retaining your most important donor relationships over time.

In this article, we explore what cultivation and stewardship mean, how the two intersect, and how to do them well for long-term fundraising success.

What is donor cultivation?

Donor cultivation is the intentional process of building and deepening a relationship with a potential donor before they make a gift. Cultivation focuses on connecting with someone who shares the values of your organization, helping them understand your mission and process, and inviting them to become a part of your story.

Cultivation is not about asking for money, although that should be the end goal of all cultivation activity. The goal of cultivation is to help a prospective donor feel connected and engaged with the organization in a way that will inspire them to give later. It’s also a critical opportunity for fundraisers to learn more about a donor’s philanthropic and other interests and passions, to help connect them with the right giving opportunity.

Why cultivation matters

When done well, cultivation transforms prospective donors from check-writers into philanthropic partners who are fully engaged in your mission and want to see your organization succeed. Cultivation ensures that when you ask for a gift, that request feels natural and welcome—not abrupt and not transactional. It also creates an opportunity to ask for (and receive) larger gifts than would otherwise be possible, particularly when the request is aligned to both your organizational need and to the donor’s interests.

Serious about donor cultivation and moves management?

Our guide shows you the strategies and tactics you need to effectively move prospects through the donor cultivation cycle.

Get the cheat sheet

Strategies for cultivation

There are many ways that nonprofit organizations can cultivate powerful connections with prospective donors. Here are a few to get you started:

Start with storytelling

Share authentic stories that show your mission in action. This can be done through videos, newsletters, or social media posts, shared digitally or through a one-on-one meeting. 

Offer engaging experiences

Invite prospects to events, tours, or volunteer days and let them see your work and your impact firsthand. This experiential engagement builds understanding faster than any brochure can. For high-capacity prospects, these experiences may be offered individually or in small groups, while lower-capacity prospects may be invited to large group events.

Segment your potential donors by capacity

All cultivation activity should start with an end goal, whether that’s securing $50 or $50M. Use your fundraising CRM and prospect research tools to understand the giving potential of your donors, and then craft general cultivation guidelines that work at every level, from targeted email communications to highly personalized individual activities.

Personalize communication

Send tailored updates or notes that reflect a prospective donor’s past involvement or known interests. For some donors, that might mean segmenting your communication and using mail merge to insert key details. For high-potential donors, small gestures like sending a handwritten thank-you note after an event show genuine care.

Ask for input before money

When people feel valued and heard, they feel invested. Invite potential donors to share their perspective or their particular expertise, whether in a survey or by bringing an organizational problem directly to them.

Be patient and consistent.

Building good relationships takes time. It takes an average of 18 months to cultivate and secure a major gift. For principal giving, it’s often much longer, while smaller gifts can happen more quickly. This time isn’t just a waiting period, but should consist of thoughtful, consistent effort to move the relationship forward—effort that should prove more than worthwhile when it’s time to make an ask.

What is donor stewardship?

Donor stewardship begins the moment a gift is made to your organization. Stewardship is the process of thanking, recognizing, and engaging donors after they’ve given to show appreciation, demonstrate the impact of the gift, and build a long-term relationship.

If cultivation is about connection, stewardship is about continuity. It ensures that a donor feels valued and appreciated long after the check clears. Just as importantly, it gives them the confidence to know that their contributions are truly making a difference.

Stewardship looks different at every level of giving, but can include sending a timely thank-you note, recognizing donors publicly, providing updates on the impact of the gift, and, in some cases, offering transparency about how the dollars were spent.

Why stewardship matters

While many organizations don’t give stewardship the time and attention it (and your donors) deserve, it’s vitally important to your fundraising bottom line. Research has shown that improving your donor attrition rates by just 10 percent can lead to a 200 percent increase in value to the organization. Donors who stay with your organization long-term typically increase their own giving, help to engage others, and even make planned gifts, committing their support even beyond their own lifetime. 

Stewardship provides donors with the assurance that their generosity matters, that their support is valued, and that their dollars make an impact. Good stewardship efforts build trust and deepen the engagement and commitment of past donors. It also opens the door to future giving, turning gratitude into momentum for your organization.

Strategies for stewardship

If you’re looking to build out your stewardship efforts, here are some proven strategies to consider:

Say thank you promptly and personally

Don’t just send a receipt; send a heartfelt, personalized thank you within 48 hours of receiving a gift. Prioritizing a timely response to a donor’s gift shows them that their contribution matters to your organization.

