“How can I make sure that another organization doesn’t steal donors away from my nonprofit?”

I’ve been asked this many times. steal donors

And here’s the answer: You can’t “steal donors” from another nonprofit.

People give to the nonprofits and causes that they care about.

There’s nothing you can do to change this.

If your donor decides to give to a different cause, it’s because they perceive the new cause to be more worthy of their support.

You can offer someone else’s donor information about your organization, but the decision to give is theirs. Likewise, another organization can offer your donors information about their work.

If your donor goes away, it probably has more to do with your lack of attention to their needs than anything else.

In other words, if you aren’t taking good care of your donors and meeting their needs, they’ll leave.

So, if you’re looking for donors and you think you’ll just grab a donor list from another nonprofit and send them all a letter and be flooded with new donors, think again.

The flip side is that you don’t need to worry about someone grabbing YOUR donor list and sending them a letter.

Your best defense is a good offense: Give your donors a great experience, keep them in the loop, and make them feel like part of the team and they won’t ever want to leave.

Fundraising is all about the relationship you have with your donors. It’s about how they feel about your nonprofit, your mission, and your work. And the experience they have when they give to your organization is a KEY piece of those feelings.

From the first messages and images someone sees on your website to the content of your newsletter to the tone of your thank-you letters, what your donors see and feel and experience makes or break their decision to stick around.

Bottom line – you can’t steal donors from another organization. Nor can they steal yours.