Communicating With Online Donors

Should the way you communicate with your online donors differ from the way you communicate with other donors?


This great post at White Courtesy Telephone quotes a recent survey from Network for Good which notes the following:

• Online donors give significantly more than offline donors.
• Online givers are young, with men and women giving in equal numbers.
• Donors are not new to giving, but they tend to be new to giving online.
• Disaster relief is the leading category of giving and ranks among top searches; other leading giving categories are international causes, animal-related causes, human services and education.
• Donors turn to the Internet at times of disaster and for year-end giving.
• People seem to be at their most generous on weekdays, not weekends.
• The number one reason donors say they give online is convenience: it is easier than writing a check.

If all those things are true, what should change about your outreach messaging? Your thank you notes? Your website's home page? If convenience is key, how can you make your donation process more convenient? How can you reassure new donors that their donations are safe?

It's a lot to think about, but it's worth it.