It’s a well-known fact that major donors play a significant role in driving nonprofit missions forward. 88% of fundraising revenue comes from 12% of donors, meaning a small percentage of dedicated major donors are likely responsible for the majority of your nonprofit’s funding.

These donors play a critical role in sustaining your organization’s purpose and allowing your nonprofit to grow, so retaining their support is vital. In this guide, we’ll explore four major donor retention strategies that your nonprofit can employ to strengthen relationships and secure their recurring support.

1. Personalize your major donor communications

Tailored outreach is the key to not just capturing, but holding donor attention. As Donorly’s donor retention guide points out, personalized communication shows supporters that you’re paying attention to their involvement and value them as part of your nonprofit’s community—especially when you apply it to both fundraising appeals and non-appeal outreach.

Personalize your major donor communications by including:

  • Details of the donor’s last gift, including the amount of their major donation and the initiative it supported
  • Tailored project updates built around data and impact stories, highlighting any specific outcomes or success stories relevant to major donors’ contributions
  • Personalized appeals that align with the major donor’s giving behavior and priorities to encourage them to give again

Beyond the content of your communications, you can also show you care by using major donors’ preferred channels or mediums with a natural feel of personalization, like phone calls and handwritten letters. Catering to major donors’ preferences in this way shows that your nonprofit listens to and respects them. As a result, major donors will feel valued by your organization and become more likely to stick around.

2. Offer exclusive engagement opportunities

Backstage concert passes, celebrity meet-ups, and similar opportunities are exciting for the same reason: They enable fans to have unique, personal experiences that the average person doesn’t get.

Exclusive opportunities to engage with your nonprofit are the same way—they make your nonprofit’s biggest fans (your major donors) feel special and uniquely connected to the organization. The stronger the connection between your nonprofit and its major donors, the more likely your donors are to continue their support.

A few exclusive opportunities you might offer to major donors include:

  • Special events: Invite major donors to VIP dinners, private tours, and other special events that bring them closer to your mission. Also, consider hosting appreciation events dedicated to your major donors to recognize their significant contributions.
  • Giving societies: Group major donors together and offer special perks and rewards for their level of support. According to eCardWidget’s donor recognition guide, this also serves as an opportunity for like-minded donors to connect with each other, fostering a strong community of supporters.
  • Insider access: The extensive support major donors provide warrants special access to your organization’s plans, goals, and priorities. Provide behind-the-scenes looks at your projects and initiatives and share insider information, such as details about a new project before it’s announced to the general public.
  • Unique experiences: Offer memorable experiences that align with major donors’ interests, such as luncheons with board members, project site briefings, or interactive workshops.

Offering these new and exciting opportunities keeps major donors engaged in your mission over the long term since there’s always something new for them to explore. When offering these events, make it easy for major donors to learn about and register for the opportunities they’re interested in to encourage involvement.

3. Steward meaningful relationships with major donors

Your nonprofit likely has a thorough strategy in place to identify and convert major donors, but to retain their support, the work doesn’t stop once they’ve made their gift. It’s up to your nonprofit to steward meaningful relationships with these supporters by regularly communicating with them and encouraging their continued involvement.

Beyond making direct appeals and providing personalized impact updates, your nonprofit can connect with major donors on a personal level by reaching out to them with:

  • Birthday wishes: Celebrating major donors’ birthdays shows that your nonprofit recognizes them as individuals and not just as a source of monetary support.
  • Holiday greetings: Offer heartfelt acknowledgments of major donor support during the holiday season. Since roughly a quarter of online giving occurs in December, this is also a prime opportunity to make festive fundraising appeals.
  • Anniversary celebrations: Send tokens of appreciation on the anniversary of a major donor’s first gift. Remember to not only focus on where your organization’s relationship with the donor started, but where it could go in the future with their continued support.
  • Feedback surveys: Show major donors that you value their opinions by seeking their feedback. Conduct surveys regularly or offer a feedback portal that donors can visit at any time to submit their opinions. Be sure to respond to each submission and address major donors’ concerns to show your nonprofit is truly committed to continuous improvement.

Invite board members and executives to be part of these communications to show that your organization’s leaders value your major donors. This reinforces major donors’ sense of importance and reminds them that they’re an integral part of your nonprofit’s community.

4. Demonstrate major donors’ long-term impact

A crucial aspect of major donor retention is communicating your nonprofit’s need for continued support. After all, your organization accomplishes a lot with major gifts, and the sustainability of your mission depends on reliable support.

To demonstrate this, ensure major donors know the impact of their involvement by sharing your nonprofit’s accomplishments with their donations. You can do this by:

  • Articulating your long-term vision: Explain exactly how major gifts align with your organization’s larger goals and drive your mission forward. Be sure to communicate that their continued support is integral to your ability to grow and continue fulfilling your mission.
  • Reporting your progress: After major donors contribute to a project, keep them in the loop about your activities with regular, personalized progress reports. Include financial data to offer transparency about how your organization budgets and spends each major gift.
  • Sharing your impact: Draw direct connections between your major donors’ contributions and the work your nonprofit has been able to complete. Incorporate images or videos that illustrate your nonprofit’s work and clearly explain how major donations were used to fund it.

To bolster the credibility of your impact reports, use case studies, beneficiary testimonials, and reliable data or statistics. When major donors are confident that your nonprofit uses their contributions wisely, they’ll be more likely to continue giving in the future. Additionally, adding a human element to your nonprofit’s work by introducing donors to your beneficiaries can pull at donors’ heartstrings and make them more eager to give.

Your major donor retention strategies must be thoughtful and personal to sustain donor support. Start by segmenting your major donors and tailoring your communications accordingly to personalize your outreach. Then, create guidelines for major donor retention efforts to ensure your entire team takes the same approach as they tailor stewardship plans. This way, you’ll be sure to reach and engage every major donor in relevant ways.