1. Create a first-time donor communication plan.

The Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP) reports that first-time donors only return to donate again about 20% of the time. However, after a donor has made the second donation, their chances of continuing to contribute increases to around 60%. That’s why I consider the second donation to be the most important.

In order to achieve this “golden donation” and begin building relationships with supporters right off the bat, you need to treat first-time donors as special. You shouldn’t just lump them in with the rest of your appeals and marketing. Instead, they need a virtual plan that’s specifically built for them (and only them). 

Imagine for a moment that you’ve given to a nonprofit for the first time. You contributed $25 to a campaign in March. Two days after receiving a thank-you note that made you feel good about the donation, you receive an appeal to give again to the organization’s spring campaign. At this point, you’d probably think, “But I just gave. Was my first donation really appreciated?”

Instead, welcome your first-time donors with a communication path that’s all their own, designed to thank them for their gift and get them involved with your organization in other ways. Yes, this will take a little extra work as you need to write separate communications for these individuals and take additional steps to welcome them to your organization’s family. But the additional effort is worth it. 

We recommend adding virtual-friendly personal outreach initiatives to your first-time donor appreciation plan such as: 

• Calling to say thank-you within 48 hours of their contribution.
• Sending a handwritten thank-you note from an executive.
• Being proactive about finding out more about them (reason for giving, how they heard about you, etc.)
• Promoting non-monetary engagement options for new supporters to get involved. 

Now more than ever, first-time donors should be shown the appreciation they deserve. Even amidst the economic tribulations caused by the pandemic, they’ve found it in their heart (and bank account) to keep making charitable contributions. Make sure they know how much you appreciate their gifts and begin the stewardship process to capture that second gift!

2. Call your supporters post-donation.

When people think about virtual appreciation strategies, their minds immediately jump to the computer. What new email strategies are available? Social media? How can we use the latest and greatest technology? 

Sometimes, one of the best ways to virtually show your appreciation is by using a tried-and-true approach: call them. 

The telephone has been around for a long time. Although it’s advanced over the years from a spinning dial on a clunky receiver to a miniature computer you can keep in your pocket, the calling function has never changed. Picking up the phone and making a personal phone call provides an intimate connection with an individual at your organization. This personalization makes an impact! 

Make sure that if you ask for a supporter’s phone number on your giving form, you’re using it to make that call. During the conversation, you should be sure to: 

• Introduce yourself— your name, position, and the organization you represent. 
• Ask your supporter how they’re doing, especially given the widespread impact of the pandemic.
• Say thank you for the kind contribution your supporter made to the organization. 
• Explain the impact that the contribution made for your organization’s mission (we’ll cover this more later). 
• Ask them about why they gave.

We found that amongst Bloomerang customers, those who call brand new donors tend to have higher donor retention rates, high second gift amounts, and they get that second gift faster. 

Of course, the phone has advanced over the years. So your phone call will likely become a part of a larger mobile fundraising effort. You can, of course, still take advantage of text messages, applications, and other mobile strategies to reach your supporters, so long as you don’t forget about calling as a part of the plan. 

In fact, you may find that a nonprofit-facing app may even make it easier to conduct these phone calls. This guide to fundraising apps discusses a variety of mobile applications and how both nonprofit-facing and donor-facing apps can impact stewardship and various forms of outreach.

3. Plan virtual stewardship events.

Before the pandemic, many nonprofits made the wise choice to plan out events that were specifically designed to thank donors for their continuous support. Regarding the pivot to virtual, many organizations were forced to cancel numerous events. When they did take the time to switch events to the virtual sphere, their first priority (and maybe yours too) was to adjust their fundraising events for the virtual sphere. 

While this isn’t a bad thing, it does tend to leave the stewardship events out to dry. Make sure that your virtual event plans include your stewardship opportunities in addition to fundraising.

When you plan out these opportunities, you’ll find that they actually have a lot in common with virtual fundraisers (except you’re not asking for money). For instance, Fonteva’s virtual events guide explains that, no matter the type of event, you should make sure to: 

• Keep up active communication. 
• Create an online focused marketing strategy. 
• Encourage engagement and networking between attendees. 
• Collect data from the event. 
• Prepare ahead of time for technical difficulties. 

If you’ve had practice walking through these steps for your virtual fundraising events, you should be sure to keep it up when it comes to stewardship ones as well. You may be asking, “So what types of virtual events can be considered ‘stewardship’?” 

You’ll find that a lot of the virtual fundraising event ideas can be considered stewardship if they’re offered for free rather than for an admission fee. Consider, for example, the virtual event ideas taken from this guide: 

• Virtual tour: If you’ve been accustomed to giving tours of your facility or areas of service, but haven’t been able to since social distancing became the norm, consider live-streaming on YouTube or Facebook or Zoom a virtual tour of what you have going on.
• Virtual cooking night: Invite your supporters to make and share a meal together. Encourage them to watch an expert, make the meal, and share a picture of their creation with other event attendees.
• Virtual happy hour: Invite your supporters to raise a glass and enjoy an evening of discussion using virtual conferencing software. Consider providing drink recipes and recommendations (including nonalcoholic ones!) and prepare discussion questions to get everyone involved. 
• Virtual book discussions: Is there a specific book that discusses important aspects of your mission? Invite your supporters to read the book and host a book club to discuss the important points. 

Each of these event ideas has the potential to be completely free for both your organization and for your event attendees!

4. Create short videos to explain supporter impact.

This is one of the most important things that you can do to show appreciation for your supporters’ contributions. Keep in mind that your supporters are giving for a reason. They want to make something happen for your mission. 

Consider producing short videos that show your supporters that their precious funding isn’t just money to you. It translates to a specific purpose and project related to your mission. 

These are videos that are meant for one recipient and one recipient only. It’s likely that they will only be watched once or twice. In other words, they’re “disposable” in a way that some of your more highly-produced videos aren’t.

These videos can be produced using your phone or webcam. They don’t have to be flashy! You can simply speak into the camera for 30-90 seconds and tell a quick story. There are many free and low-cost providers of video recording software, such as VidYard, BombBomb and ThankView.

These videos can be a way to get “face-to-face” without having to meet in person, or live on a Zoom chat.

When you send a quick video to your supporters, get specific about how their generous contribution has made a difference. For example, you might tell a specific story about a recent service recipient or a recent success that your organization has had, through donor contributions.

Telling impact stories that your supporters’ contributions accomplish what they intended for them: to make a difference. Be sure that no matter how you’re thanking your donors virtually— whether by email, handwritten notes, videos, or phone calls— you’re telling them exactly what their donation means and translates to regarding your mission. 



Appreciation is vital for healthy relationship-building strategies. Especially now, as the world endures an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, your supporters deserve to know how much they mean to your nonprofit. By implementing these virtual appreciation strategies, you’ll be well on your way to developing the relationships you crave from supporters. Good luck!