It seems we are always in pursuit of the “shiny new thing.” In the world of fundraising, that often translates to the quest for new donors and new dollars.
While engaging new support is important, prospecting for those gifts alone might cause us to miss the real treasure right in front of us: our returning donors.
Nonprofits with a high donor-retention rate have long-term supporters who come back year after year. Nonprofits with a low donor retention rate need to continually acquire new donors or larger gifts to keep up. Donor retention ensures that nonprofits don't waste the hard effort it took to bring in new donors and that financial support continues to come into the organization.
Thanks to stewarding relationships with our donors and sharing the great impact UC ANR demonstrates in communities across the state, our donor retention rate is at 44.6% over the last five years. This stands up well against the national average of 40-45%.
With a higher retention rate, we raise our reputation among donors. Because more people want to repeat donations to our organization, we show we have an important role to play that people believe in. This type of reputation can naturally increase new donors and the number of retained givers.
Like the most precious nuggets found when panning for gold, returning donors are the true treasure of our organization. By cultivating our relationships with them over time, this can lead to transformational gifts and even stronger ties to our mission. During FY2022-23, our donors provided more than $5.2 million, which is the highest total in the past five years. If we can retain these donors, our future remains bright.