The art of thank-you letters

Learn best practices for expressing gratitude that enhance donor engagement and retention, and inspire future giving.

Get the cheat sheet

Show impact

Send reports, newsletters, or videos that demonstrate the tangible difference that a donor’s gift has made. For major and principal-level donors, those reports may be customized, but even a donor who gives a dollar should be informed of their collective impact.

Recognize your donors in meaningful ways

There are many ways to recognize a donor. Not all donors like to be recognized the same way, and not all gifts warrant the same recognition. Some donors like their names in bright lights, while others prefer to remain anonymous. Always ask your donors how they prefer to be recognized and then act accordingly.

Segment your donors and tailor stewardship to their giving

Major givers, recurring donors, and first-time supporters all require different stewardship approaches. Segment your donors so that you can steward them in a way that reflects their giving, your goals, and the unique relationship you have with each.

Stay in touch

Stewardship should be an ongoing process, not a one-time obligation. Stay in touch with your donors throughout the year, finding unique ways to continue building the relationship that began with cultivation.

Cultivation vs stewardship at a glance

While cultivation and stewardship occur at different stages in your donor relationships, they’re two sides of the same coin. One nurtures potential relationships, while the other strengthens existing ones. The differences come in timing, goal, focus, and intended outcomes, as demonstrated in the chart below.

How cultivation and stewardship work together in the donor lifecycle

The typical donor lifecycle consists of the five steps leading from the first introduction to the gift and beyond. 

1. Identification: Identify those who may have an interest in giving to your organization based on current involvement as a volunteer or community member, publicly-known giving to similar organizations, or a personal relationship.
2. Qualification: Determine whether the prospect is truly a potential donor at this time, noting whether they have the affinity (a genuine interest in your organization or mission), capacity (the ability to make a gift), and philanthropic inclination (a desire to donate to your organization or at all). 
3. Cultivation: Establish or deepen the relationship with the prospective donor, with the goal of eventually asking for a gift.
4. Solicitation: Request a donation, using your knowledge of the prospect and their giving potential to ask for the right amount at the right time and for the right purpose..
5. Stewardship: Maintain the relationship, focusing on acknowledgement, gratitude,and reporting to show the donor that their gift was used well.

These steps may seem linear, but they typically work in a loop; at some point in stewardship, a donor should re-enter identification to determine whether it might be time to start the process over. Donors may also exist in multiple stages at once, such as a donor who is being stewarded for a $5,000 gift while actively being cultivated for a larger solicitation. It’s best to think of the donor lifecycle as a cycle—one that bends and fluctuates with every donor.

When you consider the non-linear nature of the donor lifecycle, it becomes much easier to understand how stewardship and cultivation work together. Stewardship is, in a sense, the start of a new cultivation cycle for most donors. How you manage the gift you’ve already received plays an immensely important role in how you grow the relationship toward another donation—and whether you get that opportunity at all.

Donor journey mapping can also be helpful in visualizing how donors progress through these various stages at your specific organization.

Common pitfalls to avoid in cultivation and stewardship

Here are three common mistakes to watch out for as you cultivate or steward your donors:

• Making an ask too soon. Whether your prospect is in cultivation or in stewardship with the goal of another future solicitation, don’t force them through the donor lifecycle. Every donor moves in their own time; the stronger your relationship is, the better you’ll be able to confidently navigate that timeline.
• Treating stewardship as an afterthought. When your goals are focused on dollars raised, it’s easy to neglect everything that doesn’t directly and immediately lead to a gift. Treat stewardship as a step toward future giving.
• Using a one-size-fits-all approach. Every donor is different, and every gift is different. Use your database to segment donors and ensure that their cultivation and stewardship plans match their potential or past giving.

How technology can help with cultivation and stewardship

Technology is an important part of modern fundraising. It’s especially critical for building more strategic, personalized donor engagement. Nonprofit CRM software allows nonprofits to organize, track, and analyze their cultivation and stewardship efforts across the organization.

Your CRM should help you segment donors by giving area or magnitude, set and manage cultivation and stewardship plans, and store critical data to help you customize your outreach so every donor feels seen and valued. AI-powered tools like Kindsight Intelligence let you easily craft thoughtful messages to your prospects and donors throughout each stage, moving your donors forward with targeted communications.

