Happy Sunday Reader,

Imagine this…

You just donated to a nonprofit supporting a cause you care about.

Post donation, you felt incredible. You’ve done the right thing.

A few days go by.

You have yet to receive any communication from the organization.

No acknowledgement, not even a thank you.

You begin to wonder if they even received your donation.

A week goes by—still, nothing.

Two weeks later, you receive a generic email from the organization, thanking you for your support but providing no extra information about their work or impact.

As time passes, you receive sporadic emails from the organization. You still want clarification about how your donation supported the mission.

You start to wonder why you should continue supporting the organization.

In today’s edition of the Social Profit Stack, we’ll share what helps retain your new donors and how to automate the process. It always starts by thanking them for the donation.
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Limitations

Limited resources and budgets are why nonprofits don’t promptly thank their donors. A lack of knowledge of donors’ expectations and technical barriers come in third and fourth.

These limitations make prioritizing new ways of communicating with donors, like learning how to create an automated welcome email series, challenging.

No matter the reason, limited communication creates a dreadful donor experience.

Don't make them wait!

Automate A New Donor Welcome Series

An incredible part of modern email marketing platforms is automation.

An automated welcome email series can solve the “lack of” problems by establishing a positive first impression, sharing the value of the organization's work and impact, and keeping the donor engaged and invested in the organization's mission.

A new motto can be: create once and share often.

According to Next After, “What you do in the first 45 days after a donation is arguably the most important communication you can have with your donors.

A new donor welcome email series lets you make a positive first impression on new donors. It sets the tone for your relationship and shows your donor the value of their contribution.

Donors want to learn about the organizations they support and expect to receive communication once they give.

A new donor welcome email series meets these expectations and offers donors the information they need to understand the organization's mission and impact.

A series helps build trust with your donors by allowing you to ask them for feedback on their experience with your organization. This feedback provides data that can help improve your service and strengthen your relationships with donors.

The collected data above lets you tailor and segment the welcome email series to each donor's interests and preferences.

Use these 8 opportunities to help you win in retention:

1. Thank You & Welcome Email: This is the first email in the series sent immediately after a donation. Keep it a simple thank-you message expressing gratitude for the donor's support and welcoming them to the organization's community.

2. Impact Story Email: Two days later, share how a past donor's contribution impacted the organization's mission. The story shows how you intend to use the donation to make a difference.

3. Follow-Up Email: On day four, send a follow-up email to the donor, thanking them again for their support and asking if they have any questions or feedback. Asking your donor what they think is an opportunity to start a conversation with your donor.

4. Connect on Social Email: On day seven, email the donor, inviting them to follow the organization on social media platforms. Encourage your donors to share their experiences on social and connect with other supporters in the community.

5. Get Involved Opportunities Email: After 14 days, email the donor to invite them to volunteer or participate in the organization's activities. Explain the volunteer opportunities available and the impact that volunteers can have.

6. Impact Report Email: After 21 days, share a report on the organization's impact over the past year or quarter. This email shows your donor how their contribution helped your organization achieve its mission.

7. Thank You Video Email: After 30 days, send a customized video message thanking the donor for their support. Make it personal and heartfelt, showing the value of their donation.

8. Monthly Donor Invitation Email: After 45 days, send an email inviting the donor to become a monthly donor. Explain the benefits of monthly giving and how it can help the organization sustain its work in the long run.
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Your email platform can activate the donor and build a long-term relationship with your organization. Throughout the series, continue to offer a way to pause emails or cancel at any time.

As the series ends, commit to sharing a monthly update that helps explain the impact of donations. You'll impress and inform your donors.

Make every donor feel unique from day one. Automating the process is easy and effective. Implement these steps and turn first-time donors into lifelong supporters.

Link 💜

Does your email platform need a boost? ConvertKit has all the automations and easily connects to your CRM.

You might be looking for simple and affordable landing page software for your upcoming appeals and events. Carrd has you covered.

Are you thinking about scheduling and automating social media? Hypefury supports Twitter and Later helps you with Instagram.
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