Communicating with donors is a tricky thing — you don’t want to reach out to them too much and be spammy, but you also don’t want to be too quiet and risk them forgetting all about you.
Reaching out to your donors every once in a while should always be part of your organization’s to-do list, but how often is that exactly?
General Rule of Thumb: How Often You Should Be Communicating With Your Donors
A good rule of thumb is to communicate with your donors at least once every 30 days. Studies have shown that this is the sweet spot for donor retention and cultivation.
It is recommended that organizations communicate with their donors once a month to maintain a respectful and appropriate frequency. This approach helps to keep donors informed about the organization’s cause without being too repetitive or overbearing.
3 Things That Affect How Often You Should Communicate With Donors
While monthly correspondence has been proven effective, it’s not a rock-solid rule that you should always stick to. How often you communicate with your donors can also depend on various factors.
Budget
Of course, your budget plays a role in the frequency of your donor communications. You need to consider what your organization can afford. Do you have the funds to send out gifts or “thank you” emails every so often? Or are online communications more affordable for you?
It’s crucial to find a suitable platform and frequency that aligns with your organization’s budget. You can use email marketing tools like MailChimp or Campaign Monitor to contact your donors at reasonable prices. These tools even offer the option to schedule when your emails should be sent out.
Message Context
Next, ask yourself why you’re reaching out to your donors. The purpose and context of your message will determine the frequency of emails or letters.
For example, if you’re reaching out to a donor to express your gratitude for their donation or inform them about their names being added to your donor wall, one email will suffice. If you’re following up on a donation promise for an upcoming campaign, you should limit your messages so you don’t end up pressuring your donor to hand over their money.
Otherwise, if you’re sending an update about your organization or introducing a new project of yours, you can get away with two to three emails a month.
Different purposes require different frequencies. It’s recommended that you segment your donor list so that you can reach out to suitable donors for the right purpose and at the right frequency.
Communication Platform
How you communicate with your donors also plays a role in how often they should be receiving messages from you. If your primary mode of communication is email, you may have more liberty to communicate with them more often.
If you typically communicate with your donors through voice calls, you should be cautious not too frequently than necessary. Phone calls are often, and particularly if your donors have busy schedules, frequent calls may annoy them and lead them to lose their enthusiasm for supporting your organization. call them more viewed as negative.
Build Lasting Relationships With Your Donors
More important than the frequency of your communications is the effort to build actual relationships with your donors. It’s counterproductive to be sending your donors emails or letters that don’t provide value.
Always make sure that the messages you send out are high-quality and are geared towards strengthening your connection with your donors. By fostering a good relationship, your supporters will be motivated to keep supporting your cause through every communication.
