Hi Reader,

Joanne immediately clicked “Donate.”

She was in awe of their work at the local food bank and decided to follow up with a $100 gift.

The confirmation page showed up instantly. It had the amount she gave, a logo, and a signature. All very official.

Then she waited for a thank you.

Nothing.

She checked her email one more time. She even checked spam. Empty.

Two weeks later, a different charity inspired her to donate.

They immediately shared a photo, a thank-you note, and a two-line sentence about the impact her gift, combined with others, would have on those they support.

Guess where her next gift went?

In today’s edition of the Social Profit Stack, I’ll share how ignoring a simple thank you is most likely costing you your next gift. You don’t often see it until it’s too late. It’s never been easier to give, but it's also just as easy to leave.

Often An Afterthought

Many teams I've worked with still treat the thank‑you as an afterthought.

The CRM flags a “task,” but busy staff defer it. No one sets up automations, and leaders don’t hold their teams accountable.

Meanwhile, your new donor sits in radio silence.

The numbers we’re seeing are on a downward trend. According to the FEP 2024 Benchmark Report from Giving Tuesday Data Commons, new donor retention has dropped to 13.8 percent in 2024.

Fundraisers, that’s the fourth straight year of decline.

But here’s the good news: Donors who receive a thank-you within 48 hours are four times more likely to give again.

Speed, Loyalty. Delay, Attrition

Donors are quick to give and just as quick to move on. If you want a second gift, you have to act fast.

Here’s a simple five-step rhythm you can implement in under an hour a week:

1. Set a new 24‑hour rule.

Auto-confirm their donation right away—then send a personal follow-up before the day ends. Use your CRM to trigger a note or a quick selfie video recorded on your phone.

Pro tip: record one evergreen video and personalize the subject line.

2. Use email merge fields.

Skip “Dear [First Name]” and go deeper. For example: “Kelly, your gift of $100 stocked 28 dinner kits today.”

Pull your data—amount, program, and result—from your donation record.

3. Close the loop.

Thirty days after the gift, share a quick story about the impact. Use a plain newsletter template with no graphic design.

Just one image + one caption: “Here’s what you made happen.”

4. Make the monthly ask.

At day 45, invite your new donor to turn their gift into a monthly donation. Be honest and share what recurring donations make possible.

Include a direct link to your donation page.

5. Measure it.

Tag donors who received the fast thank-you flow. Three months later, check how many gave again. Compare, adjust, and improve.

You don’t need a big team. You need a repeatable rhythm.

Start with one hour a week.

Donors measure care in days, not months. No follow‑up means no relationship. Whether they say it or not, your donors deserve a signal: “We noticed. We care.”

Start this week —before the glow fades.

What will your next thank‑you sound like? How quickly will you close the loop after a donor makes a gift?

Looking for a guide to set this up? Hit reply. Let's chat about improving your thank-you systems.
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