Wish Your First-time Donor Renewal Rates Were Higher? Part 4: Send Them a Donor Impact Report

October 31, 2016 Gary Henricksen

Say Thank You. Then Follow Up With Results.

This series of posts on improving your first-time donor retention has stressed the truism: Saying thank you never goes out of style.

There is no greater way of thanking your donors than showing them the impact of their generosity.

At heart, your donors want to know: Why did my donation matter?

A Donor Impact Report is a great way to communicate what their gifts accomplish, what change was made possible, and whose lives were impacted. It’s more than a dry, fact-based financial report charting your nonprofit’s revenue and expenses—save that for your organization’s Form 990. An impact report for donors goes beyond just dollars and cents; it documents how your contributors’ donations are being used and demonstrates the positive outcomes made possible because of your donors.

Everyone wants to feel like they are making a difference, and no one wants to donate to an ineffective nonprofit. Increase your donor retention by showing current donors the value of their contributions. It's an extension of the thank you letters we've discussed previously.

Your impact report doesn’t celebrate your organization’s work. Instead, it positions your donors as the heroes who are getting it done.

If yours is an educational institution—here’s a student whose life has been impacted. If it’s a healthcare organization—here’s a patient who benefited. If it’s a community outreach program—here is one of your neighbors you’ve helped.

Here's an impact report example:

Still not sure where to start? Check out our report planning guide.

More Than an Annual Report

Many organizations refer to this style of publication as an annual report. But fundraising is more than an annual event! We recommend sending impact reports to all donors who gave in the last three years two to four times per year. Remind your donors about your organization—and the importance of your mission—with shorter reports sent throughout the year. Keep copies on hand in your office to offer visitors. Display some on a table in your lobby. Bring some to every event you sponsor or attend.

Most importantly, let your new donors know the value of their contribution. Include the most recent report in any donor’s first thank you note or, for even greater impact, follow up the initial thank you note with a first-time donor report package including:

Your most recent donor impact report.

A personal note (or even just a sticky note!) thanking the donor, and saying, “I thought you would enjoy reading this Donor Impact Report.”
An invitation to give again and/or to join your monthly giving program, or a soft ask in the form of a donation reply envelope.

How To Get It Done

Fundraisers are busy people. You wear multiple hats and often do the work of multiple people. And writing can be a time-consuming task. You may be asking yourself how on Earth you can find the time to write an annual nonprofit impact report, let alone multiple impact reports for donors throughout the year.

Don’t be afraid to reuse narratives from your other publications, especially those heartwarming stories which illustrate what your organization does so well. Revise and refresh stories from your blog posts, letters, emails, newsletters, profiles, and interviews—anything which links the donor to the work being accomplished and those touched by that work.

If writing isn’t your forte, consider ways to delegate the task. Perhaps you have a staff member who likes to write or an introverted volunteer who hates the telephone. Find those individuals who like to communicate in writing and ask for their help—but ensure they understand the most important rule of donor communications: focusing on what donors help your nonprofit to accomplish.

Donor impact reports feature and celebrate your donors’ impact—a vital part of your donor retention strategy.

This post was adapted from the Five Maples resource A How to Guide for Keeping First Time Donors.

We show donors their impact!

Our expert team of designers and copywriters can craft an impact report to show your contributors what their donations have helped you accomplish. Shine a light on what your donors help you to achieve every day and watch your renewal rates rise!