Getting the Second Gift

Studies have shown, time and time again, that the earlier you acquire a second gift, the higher the total giving of a donor will be over the lifetime of their partnership with your ministry. So how do you get the second gift?

Thank Your Donors Properly. 

First and foremost, you must learn to handle the first gift well. Treat the first donation as the beginning of a beautiful friendship by personally thanking the donor within 48 hours of the donation. A few great ways to do this would be with a phone or video call, a personalized email or text message, or a handwritten thank-you note. Studies have shown that when you call and thank the donor within 48 hours, they are four times more likely to give a second gift. Not only that, studies have also shown donors are likely to give up to 50% more on the second gift than the first gift if they are properly thanked within that time frame!

If you have several donors to thank within a short period of time, there is a great smartphone app called, Sly Dial, which allows you to send your call straight to a donor's voicemail, so you can leave a personalized voicemail message thanking them for giving. This is a great system to use if you have a high level of first time donors to call, and you do not have the time to have a full-length conversation with each of them at that time. This system allows you to leave personalized messages while maintaining efficiency in your work.

Explain Why Their Giving Matters.

Secondly, in addition to thanking them, you will need to be able to answer this question for the donor: “Why did my donation matter?” This is where you can share a story of someone whose life has been changed because of what the donor has given. In our Tailored Fundraising Training, we teach individuals how to tell the most powerful 2 minute story. This 2 minute story should connect with the donor on a heart level and remind them why the urgency of giving now is so important.

Read more helpful hints on this subject by downloading our e-book.