Skip to content
30th Anniversary Logo for DSA30th Anniversary Logo for DSA
  • About
  • Services
  • Resources
  • Contact Us
30th Anniversary Logo for DSA30th Anniversary Logo for DSA
It’s Not a Relationship Without a Second Gift

It’s Not a Relationship Without a Second Gift

If your acquisition campaign went according to plan, you should have a lot of new and potentially profitable donors added to your file. Congratulations, now what do you do?

If you’ve invested the time and money on acquiring a new donor, it’s vitally important that you don’t neglect them because the future of that relationship depends on what you do next.

Like any relationship, it takes energy, time, and a little creativity to move the donor relationship forward. But it’s not just about telling your story. The more time you spend listening, the better you will understand your donor, and the more closely aligned you will become. They are quick to support you, and are generous with their giving. Suddenly, you are advocates for the same cause.

We all want this kind of relationship with our donors and it’s absolutely possible, but it requires you to have a plan and to stick to it. We develop these strategies every day, but once you’ve received that first gift, how do you get a second?

Here are three ways you can leverage your acquisition efforts, get a second gift, and start building a long-term relationship with your donor:

Say Thank You

Your newly acquired donor wants to feel good about supporting your cause, so a thoughtfully worded (and prompt) message of thanks will get your relationship off to a flying start. This email, letter, or even hand-written note should set the trend for all your future communications as you begin to treat the donor as partner, rather than a customer.

Conversion is the Key

A new donation should encourage you to consider the value of a well-crafted, and well-strategized welcome series. Whether it’s through direct mail or online, a series of communications will give you the chance to get to know your donor, share your wonderful stories, and above all, give them the opportunity to give again.

Let’s be honest, we all get excited when a new donor comes along, but don’t try and share everything in your first letter. Take your time and space your messaging out over a few weeks, culminating in an offer that’s too good for them to refuse.

Make it Personal

Don’t send your new donor the same letter you mail the rest of your file. Get your database working for you by segmenting new donors correctly, and consider adding variable content to your direct response communications.

Getting that elusive second gift indicates the beginning of a donor relationship that, if nurtured, can last a lifetime.

More from this issue of Donor Focus
Subscribe to Donor Focus
Post Tags: #Best Practices#Donor Acquisition#Donor Cultivation

Related articles

Subscribe to Donor Focus
  • More Than Just Work

    As a young Christian professional navigating the conundrum of aligning my beliefs into a purposeful career, I’ve been blessed to…

    Read more

  • What to Think of Artificial Intelligence and Its Impact on Fundraising . . .

    In trying to summon an image to represent our theme for this issue of Donor Focus, I found myself drawn…

    Read more

  • Fundraising Meets Artificial Intelligence

    In this article, we’ll explore the captivating realm of AI-powered fundraising efforts—the boundless benefits and intriguing challenges that arise when…

    Read more

  • All Blog Posts
    Return to all blog posts

Topics

  • Ask Wiley
  • Coaching
  • Digital
  • Direct Response Fundraising
  • Donor Focused Communication
  • Fundraising
  • Live the Give
  • Partners
  • Rules of Fundraising

Year

  • 2025 (7)
  • 2024 (25)
  • 2023 (28)
  • 2022 (30)
  • 2021 (36)
  • 2020 (33)
  • 2019 (42)
  • 2018 (49)
  • 2017 (44)
  • 2016 (23)
  • 2015 (30)
  • 2014 (6)
  • 2013 (1)

A Fundraising Agency Helping You Be a Part of What Is Right with the World.

1717 Park Street, Suite 300 Naperville, IL, 60563
630.562.1321 | info@douglasshaw.com

Company

  • About
  • Careers
  • Contact Us

Services

  • Custom Strategies
  • Data and Analytics
  • Creative Solutions
  • Multichannel Fundraising
  • Digital Innovation
  • Raise Money
  • Find Donors
  • Grow Impact

Resources

  • Blog Posts
  • Books
  • Webinars
  • The Donor Experience Scorecard
  • Fundraising Tips

Visit Douglas Shaw & Associates on Facebook
Visit Douglas Shaw & Associates on X (formerly Twitter)
Visit Douglas Shaw & Associates on LinkedIn
Visit Douglas Shaw & Associates on Instagram

© 2025 Douglas Shaw & Associates  Privacy Policy 

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in .

  • About
  • Services
  • Resources
  • Contact Us
30th Anniversary Logo for DSA
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Here is more information about our Privacy Policy.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.