How to Build Strong Relationships With Donors and Keep Them Giving
March 6, 2025 | Read Time: 2 minutes
Thanking those who give to your nonprofit, and staying in touch with them throughout the year, is more than good manners. It’s vital for turning one-time donors into longtime supporters — and to bring in more revenue.
Yet many charities’ efforts come up short when it comes to expressing appreciation to supporters. Research shows that nonprofits often lose donors because they don’t acknowledge gifts, ask donors to give again, or keep them informed about how contributions are making a difference.
Luckily, there are simple steps you can take to improve your donor relations and ensure supporters feel valued, so they’ll stick around. This collection offers tactics and tips from experts that can help you show gratitude to donors, deepen connections, and inspire giving for many years to come.
Editor’s note: Chronicle playbooks are updated on an ongoing basis as new advice becomes available.
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Fundraising
9 Tips for Thank-Yous That Make Donors Feel Valued
While love languages have long been a fixture in pop psychology for improving romantic relationships, new science is emerging that learning to speak donors’ love languages forges lasting connections between nonprofits and their supporters. -
Fundraising
Stop Treating Donors Like ATMs: Here’s How
Simple steps to get off the hamster wheel of transactional fundraising and move toward relational fundraising. -
Fundraising Advice
11 Ways to Improve Your Donor Thank-Yous and Inspire Loyalty
Ideas and advice from experts, including ways to use philanthropic psychology to create more meaningful thank-you messages — and boost giving. -
Advice
Relentless Fundraising Is Eroding Trust in Nonprofits. Here’s How to Fix Things.
Simple strategies to build relationships with supporters and show your organization is worthy of their backing -
Demonstrating Impact
Show How Your Nonprofit Is Making a Difference: 10 Dos and Don’ts
Tips from experts that can help you measure results, share them in meaningful and inspiring ways, and avoid common pitfalls. -
Donor Relations
Tips for Creating a Smart Donor Survey
To build a donor survey that deepens connections and helps keep supporters giving, find out why they care about your work and what they value the most. Here’s expert advice on how to do that. -
Advice
Thank-You Videos Are an Easy Way to Send Personalized Messages
How two nonprofits use video to thank donors and encourage them to raise money online.
