The end of a successful fundraising event marks the beginning of productive, long-lasting donor relationships for your nonprofit organization. The days and weeks following your fundraiser are a prime time to boost donor engagement and giving. Make the most of this opportunity by having a detailed post-event communications plan in place to steward your attendees.
To help maximize your results and maintain your fundraising momentum, let’s discuss the basic levels of donor relationships and four effective strategies for post-event donor engagement.
Levels of donor engagement
Your donors’ relationships with your nonprofit are continually evolving. Once they’re introduced to your work and purpose, they continue to learn more about your organization the more they interact with you. The ultimate goal behind forming a communications plan is to level up these relationships and cultivate reliable, long-term supporters. The basic levels of donor relationships are:- Awareness
- Interest
- Involvement
- Investment
4 post-event donor engagement strategies
1. Follow up and thank your donors.
Account for follow-ups in your fundraising event plans. This will ensure that you have time blocked out to send thoughtful and strategic communications to your attendees after the fundraiser. A basic part of donor appreciation is a thank-you message. The more valued your supporters feel, the more eager they’ll be to participate in and contribute to your future fundraising initiatives. Beyond a thank-you note, take your nonprofit’s appreciation efforts to the next level by:- Spotlighting key donors on social media
- Inviting them to appreciation events
- Featuring them in your annual report
- Honoring major donors on a recognition wall or plaque
2. Share event results.
To encourage post-event donor engagement, be prompt and specific in sharing the results of your fundraising event. Send a follow-up email to your attendees detailing how much your event raised. Consider creating a post-event landing page and compelling social media posts for updates on the impact of supporters’ gifts, so they can better visualize how their contributions made a difference. Additionally, send out surveys after the fundraiser to collect donors’ feedback. This will allow you to identify what you did well and how you can improve the attendee experience in future events, showing them that you care about their input.3. Segment your donors.
Personalize your post-event donor communications by creating a segment in your donor management system for event attendees. In addition to sending them a thank-you note, encourage them to return for next year’s event. You can also segment your donors according to their:- Giving history
- Interests
- Communication preferences
4. Offer additional ways to get involved.
After your fundraising event, take the opportunity to motivate your attendees to increase their involvement with your nonprofit. For instance, they can:- Subscribe to your blog.
- Share event pictures and videos online.
- Follow your organization’s social media channels.
- Become a volunteer.
- Opt into your recurring gifts program.
Cultivate lasting donor relationships
Supporters will engage with your nonprofit in multiple ways throughout their relationships with your nonprofit. Get creative with your donor interactions by following up after your events and offering convenient and exciting ways for them to support your purpose. Prioritize effective stewardship efforts after your events to ensure that each relationship is a long and productive one.
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