Conclusion

Cultivation and stewardship are two of the most important elements of a strong, sustainable fundraising program. By intentionally connecting with prospective donors before a gift is made and thoughtfully nurturing those relationships afterward, your organization can transform one-time contributors into lifelong supporters—people who believe enough in your mission to keep it alive over the long haul.

The post Donor cultivation vs. stewardship appeared first on Kindsight.

Fortunately, a good prospect management strategy saves you time and effort in the long run. It’s a strategic way to lay the groundwork for human-centric relationship building, so you can channel your efforts where they matter most. 

Below, we’ll explore the three phases of prospect development—along with the best practices and strategies to maximize your chance of winning those all-important high-ticket donations, at every stage of the prospect management pipeline. 

What is prospect management? 

Prospect management is the process of planning and tracking relationships with your most significant donors—from identifying likely candidates, to securing a major gift, to practicing effective donor stewardship and retaining support after a large gift is given. 

Prospect management can be broken down even further into these three steps: 

1. Prospect research: Determining your most likely candidates for major giving based on wealth, philanthropic, and affinity indicators. 
2. Portfolio management: Organizing your data, determining, and recording next steps.  
3. Relationship management: Recording updates, or “moves” (any interaction that takes you one step closer to securing your major gift), and nurturing relationships (this is known as moves management). 

Typically, prospect management is owned by your nonprofit’s Chief Development Officer or other development professionals within your nonprofit. 

What does it take to go from prospect to major donor?

Our guide shows you the strategies and tactics you need to effectively move prospects through the donor cultivation cycle.

Get the cheat sheet

Why is prospect management important? 

Tempted to play it by ear when it comes to securing high-ticket donors? We get it. But when you’ve researched your prospect’s interests and capacity ahead of time, you’ll be far more likely to succeed.

With proper prospect management, your ask will be based on data and a strong foundation—not just a hunch that the timing is right. Plus, you can make a more thoughtful, personalized ask based on what you’ve learned about your prospect’s priorities. 

With a sound prospect management strategy in place, you can look forward to: 

• Optimizing your existing supporter relationships
• Allocating your time and resources more effectively
• Discovering new potential donors
• Crafting tailored high-ticket donor communications that resonate and succeed 
• Keeping accountable to your goals

Stage one: Prospect research

Thorough prospect research is at the core of any strong prospect management strategy. During this stage, you’ll be identifying your potential major donors. This process can be expedited with robust donor prospect research software, which does some of the more manual work for you, so you can focus on analysing the data instead of collecting all of it.

There are three main indicators that someone is a viable candidate to move forward for prospect development:  

• Wealth indicators: Also known as capacity indicators, wealth indicators signal that someone has the financial means to make a large donation. This may include employer information, homeownership status, business affiliations, or a history of significant political giving.  
• Philanthropic indicators: This is the evidence that someone has an interest in giving to charitable organizations. Philanthropic indicators may include donations to your nonprofit or other nonprofits, or serving on the board of a charitable organization. 
• Affinity indicators: Also known as warm indicators, affinity indicators show that someone has an interest in your specific mission. They may have attended an event, made recurring donations, or have a history of volunteering with similar organizations. 

Top prospects show all three of these indicators. 

If you’re looking to secure a significant gift, affinity indicators can get quite specific. For example, a high-ticket donor may only be willing to give if their funds go towards a specific program or capital campaign that aligns with their interests and philanthropic priorities. Take this into account as you plan your ask. 

Internal & external prospect research

Many nonprofits start their prospect research by looking to their existing support base—after all, this group has already shown affinity for your mission. It’s a great place to start. Committed mid-tier recurring givers, for example, are often excellent candidates for prospect management. 

Looking for prospects externally can be more challenging, but it does lead to the discovery of new potential donors.  If you go this route, make sure you also have access to your prospect—perhaps through your board members, friends, religious groups, or alumni associations. 

Once you’ve identified prospects, it’s time to move on to the donor qualification stage. 

Donor qualification

During the donor qualification stage, dig a bit deeper to determine if the prospects you’ve identified is worth pursuing. Review each of your prospects, and ask yourself the following questions: 

• Is there a reason to give? Someone is unlikely to give a large amount unless they have a very personal connection to your cause. 
• Do they actually have the means? Look deeper than superficial wealth indicators—someone living in a wealthy neighborhood may also have significant debt, for example. 
• Is the timing right? Consider what’s going on in your prospect’s life. If they’re sending a child to college or remodeling their house, for example, it may not be the right time to make an ask. 
• Do they want to hear from you? Someone who has never expressed an interest in hearing from you is unlikely to pick up your call. 

