Donor Management for Nonprofits

It is a well-known fact that nonprofit organizations play a great role in addressing the needs of our communities. On the other side of the coin, however, one can also look at nonprofits as enablers of citizen engagement, by way of motivating their donors and engaging them in community development. If you are a nonprofit and would like to know more about cultivating your donors or partners in your mission, here are a few basic points of good donor management:

1. Thank your donors.
This goes without saying, but it still is the most crucial donor management point of all. Whether they donate their time, expertise, or their wealth, donors need to be thanked - immediately and genuinely. Make your acknowledgment of their generosity personal and timely.

2. Provide feedback.
Receiving your donor's time, expertise, or money should definitely not be the end of your relationship with them. On the contrary, that is only the beginning. Give regular reports to your donors about the projects and organizations they are supporting; make them truly understand the impact of their generosity.

3. Say hello, not just how much.
Very much related to the previous point of nurturing your relationship with your donors through feedback, nonprofits should also make it a point to keep in touch with your donors without having to ask for anything in return. With the social media tools available now such as Facebook Pages, Causes, Twitter, and others, it is very easy to casually remind your donors of your presence - by greeting them on special occasions, forwarding an interesting article related to their charitable preference, and other creative ways.

4. Be available, 24/7.
This does not mean that you have to be at the beck and call of your donors; truly, there is much more work to be done by a nonprofit aside from donor management. However, you can make sure that your donors can learn more about you, your work, and your beneficiaries if they suddenly feel the need to do so. How can you ensure this? By maintaining a reliable and updated website, maximizing social media spaces such as Facebook and Twitter, and, during office hours, have someone answer your office phone all the time. Responding to e-mails within two working days is also a good practice.

5. Recognize your donors accordingly.
Be sensitive to the wishes of your donors when it comes to recognition. Some donors don't mind having their names published on your annual report, while others are very private and would wish to remain anonymous. Either way, you can still recognize them - privately or publicly. You may want to invite them to be a guest writer on your organizational blog, or better yet, feature them in your newsletter or annual report; just be sure that they are comfortable with such publicity.

6. Protect your donors.
Lastly, your nonprofit needs to have a secure and safe database for all your donors' sensitive information. This is a point that cannot be taken for granted. Your donors trust you with their information, their money, and their support; your nonprofit should take care of that trust.

Do you have other tips for donor management? Feel free to share in the comments section.