3 Questions to Get to Know Your Donor Base Better

If someone were to ask you about the average donor experience your nonprofit provides, what would you say?

To move away from a transactional relationship and toward a mutually beneficial partnership, your nonprofit must understand and anticipate its donor’s expectations. Let’s explore which questions to ask to get to know your donor base better. 

How and When to Ask Questions

Your communication strategy can and should include multiple modes of outreach — phone calls, handwritten thank-you notes, email newsletters, social media posts and more. Make sure that regardless of the method you use to communicate with your donors, you:

• Provide a space for donors to respond. Your donors will be interested in hearing you ask for their opinions and ideas, so give them room to do so in all of your routine communications.
• Ask for feedback as a part of your acknowledgment efforts. A donor who just made a gift to your organization is likely to feel a connection to your organization — cultivate that connection by asking for their input, in addition to thanking them for their donation.
• Ask campaign-specific questions. Each campaign brings the opportunity for you to collect feedback on the campaign’s specific strategy and goals.

By integrating thoughtful questions into your various communication strategies, you not only show your donors that their opinions are valued but also deepen their engagement with your cause.