Some nonprofits fall into the (understandable) trap of putting too emphasis on wealth indicators. But effective prospect management is not just determining if someone can give—it’s also about determining why they would give, and if the timing is right. 

Prospect research tools: 

You’ll need the right prospect research tools to conduct thorough research. These vary from specialized wealth screening tools to freely available public records or social media platforms, like LinkedIn. 

Try collecting data on your potential donors using the following tools and methods: 

• Public records: Review publicly available information such as real estate, stocks, or employment records. 
• Integrated platforms: Some companies offer special tools that pull prospect data, such as life events or political giving, from a wide range of sources. 
• FEC and NEC filings: These filings provide information on investments and political giving, and can help you determine your donor capacity. 
• Social media or websites: LinkedIn and other online social platforms can be an effective, low-cost way to gather data points on your prospects. Websites like Zillow can provide valuable insights into real estate and wealth. 

Stage two: Prospect portfolio management

During the prospect portfolio management stage, you’ll organize the information you’ve gathered on your prospects, set goals, and determine your next steps.

Segment and prioritize prospects

Prioritize your donors based on how likely it is that you’ll convert them to a high-ticket donor. Prioritize your donors based on how likely it is that you’ll convert them to a high-ticket donor. Donor engagement should be divided into these categories: 

• Top priority prospects: These are the prospects most likely to give the largest gifts. They have high capacity and high engagement metrics. Engage this group with one-on-one meetings, personalized tours, or other types of communication that convey a deep interest in their priorities. 
• Mid-priority prospects: These prospects typically show higher giving capacity, but lower engagement. Emails, phone calls, or personalized event invitations may be most appropriate for this group. 
• Lower-priority prospects: Your lower-priority prospects typically show fewer wealth indicators, but higher engagement levels with your organization. Reach these supporters with impact reporting and personalized emails, or highlight your recurring giving program. 

Determine goals

Create a portfolio for each of your prospects, and set a giving goal (also called gift expectancy) based on their capacity. You can change this goal as you gather more information, but you should always aim to maximize the potential of each one of your giving prospects. 

Build prospect portfolios

Once you’ve determined your goals and priorities, start collecting data in individual prospect portfolios. Then, you can begin moving your prospect through each stage of the donor pipeline (we’ve outlined these stages in the section below). 

Include the following information in each of your donor portfolios: 

• Name 
• Gift expectancy
• Connection to your organization
• Significant life updates
• Affinity indicators 
• Wealth indicators
• Philanthropic indicators
• Donor pipeline status
• Next steps

Donor portfolios should be a living document. Update them regularly as you move your prospects through each stage of the donor management pipeline.

If you want your profiles to be continuously in real-time, try live profiles.

Record any actions that bring your prospect one step closer to becoming a donor—maybe you’ve connected with them at an event, asked for advice on a specific program, or learned something new about their personal investment in your mission. 

Wish it were easier to keep your profiles up-to-date?

With iWave’s live profiles, donor profiles are automatically maintained, and real-time alerts are sent to you when meaningful data is updated.

Take a look at live profiles

Stage three: Relationship management

It’s time to lay the groundwork for your monetary ask. During this stage, nonprofits systematically and strategically move prospects through each stage of the donor pipeline. 

The stages of the donor pipeline below correspond with the stages of relationship building: 

1. Prospect discovery: The earliest stage of prospect management—you’ve established that someone is a strong prospect for major giving, but haven’t yet contacted them. 
2. Early-cultivation: Initial contact has been made. 
3. Mid-cultivation: You’ve been in touch several times, and the relationship is developing (this is often the longest stage in the donor pipeline). 
4. Solicitation: A strong relationship has been established, and you’re confident that making an ask won’t badly impact your relationship. 
5. Proposal: You’ve made a tailored ask to your donor and are waiting for a response. 
6. Donor stewardship: This is the time to nurture a relationship—you’ve already received a donation, but it’s too early to request another one. 

Determine how long you intend to spend on each stage, and keep track of how long your prospects stay in each stage. If you see they’ve spent too long in one stage (for example, they’ve spent a year in mid-cultivation when you planned for six months), you could either move them on or consider lowering your gift expectation. 

