2015 $5 Donor Communications Experiment [Infographic]

In 2014, we released the results from our first $5 experiment. We’re excited to release the 2015 edition, which tracked donor communications from 50 random Chicago-area nonprofits.

This year, we examined how nonprofits followed-up after a gift within 14 days. Rather than focusing on speed, we focused on the type and amount of touches made after the gift.

You can see the results in the infographic below:

Methodology:

• Each donation was made on the afternoon of May 21st, 2015.
• All 50 of the nonprofits were chosen at random.
• All 50 of the nonprofits had a field for phone #.
• All donations were made online.
• We used a real name, real address, real phone # and real email address.
• We gave them any contact information they asked for, even if it wasn’t required.
• Each donation constituted a first-time donation to that org. In other words, it was a new entry into their database.
• We avoided third-party giving pages, like PayPal, Network For Good, etc.

Donation Page Anatomy:

• 20/50 required a phone #
• 41/50 had a recurring gift option
• 41/50 had giving level options
• 12/50 had an employee matching option
• 14/50 gave a choice of funds

The Results:

Highlights:

• 45/50 organizations sent a gift acknowledgement by email immediately following the donation.
  • 1/5 sent an email acknowledgement three days later
  • 1/5 sent an email appeal 10 days later (has never acknowledged gift)
  • 1/5 has sent no communication whatsoever
  • 1/5 sent a handwritten note by mail
  • 1/5 sent a letter by mail
• Out of 14 letters sent by mail, 10 included a handwritten signature.
• Only 8 organizations made some kind of additional appeal within 14 days.
  • 2/8 appeals were included in a gift acknowledgement letter by mail
• Only 1 organization sent a new donor survey
• 2/50 sent a handwritten note by mail
• 0/50 organizations made a phone call
• 2/50 organizations did not acknowledge the gift

First-Touch:

49/50 organizations made a first-touch within 14 days (98%).

• 46/50 sent a sent a gift acknowledgement by email
• 1/50 sent a gift acknowledgement by handwritten note through the mail
• 1/50 sent a gift acknowledgement by letter through the mail
• 1/50 sent an email appeal

Second-Touch:

23/50 organizations made a second-touch within 14 days (46%).

• 10/50 sent a gift acknowledgement by letter through the mail
• 5/50 sent a gift acknowledgement by email
• 1/50 sent a gift acknowledgement by text message
• 1/50 sent a gift acknowledgement by handwritten note through the mail
• 5/50 sent an email newsletter
• 1/50 sent an email appeal

Third-Touch:

9/50 organizations made a third-touch within 14 days (18%).

• 2/50 sent a gift acknowledgement by email
• 3/50 sent an email appeal
• 2/50 sent an email newsletter
• 1/50 sent a gift acknowledgement by letter through the mail
• 1/50 sent a new donor survey by email

Fourth-Touch:

5/50 organizations made a fourth-touch within 14 days (10%).

• 2/50 sent an email appeal
• 2/50 sent an acknowledgement in the mail
• 1/50 sent an email newsletter

Fifth-Touch:

1/50 organizations made a fifth-touch within 14 days (2%).

• 1/50 sent an acknowledgement in the mail

Sixth-Touch:

1/50 organizations made a sixth-touch within 14 days (2%).

• 1/50 sent an email newsletter

For help crafting the perfect gift acknowledgement letter, download the free Basic Thank You Letter Template here .

Full 14 Day Cadence:

Org 1st-Touch 2nd-Touch 3rd-Touch 4th-Touch #1 Email Receipt — — — #2 Email Receipt — — — #3 Email Receipt Email Newsletter Email Acknowledgement Email Appeal #4 Email Receipt Text Message Receipt Email Acknowledgement — #5 Email Receipt Email Acknowledgement Email Appeal —

Org 1st-Touch 2nd-Touch 3rd-Touch 4th-Touch #6 Email Receipt Email Acknowledgement Email Appeal Mail Appeal / Acknowledgement #7 Email Receipt Mail Acknowledgement — — #8 Email Receipt — — — #9 Email Receipt Email Appeal — — #10 Email Receipt Email Acknowledgement — —

Org 1st-Touch 2nd-Touch 3rd-Touch 4th-Touch #11 Email Receipt — — — #12 Email Receipt Email Newsletter — — #13 Email Receipt Email Newsletter Email Newsletter Mail Acknowledgement #14 Email Receipt Mail Acknowledgement — — #15 Email Receipt — — —

Org 1st-Touch 2nd-Touch 3rd-Touch 4th-Touch #16 Email Receipt Mail Acknowledgement — — #17 Email Receipt Email Acknowledgement Email Appeal — #18 Email Receipt Mail Acknowledgement — — #19 Email Appeal — — — #20 Mail Handwritten Note — — —

Org 1st-Touch 2nd-Touch 3rd-Touch 4th-Touch #21 Email Receipt Email Appeal Email Survey Email Appeal #22 Email Receipt — — — #23 Email Receipt — — — #24 Email Receipt — — — #25 Email Receipt Mail Acknowledgement — —

Org 1st-Touch 2nd-Touch 3rd-Touch 4th-Touch #26 Email Receipt Mail Appeal / Acknowledgement — — #27 Email Receipt — — — #28 Email Receipt — — — #29 Email Receipt Mail Acknowledgement — — #30 Email Receipt — — —

Org 1st-Touch 2nd-Touch 3rd-Touch 4th-Touch #31 Email Receipt — — — #32 Email Receipt — — — #33 Email Receipt Mail Acknowledgement — — #34 Email Receipt — — — #35 Email Receipt — — —

Org 1st-Touch 2nd-Touch 3rd-Touch 4th-Touch #36 Email Receipt — — — #37 Email Receipt Mail Acknowledgement — — #38 — — — — #39 Email Receipt — — — #40 Email Receipt — — —

Org 1st-Touch 2nd-Touch 3rd-Touch 4th-Touch #41 Email Receipt Mail Acknowledgement — — #42 Email Receipt — — — #43 Email Receipt — — — #44 Email Receipt Mail Acknowledgement — — #45 Email Receipt Email Acknowledgement Mail Acknowledgement —

Org 1st-Touch 2nd-Touch 3rd-Touch 4th-Touch 5th-Touch 6th-Touch #46 Email Receipt — — — — — #47 Email Receipt — — — — — #48 Mail Receipt — — — — — #49 Email Receipt — — — — — #50 Email Receipt Email Newsletter Email Newsletter Email Newsletter Mail Acknowledgement Email Newsletter

What do you think of the results? Should the nonprofits have done something differently? How does your organization follow-up with new donors? Let us know in the comments below!