Thursday Thoughts | Creative ways to show supporter love and demonstrate impact
Welcome to another installment of Thursday Thoughts, a dedicated space for our friends in nonprofit sector leadership to reflect on reports, statistics, and other trends—because when our community shares knowledge, we can all do more good. Check out our last installment here!
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, which means many organizations are busy identifying ways to show supporters appreciation for their financial support, volunteer hours, and help promoting their organization’s purpose and programs—and showing this kind of appreciation often means communicating the impact a supporter has had. We asked some of our partners, what are some creative tactics and strategies nonprofits can use to demonstrate a supporter’s impact and show them love? Here’s what they said.
Fresh Eyes Digital
Donors, volunteers, and supporters are the lifeblood of many nonprofit organizations. Whether they are donating their time, their voices, or their dollars, it’s essential to make sure your supporters know how valued they are—and fully grasp the impact of their generosity.
Valentine’s Day is a great time to give your audience a little extra sugar! Here are a few of our favorite ways to do that:
- Highlight victories: Did your supporters send letters to Congress on a specific piece of legislation that recently passed? Did they donate to help your nonprofit provide critical, urgently needed resources in a specific area after a crisis or emergency? Send them a victory email to thank them—and let them know how this win was made possible thanks to their actions.
- Share a personal story: Ask your clients or beneficiaries for feedback on how your nonprofit’s programs have positively affected their lives. Personal stories can be highly compelling—and serve as powerful reminders of what your nonprofit can do, thanks to your supporters. (Be sure to follow best practices by always protecting people’s anonymity and getting their consent to share!)
- Alternatively, you can highlight your supporters’ stories! How did they learn about your nonprofit, and what motivates them to continue to donate, volunteer, or take action? This is a great way to thank and highlight your most dedicated supporters—and motivate others to rally behind your cause, too.
- Lean on automation: Automation is your friend when it comes to cultivating and thanking your supporters! From nurturing new email sign-ups to celebrating important milestones, leveraging automation techniques—and personalizing your content for different segments of your audience—is a smart and easy way to highlight the impact of your supporters’ generosity.
Fresh Eyes Digital is a women- and queer-owned digital fundraising and marketing firm that works with progressive and nonpartisan nonprofit organizations to build better relationships with their online audiences—and turn those audiences into loyal donors and activists. Get in touch at FreshEyesDigital.com!
Liz Albert Fundraising
Organizations should always be looking for opportunities to thank their supporters, and Valentine’s Day is a perfect time to bring that gratitude! Here are some ways to show up for your donors and volunteers this February 14:
- Share your top 3-5 “love” stories—these can either be brief stories about dedicated donors, or instances highlighting where your organization made an impact.
- Send virtual flowers to your supporters and tell them how grateful you are to have them. Remind them that you couldn’t do your work without them! Make this theme feel cohesive with a beautiful photo of roses or other imagery like it.
- Tell your donors why you “love” the mission of your organization (maybe give a specific example of making a difference,) and invite them to tell you why they love it. This is a great way to gather stories and connect with your supporters.
Most importantly, take this as an opportunity to say “thank you” for their support and commitment. Make it heartfelt and authentic, as all the best Valentine’s Day messages are.
Liz Albert brings over 15 years of experience as a development director to her strategic fundraising consultancy, supporting nonprofits with development planning, writing, storytelling, capital campaigns, board development, and more. Get in touch at LizAlbertFundraising.com!