Prospect management best practices

Regardless of your mission, the size of your nonprofit, number of potential donors, or overall fundraising goals, the best practices below will improve your chances of success at every step of the prospect management process: 

1. Train your fundraising team

Typically, prospect management is owned by a nonprofit’s major gift officer or someone on your development team—but that doesn’t mean you can’t provide structured training guides to other members of your fundraising team. 

Update and refresh your training throughout the year, and offer training on how to conduct independent prospect research. When everyone understands the special work that goes into securing major donors, they can engage with your prospects appropriately and help keep track of any significant moments. 

2. Get the timing right

There’s no two ways about it: Starting up your prospect management process takes time, effort, and resources—but the payoffs are worth it. If possible, mitigate some of these challenges by implementing your prospect management system during a quieter time of year. 

Once you’ve got your prospect management pipeline up and running, keep recording your interactions. You should view prospect management as an ongoing process, not a “one-and-done” task. 

3. Organize your donor database

This is the ideal time to clean up your donor database by deleting duplicate profiles. Update any outdated contact information and remove lapsed donors from your fundraising CRM or donor database. This way, you’ll know your prospective donor is current and relevant before you begin. 

4. Personalize outreach

Craft your communications so they align with the prospect’s interests and giving capacity. You could highlight giving impact at different levels, for example, offer exclusive opportunities for high-level donors based on their interests, or share success stories from donors of different giving tiers. 

Plus, one of the major advantages of prospect management is that by the time you’re ready to make an ask, you’ve already gathered the necessary information for crafting a proposal that resonates. 

5. Focus on human connection

Prospect management is a behind-the-scenes strategic framework for relationship building—but the goal is always to help nonprofits form genuine, human connections. 

Get to know your prospects—including their interests, background, and what drew them to your nonprofit or mission in the first place. The more you express genuine interest, the deeper and more long-lasting your connection will be. 

6. Implement a code of ethics

Personal data usage is a sensitive topic. Evaluate your own code of ethics beforehand, and make it available on your website. To maintain trust in your nonprofit, be transparent about how you’re using donor data. 

Be sure to practice proper due diligence to ensure your major gift prospect is aligned with your mission and values in their own lives—this way, you’ll protect your nonprofit from potential harm.  

7. Keep track, review, and adapt

Prospect management is an ongoing process. Once you’ve gone through the cycle a few times, review and adapt. While the prospect management process makes things as strategic as possible, there’s always some flexibility and adaptation required for successful donor relationship building. 

With the right tools, know-how, and prospect management best practices up your sleeve, you can look forward to discovering new donors, removing the guesswork from major giving campaigns, and developing meaningful relationships with your highest financial capacity supporters—bringing you that much closer to meeting your fundraising goals. 

The post Prospect management best practices appeared first on Kindsight.

An email database is a little like a basement. Full of stuff–some of it useful, some outdated, some broken and some forgotten. And cleaning it can be a huge and annoying task.

But a clean basement is only that–a clean basement. A clean database is much, much more.

Accurate Metrics: Inactive, bad email addresses are messing with your metrics. And that false data is driving poor decisions about segmentation, campaigns, and more. What if you’re doing better than you thought you were?

Cost-Savings: You’re probably paying your email service provider by number of subscribers or email sends. Why pay for emails that go nowhere? Consider the cost-savings by eliminating emails that provide zero ROI.

New Leads: Post-clean up, take those tossed emails and combine them with other data points, request a new address, ask for feedback or upcycle them to a new marketing channel.

Deliverability: ISPs score every email “sender” based on bounce rates, open rates, unsubscribes and other factors. Your score determines whether ISPs deliver emails to an inbox or route them to spam. And sending repeatedly to inactive emails lowers your score. Sometimes by a lot.

And all these benefits lead to smart segmentation, powerful email marketing, revenue opportunities and active fans.

Two Steps to Success

1. Clean It Up

Where To Start: Inactive Emails

Inactive email addresses go beyond those who have unsubscribed. They are defined as anyone whose email bounces or anyone who never opens your email.

There are probably a lot of these in your database. Don’t worry. It’s normal. They’re either no longer at that email address or not interested in shopping via email messages. Your emails may not even get to them because of the spam filter anyway.

Yes, you might get a knot in your stomach as you press “delete”. And you might get sad as you watch your list drop from 300,000 to 225,000. Ack!

