Imagine you’re planning a trip to a new city.

You’re full of excitement and anticipation about what you'll discover.

As you step off the plane, you face two options: a crumpled, outdated map with no street names or a local guide who knows the best places to eat, the hidden gems that most tourists miss, and the shortcuts to get you there.

You’d likely pick the guide.

We all crave direction, the comfort of being in good hands, and the joy of discovering places that feel tailor-made for us.

Yet, so often, when donors find their way to a nonprofit’s website, they receive that old, outdated map and are left to navigate on their own, trying to make sense of where they fit and how they can help.

Imagine a different experience. Every step is simple, your questions are answered along the way, and each interaction is meaningful. This journey highlights the modern giving experience—more than just a donation; it’s about creating a personal, connected, and valuable journey.

Best part? You can be the guide who makes this happen.

In today’s edition of the Social Profit Stack, we will explore why each step of the online donor journey is crucial and share how to guide your donors through every milestone, ensuring that every step works smoothly.

Let’s dive in.

A modern giving experience

Many people will search for (or find) your organization because they’re looking to solve a problem; others may have heard you were running a campaign, and they visited to help you volunteer or, ultimately, to give.

Historically, we phoned donors, or they attended events where they gave you a donation. Many people also gave through direct mail or to door knocking, third-party fundraisers.

Relationships never had a chance—the majority being one meeting and then never again.

I don't want to take away any love from those fundraising methods, as they still work to raise one-time revenue. Yet, the modern giving experience has many opportunities to deepen relationships and allow your donor to build trust in your organization.

No matter what your donors think, when they first connect with your organization, they've started on a journey.

You and your team must lead the way and place the breadcrumbs to become part of your community.

It's also crucial to make sure all your website pages work consistently.

Be the guide

For donors to get the most out of their experience, guiding them along the way is critical.

Consider how your donors currently experience their first pass through your website or how they sign up for an event.

Are you ensuring they learn about your organization and the impact you make along the way?

These pathways help create the journey you want your donors to have. They can lead donors to their first donation, opt-in to receive the information you share or remain members of your community.

You’ve likely travelled to a new destination or hiked a new mountain.

Imagine how much better the experience would be if you had a guide to show you the way or, even better, what’s off the beaten path.

Becoming a guide allows you to be intentional about how you want your donor to experience the journey with your organization.

Without guidance from your organization, donors are on their own.

A donor journey

A donor journey can consist of a series of communications, small events, discussions, meetings, and conversations that can detail the route in various ways:

• Share a welcome sequence that happens when they subscribe. Be sure to record their responses in your CRM database.
• You can direct visitors to the website by email to learn about an upcoming event or roundtable discussion.
• Use your website to encourage visitors to click on the giving highlights, including stories that share donor activity. Hint: Highlights can include metrics from your recent campaign.
• Follow up with a phone call to welcome the donor or thank them for attending the event.

Your plan can help your donor take the steps you’ve mapped out and make relevant suggestions to ensure they feel more comfortable.

Map it out

The goal of mapping out a donor journey is to lay the foundation of your offer, create awareness for your cause, and ultimately raise more revenue.

Each donor milestone is about human connection. Keep in mind the donors' demographics that are moving through the map.

The milestones can include:

• Awareness: Your audience becomes aware of your cause and how you solve the problems you support. Social media is an excellent tool for raising awareness and giving your audience a reason to visit your website.
• Engagement: Your website can share more about what you do—link to a story about your impact. Invite your audience to stay connected, like opting into your email updates.
• Decision (Solicitation): As visitors learn more about your impact, they’ll invest in your cause. They’ll enjoy being part of the community and seeing the value of their donation.
• Retention: Doing what you said you’d do is donor retention. Providing a personalized experience, regular communications, and support will help your donors remain involved.

Your donors will make small decisions at each point, so it is vital to capture their attention as they move through the markers on the map you created. It takes a lot of work to gain the attention of a prospective donor. Whatever you do, don’t let them slip away.
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Link 💜

If you're looking for a template to help create an online donor journey map, Miro has you covered.

Have you ever wondered how your fundraising efforts relate to your constituents from different generations? QGiv's ebook shares data-backed strategies to engage and inspire all donors.

Have you started sharing with your email list? Don't always rely on your CRM to give you the best tools. Add ConvertKit to your list of must-haves for

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