Your nonprofit’s mission may be the first thing to catch a donor’s eye, but it’s the experience you offer that not only converts them into a donor but keeps them coming back. In a landscape where charitable giving is declining and attention spans are shrinking, standing out isn’t just about what your nonprofit stands for. It’s about how it makes donors feel. If the donor experience isn’t seamless, engaging, and empowering, your nonprofit will lose out.

Digital convenience has transformed donor expectations, placing a growing emphasis on seamless, personalized experiences to match those of online shopping. Today’s donors, especially Millennials and Gen Z, are accustomed to the intuitive immediacy of digital transactions.

I’ve seen firsthand what a seamless donor experience can deliver—increased donations, higher retention rates, stronger loyalty, and advocacy. I was a frontline fundraiser for nonprofits before becoming executive nonprofit industry advisor at Classy from GoFundMe, where I guide organizations in successfully cultivating strong, trusted fundraising relationships—for which the donor experience is crucial.

A good donor experience shows supporters that you value both their generosity and their time by making it easy for them to embrace your cause, engage with your organization, and expand your donor community.

What Makes for a Good Donor Experience?

Classy’s president, Soraya Alexander, has said, “Donors…give as an expression of who they are and what they want the world to be like. Your nonprofit is a vehicle for them to make the change they want to see in the world.”

The donor experience should be seen as a continuous journey. While the upcoming Giving Season offers the perfect opportunity to reimagine and elevate yours—we see about 30% of donation volume occur between Giving Tuesday and New Year’s Eve—a good donor relationship is ongoing throughout the year.

How Can Nonprofits Improve Personalization for Engagement?

While donors come from all walks of life and nonprofits vary in the causes they support and the communities they serve, one thing is certain: The donor experience should be seamless, streamlined, and supportive.

By empowering supporters to make a difference in their preferred ways, you make it easier for donors to give regularly, show up, and rally others. Here are three ways nonprofits can do this.

Given how much data today’s organizations have, donors expect messaging that’s tailored to them. The way people discover your cause or find their way to your organization is by no means a one-size-fits-all journey—and both your engagement strategy and donation or landing page should reflect that.

Whether you create unique appeal segments or use machine learning to craft predictive ask amounts, more personalized donor experience does a lot to nurture a relationship rather than a transaction. A tailored experience invites them to be a valued member of your community. It builds trust and fosters loyalty—and loyal, recurring donors (those with active recurring donations or those who gave at least three times over five years) are the foundation of your long-term success.

Read the full article about facilitating a good donor experience by Michelle Boggs at Candid.