But trust me. This is not limiting your power to sell. It’s actually empowering you.

2. Leverage the Leftovers

Upcycle

No reason to throw away subscribed but inactive email addresses. Try reactivating them via a different channel. Fans may have shifted their reading habits to social media. So load those emails into Facebook and do a custom ad campaign asking them to subscribe.You’ll be surprised how many reengage.

Reach Out

Have your sales force reach out to the bounced email recipients for updated information. If they’re still interested, it puts them back in your system. If not, they’re out and you can rest easy knowing they were no longer prospects.

Combine Data Forces

Tie email addresses to traffic analytics, sales records, URL streams and keyword search data. Why? Because it turns out there’s a difference between what people sign up for and what they actually click on. And the result is smarter segmentation. But be careful. Fans don’t want to feel watched. When you write that email, Instead of saying this: “We noticed you were clicking on a lot of Chicago Bears kids jerseys. ” Say this: “Kids like football? We’ve got a deal for you.”

Get Feedback

Talk about an opportunity. If you’re getting lots of inactive emails or unsubscribe requests, launch a campaign or adjust your unsubscribe screen to ask fans what they really want in terms of content and frequency.

The post Two Steps to a Sparkly-Clean Email Database (and Why It’s Time) appeared first on Kindsight.

Adopting a new, comprehensive constituent relationship management (CRM) platform is an exciting opportunity that brings the possibility of increased transparency, connectivity, productivity, and revenue.

Still, the beginning of a CRM transition can feel daunting. Overhauling your CRM platform is a big task with a lot of factors to consider. Plus, with so many CRMs on the market, even the first step of choosing a vendor can be intimidating.

To provide CRM managers and decision-makers insight into this process, we recently held a conversation with prominent industry leaders who chose AdvancementRM for their institutional needs. From the experiences they shared, we identified five valuable insights that will help guide you and your team through the process of selecting a new advancement CRM.

The Experts

The four following experts were kind enough to join us and share the ins and outs of their own advancement CRM journeys.

Marianne Siess, VP of Advancement Services for the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA)

Melissa Berrett, Senior Director of IT for Oregon Health and Science University Foundation (OHSU)

Terry Callaghan, Former AVP, Information Technology, Analytics, and Gift Processing of the Rutgers University Foundation

Brian Duisenberg, Director of Advancement Information Systems at the University of California (UC), Santa Cruz

5 Tips for Selecting the Right CRM for Your Advancement Team

1. Get clear: identify the goals, timelines, and needs of your organization. 

Knowing your institution’s vision for a CRM can help you to find the CRM that best suits your needs.

2. Gather your forces: include key stakeholders and departments in the process.

A CRM implementation isn’t just an IT project; it impacts the whole team. Involving representatives from IT, development, prospect management, events, alumni, and others affected by the transition will be critical to selecting a new advancement CRM that works for your entire organization.

3. Do your homework: research implementation & support teams and relevant organizations.

How you implement your CRM is nearly as important as the CRM you choose, so knowing who will help and how is critical.

4. See the forest and the trees: train early and plan ahead. 

There’s no denying that selecting a CRM is a big project; it’s crucial that you’re getting the immediate work done without losing sight of the big picure.

5. Be patient: embrace the process.

Progress in the adoption of a new CRM for advancement, like most things, is not linear—but the outcomes can be extremely rewarding, positively impacting your team’s efficiency, productivity, and, ultimately, your fundraising results.

The post 5 Tips for Selecting a New Advancement CRM appeared first on Kindsight.

You should also be aware that your fans and their behavior while in your stadium are providing you with a plethora of information that can be converted into sports analytics to study and use for future improvements. It is integral that your athletic department continues to learn about the needs of your fans to keep them excited about your teams.

Gathering data from your fans should include everything that happens in and around the stadium and the event. When and where ticket sales occur, food and beverage choice, and even merchandise buying are all points of interest for predictive analytics in collegiate athletics. When you have the full picture of your fans, you can adjust your marketing plan to meet their needs and provide them with the best possible experience.

Top Tips for Analyzing Customer Data

When it comes to analytics for collegiate athletics, it can be difficult to decide what data is most important for engaging with your fans and reaching new members of your target audience. The truth is, all the data you have about each customer is valuable. The more you know about your customers the more personal you can make the relationship between your brand and the person feel.

