Acquisition

Acquiring new donors, even if it involves high upfront costs, is paramount for charities to secure their long-term sustainability and growth. While initial acquisition costs may be high, the potential return on investment in terms of lifetime donor value, subsequent donations, and the possibility of these new donors becoming advocates or even major contributors in the future is substantial. Diversifying the donor base also mitigates risks associated with over-reliance on a small group of supporters.

But new donor acquisition campaigns are expensive. Very expensive. And with the increased competition for donors’ attention in the nonprofit sector, this trend is not going away.

The benefits of acquiring new donors can only be measured in the long term. It is therefore crucial to not only focus on short-term cost acquisitions, but also on long-term value, especially since it has been shown over and over that the cheapest sources of donor acquisition are not necessarily the most profitable to your organization in the long term.

When we conduct a strategic diagnostic of your donor database, we pay particular attention to calculating the lifetime value of your donors per channel and message, hence allowing you to identify the hidden gems to focus your acquisition efforts in the future. If you are subscribed to our Decisive System 360° offering, these analyses are updated every year as well.