Once your nonprofit receives a major gift, you should immediately enter the stewardship phase to strengthen and retain that relationship. Start by showing sincere appreciation, recognizing the donor’s impact in a meaningful way, and planning thoughtful, ongoing ways to keep them engaged with your organization’s mission.
Managing all of these activities can quickly get overwhelming, especially if you have a small team. The good news? Your nonprofit’s fundraising tools can help. With the right approach, you can use your technology to engage major donors, improve relationships, and ultimately increase giving. Here are a few tips to help make the most of your tech stack.
Harness the Power of Your Donor Database
Your nonprofit’s database or constituent relationship management (CRM) system is one of your most valuable tools for stewarding major donors. It houses all of your donor data, including vital information about each relationship. While you may already use a CRM to track giving and engagement data, that’s just the beginning of what this technology can do for you.
For example, here are a few powerful database features that can help you personalize and strengthen major donor engagement:
Each of these features makes it easier to personalize communications and understand the full picture of your donors. With these insights, you can adapt your stewardship strategies for maximum impact on individual major donors.
Most major donors don’t give a one-time gift and disappear—if treated correctly, they will stay invested. They want to know how your organization uses their donation and what else you’re raising money to achieve. To stay informed, they likely read your newsletter, browse your nonprofit’s website, and explore your latest online fundraising initiatives.
Even if they don’t give to every campaign, major donors will visit your website’s donation and fundraising pages—and those pages should make a strong, positive impression.
With the help of your online fundraising tools, you can enhance your website’s giving pages by following a few best practices:
Once your fundraising pages are optimized, make them easy to find. Add links in your website’s navigation and footer. Use concise, compelling calls-to-action so donors know exactly where they’re going.
Inviting major donors to events is a key part of stewardship. Whether you host appreciation galas, fundraising events, or any other gatherings, inviting donors reminds them of their honored place in your nonprofit’s community and provides exciting opportunities to engage with it.
But once major donors arrive at your events, they need a reason to actively participate and enjoy the experience. That’s where event technology can make all the difference!
The right software helps you capture and hold guests’ attention, even at in-person gatherings. For example, OneCause explains how auction software helps your nonprofit engage guests with:
Beyond improving your auctions, event software can also streamline ticketing, check-in, raffles, and more. Explore your platform’s full capabilities to enhance the donor experience, especially at high-impact events like golf tournaments and galas that your major supporters are likely to attend.
Even if you use all of the technologies we’ve discussed so far, there will always be room for improvement. Make sure to set key performance indicators (KPIs), like email click-through rates or event attendance rates, to measure how well your engagement efforts are working.
Use your CRM, event software, and other communication tools to track how each major donor interacts with your outreach and involvement opportunities. Then, dig into this data to determine which types of messages and events appeal most to each major donor. Note their preferences and adhere to them moving forward to improve your stewardship strategies.
Remember that donor preferences can shift over time, so continue to monitor engagement metrics and adjust your approach with each supporter as needed.
The more you experiment with new strategies, the more confident your team will become in using technology to engage with major donors.
To ensure you keep up with the latest features, best practices, and opportunities, check in on your team’s technology usage regularly and discuss what’s working well—and what’s not. Staying curious and open to change will help you build a strong, sustainable approach to major donor engagement and set your nonprofit up for long-term success.
As investment advisors who work closely with nonprofits, we know that growing your impact isn’t just about managing assets—it’s about strengthening every part of your fundraising strategy. That’s why we share tips for cultivating strong relationships with major donors
Finding the right investment advisor shouldn’t be overwhelming. At Carnegie Investment Counsel, we understand the unique challenges nonprofits face when securing their financial future. We’re here to bring clarity and expertise to the process. Schedule a complimentary consultation today!
Disclaimer:
This blog is for informational purposes only and is not meant as financial, legal, or tax advice. Please seek professional advice from qualified tax, legal, and/or financial professionals before making any financial decisions.
Carnegie Investment Counsel (“Carnegie”) is a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training. For a more detailed discussion about Carnegie’s investment advisory services and fees, please view our Form ADV and Form CRS by visiting: https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/150488.