Here are a few quick tips for getting started analyzing data in order to boost ticket sales and fan engagement:

Take action! Make improvements and adjustments based on the data. Combining data sets and visualizing this data can help you provide a better experience to your fans before, during and after the event. For example, a combination approach will show you that perhaps season ticket holders prefer specific food and beverages over others. Ensuring their favorite concessions are available in their section demonstrates your knowledge of your loyal fans as well as their concession preferences, which each come from two disparate systems. The analytics based on a 360 degree view of our customer will tell you what is most important to your audience and allow you to adjust your offerings to accommodate them through marketing offers, sales calls and even the food or beverage they find in their section.

Unify customer information for a well-rounded picture of your fan base. You have a multitude of operational data points in disparate systems – parking, attendance, food and beverage, merchandise, secondary ticket market and survey data that can all tie together for a complete picture of the in-game experience.

Utilize propensity models and scores. Once your data is unified, apply a propensity score to your customers to help you identify fans and alumni most likely to make purchases or take other actions. Knowing who these fans are will show you who to target in your segmented email campaigns or who sales should call on first.

Share your analytics across departments. It is important to work with and share your analytical insight with other parts of your organization to ensure you have a plan in place to attract your target audience based on one view of analytical numbers and predictions.

You know how important it is that your loyal fans continue to support your team but also your new fans feel welcomed into the fold. With predictive analytics on top of a trusted customer data management solution, you will be able to see who your customers are and what is most important to them so that you can adjust your sales tactics and marketing strategies for the best return on investment possible.

The post 4 Analytics Tips for Boosting Ticket Sales and Fan Engagement appeared first on Kindsight.

Donor stewardship involves taking care of your supporters at every touchpoint with relevant and thoughtful experiences. Each interaction is an opportunity to strengthen that donor relationship, so every moment counts.

When it’s done well, stewardship makes your donors feel amazing, and in turn, you can rely on their support, engagement, and donations for a long time to come. But getting there isn’t accidental—it’s all about following best practices for nurturing relationships.

8 impactful donor stewardship best practices

Ready to make the most of every donor you bring on board? Here’s how to approach donor stewardship in the smartest way. 

1. Create a donor stewardship plan

Showing gratitude and appreciation to donors ad hoc is great, but to really make a difference, your nonprofit organization needs a solid donor stewardship plan. A good plan sets out your vision, explains your strategies, and guides the team on how to approach donor cultivation and engagement. 

Your donor stewardship plan should include: 

• Roles and responsibilities
• Donor segments or groups
• Timelines and touchpoints
• Recognition and communication standards (including tone and cadence)
• Room for personalization and flexibility

A key part of your plan will be your chosen stewardship activities, designed to inform and engage donors. This includes thank you notes, donation receipts, major gift recognitions, impact updates, reports, event invitations, and more.

A strong donor stewardship plan contains everything your nonprofit organization needs to follow to build relationships and continue to nurture them over time.

2. Set donor stewardship goals

Donor stewardship should be intentional and strategic, and for that, you need goals. Think about your nonprofit organization’s mission, vision, and values, and what your main ambition is for your stewardship strategies this year.

Do you want to retain more donors over a longer period? Increase the number of new donors? Drive higher levels of engagement with campaigns? Turn more one-off donors into monthly contributors or major donors? Consider what’s most valuable to you at the moment, and turn it into a goal.

To easily track progress and measure outcomes, your goal should be SMART—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Aim for a target that feels realistic but also challenges you, so you’re driven to succeed.

Here are some examples of SMART donor stewardship goals in action:

• Increase donor retention rate by 20% in Q4 2025
• Build relationships with 25 new donors in Q1 2026
• Attract 25% more donors in February 2026 compared to February 2025
• See an increase in engagement of 30% across email and social media
• Convert 15% more one-time donors to monthly members in Q1 2026

Include your stewardship goal within your strategic plan, and make sure everyone on the team knows what it is. Check in on progress at regular intervals, use your goal as a source of motivation, and celebrate success as you hit milestones on the way. 

3. Use donor data to personalize your interactions

Everyone knows by now that personalizing your emails is an easy way to lift engagement. But there’s so much more you can do beyond that simple merge field in your email campaigns. 

