Budgeting for strength – Five ways to enhance your program

During budget planning season, it’s important to strategize and build in line items for new tactics with the greatest potential to keep your program strong over time. Here are five directions to consider:

1.      Stay focused on the sustainer file

Know your retention, average gift, acquisition, and recapture numbers, and work to increase the total value of the sustainer file. Test out at least one new tactic to convert new one-time donors to sustainers in the upcoming year. If your online forms aren’t yet streamlined for seamless participation, it’s vital to invest in this now.

2.      “Talk” to donors

Plan for resources to revise and refresh your acknowledgements at least once a year. Design and implement a donor survey to ensure that you understand what is important and what your supporters find unnecessary. Use this context to enhance and shape your donor journey. Add one or two more initiatives in the coming year.

3.      Investigate lapsed donors

Many programs give up on non-renewing donors too early. Make sure your annual fund program is continuing to work to reconnect these donors to what inspired them to give originally. It’s always more efficient to reinstate a lapsed donor than it is to acquire a new donor. Ensure your lapsed efforts are maximized.

4.      Give focus to mid-level gifts

Every gift renewed between $1,000 - $5,000 will have a significant impact on the revenue budget. Focus staff time and resources on connecting with these donors and renewing—ideally upgrading—as many of these donors as possible in the coming year.

5.      Pick two cultivation plans

Cultivation works best when donors feel they are getting as much from being a donor as they are giving to a nonprofit. Select two “experiences” your organization can deliver to donors in the coming year with the intent that donors feel connected to your organization and that they see how their individual choice to donate is improving their life and their community.