Donor retention is a huge problem for the nonprofit sector, according to the Fundraising Effectiveness Project Survey Report.

The Report found that overall donor and gift retention rates, over the last 10 years, have consistently been weakening – averaging below 50 percent!

How can nonprofits buck this trend and keep more donors engaged?

Donor thank you videos may be the perfect solution.

Effective donor thank you videos should do 2 things:

1. Genuinely and authentically thank the donors.

2. Show what was done with the money – the impact.

It’s important to note that donor thank you videos are not traditional fundraising videos. They are not meant to raise thousands of dollars.

The purpose is to create a deeper relationship with the donor, which will in turn increase their loyalty to and affinity for your nonprofit.

In this post, and in an upcoming live webinar, I will show you ways that even the smallest nonprofit can create your own short thank you video to delight your donors and make them want to give again.

Listen to Donors

The fact is that our supporters have continually told us what they want to hear from us:

Do a quick audit of your communications and fundraising materials.

Do you focus on impact and success stories?

Have you thanked donors for helping build something bigger than themselves?

Address Obstacles

When creating your donor thank you video, consider any obstacles that people might have to giving again.

See if you can answer these questions in your donor thank you video, when showcasing the impact of your work:

• Do they not understand what you do?
• Are there lingering stereotypes about your work or the people that you serve?
• How can you address knowledge gaps and misconceptions?
• Make the impact story extremely simple – With your gifts, we were able to feed 25 families this year.

For a step-by-step guide to creating, shooting, and sharing donor thank you videos, register for my all-new LIVE 90-minute webinar: How to Make a Thank You Video that Delights Donors and Gets Them to Give Again

Become Donor-Centric

Be sure to include donor-centric talking points throughout your donor thank you video.

The language that you use to thank donors is so important!

Be sure that you are making them feel like they are part of your community and that they are helping to solve a problem.

Try these phrases, or use your own:

• “We could not do this work without you.”
• “Thank you for your partnership.”
• “Thank you for your investment.”
• “We are building something big together.”
• “The work isn’t done yet, but we have accomplished a lot.”

Sample donor thank you videos, created by Rosie’s Place in Boston:

Year-end thank you: https://youtu.be/AhYgH0i1vmI

To our friends with gratitude: https://youtu.be/4OMPtXMTelA

Campaign during Volunteer Appreciation Month: https://youtu.be/7be0SvITra0

For a step-by-step guide to creating, shooting, and sharing donor thank you videos, register for my all-new LIVE 90-minute webinar: How to Make a Thank You Video that Delights Donors and Gets Them to Give Again