Look for ways you can personalize your donor communications beyond the basics. This includes: 

• Creating donor segments based on history, engagement, and location
• Celebrating donor giving milestones
• Mentioning donation amounts in thank you emails
• Sending relevant messages based on a donor’s giving history or communication preferences

With a robust fundraising CRM, all your donor data lives in one place—giving you a comprehensive view of every supporter’s details, giving history, analytics, and insights. Use this data to create relevant donor segments, send timely communications, and deliver more meaningful donor stewardship.

4. Look for opportunities to delight new donors, mid-level donors, and major gift-givers

Take personalization another step further by giving your team space to create memorable moments for donors. Use your donor data to create unique experiences and surprises that make them feel more than just a number.

What does that look like in practice? Here are some examples: 

• A virtual birthday card to celebrate their special day
• Campaign updates directly related to a project they’ve supported
• Exclusive invitations to events they’d be interested in
• A surprise donor gift to celebrate a giving milestone
• Thank-you gifts for being a recurring donor for 5 years
• Message of appreciation for being a first-time donor
• A personal invitation to meet board members
• A handwritten note to thank them for introducing a prospective donor to your membership program

Creating these moments is easier when you have donor data easily available. Make the most of your nonprofit organization’s CRM or donor database to collect as much information as possible, so you can turn it into memorable 1:1 interactions that drive loyalty and engagement. Get in-depth advice for major donor stewardship here.

5. Share meaningful impact stories

One of the best ways to make your donors feel appreciated is to show them the impact they’re making. Do this by sharing heartfelt and detailed impact stories with your supporters. 

It’s easy to share a generic project update on social media platforms, but your donors should be the first to know about big or exciting changes—with all the details you can find to make the story feel real.

Enhance your impact stories with: 

• Photos that illustrate the change you’ve created
• Video progress updates
• Quotes from beneficiaries and your team on the ground
• Insights from your campaign team
• Real stats and figures that demonstrate impact
• Frequently asked questions and answers

Impact reports are a must-have for any donor stewardship program. These elements will help your donors feel closer to the story, understand the value of the project or campaign, and feel appreciated for the difference they’re making. 

6. Create a sense of community

Many donors want more than just to support a cause they care about. They want to become insiders and get to know not just your nonprofit organization, but other supporters too. Make this a reality by creating space for community and connection.

Memberships or communities are a powerful way to bring people together to share ideas, encourage action, form friendships, and raise even more funds. It’s donor engagement at scale.

Your community could include: 

• An online meeting place or donor portal
• A social media group (part of any effective nonprofit social media strategy)— like a Facebook group or Instagram community chat
• Exclusive news and updates
• Discounts and promotions
• Polls, surveys, and opportunities to get involved
• Learn about volunteer opportunities
• Easy ways to refer new members to your nonprofit organization

Communities add value to supporters and give you an easy way to deliver memorable experiences for loyal donors, making it a win-win scenario for everyone.

7. Educate and support your donor stewardship program team

A strong strategic plan is a great start, but it won’t make a difference if your team members can’t execute it. Give your team access to all the knowledge, training, and support they need to confidently run campaigns, engage with donors, and analyze data. 

Empower your team members with training in:

• Donor engagement
• Donor relationship-building process
• Storytelling
• Video creation
• Copywriting
• Communication
• Teamwork 

Alongside training, keep your team members up to date on platforms, trends, and donor stewardship best practices. Keep channels of communication open, and create a culture where no one is afraid to ask questions or seek advice. 

8. Invite and act on feedback

One of the most powerful tools at your disposal is feedback from your existing donors. These valuable insights allow you to understand what they like, dislike, and how you can build stronger connections. 

While you could run a formal feedback survey, there are other ways you can collect insights too—like:

• Monthly engagement polls
• Short surveys related to a specific project or campaign
• Online suggestion box
• Voting on different variations for merch or event types

Your donor stewardship efforts should be based on real data—not just an assumption of what your donors want to see. Use the strategies above to collect information and shape the way that you engage with supporters over time.

Set your donor stewardship strategy up for success

Donor stewardship starts from that first message and continues right the way through a donor’s journey with you. Make a good impression at the start, and strive to match (or beat) that in every interaction after. 

With these donor stewardship best practices and the right tools, you’ll be in the best place possible to transform every supporter into a loyal and highly engaged donor. Start with the basics, be guided by your goal, and know that we’re rooting for your donor stewardship strategy to succeed. 

The post 8 Donor stewardship best practices appeared first on Kindsight.