From Strangers to Supporters:
How to Inspire Donors

Read time: 5 Minutes

Honest question. 🤔

When was the last time you donated after a complete stranger sent you an email or letter in the mail asking for funding for an organization you’d never heard of?

I’ve talked about this in past videos, but it’s extremely rare to get donations by soliciting from strangers.

(Exceptions might include: campaigns for urgent disaster relief, large-scale political campaigns, solicitations from extremely well-known nonprofit brands, or issues making major headlines in the news at that moment. The reasons for those exceptions probably warrant a totally separate newsletter article!).

Why? Because people donate when they trust the source.
And earning that trust takes time and relationship building.

In this issue of Changemaker Mondays ☀️ ☕ 🌍, let’s unpack the 5 steps of a donor’s journey from stranger to supporter, and talk about some key questions you should be asking yourself (and your team) to make this journey a successful one for all involved!
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Let’s DO THIS!

🔍 Stage 1: Awareness

A (potential) donor’s journey starts with hearing about your organization for the first time.

I’ve seen a few fundraising leaders say “to get funded you have to be found.” True story. You might have the most amazing cause in the world, but if nobody knows you exist, you still won’t get the support you need!

Here are some key questions to think through to make sure you’re nailing the Awareness stage of your donor’s journey:

• How clear is our mission statement and goals to someone who has never heard of us? (Test it out! Ask a team member to try explaining your mission to someone they know who is unfamiliar with your work. They should “get it” instantly – if not, you may have some messaging work to do!)
• Who is our target audience and where do they spend most of their time / get their information? (a specific social media platform? A specific area of town? Snail-mail? The community center?) Follow up: How visible or present are we in these places / on these platforms?
• Do we have systems in place to track metrics to study how and where donors first encounter our organization? (Pro Tip: Include a “How did you hear about us?” question on your mailing list and / or donation form sign up!)

💭 Stage 2: Consideration

At this stage, a donor is now aware of your organization, but they may have questions, concerns, or doubts. Here, your goal is to help them process information about your cause and overcome barriers to involvement. Questions to think about…

• What questions, concerns, or even misconceptions might donors have about our work or programs? (Tip: Not sure what concerns a donor might have about your work? Gather a focus group of existing supporters or friends and ask them to tell you honestly what questions they’d ask!)
• How and where can we answer those questions clearly? (Examples might include: Auditing your informational webpages to make sure the information is clear, or adding an FAQ page on your website)
• What testimonials or success stories can we gather to showcase that our efforts are effective?

🛒 Stage 3: Decision

The donor is ready to donate (hopefully). This stage is about making it as easy as humanly possible to do so. You might consider things like…

• How easy is it for donors to make a contribution on our website?
• And: Is our donation page optimized for mobile use? (A third of all online donations happen through a mobile device!)
• What is our donation acknowledgment process? Is it timely and personalized, helping the donor feel like they made the right choice to give?
• And if they aren’t ready for a financial gift: Do we offer alternative ways for donors to get involved (e.g., volunteering, attending an event, etc.)?

🌼 Stage 4: Retention

At this point, the donor has made a gift! Now, it’s time to retain their support for the long-haul. Why? It costs an organization an estimated 5 times MORE to acquire a NEW donor than it costs to retain an existing donor year after year. Reflect on answers to questions such as…

• Do we have a written donor stewardship plan our team can follow to keep up with consistent communications with existing donors throughout the year?
• How will we showcase the impacts of a donor’s contribution?
• Are we inviting donors to engage with our organization in ways that do NOT include another ask for money throughout the year (ex: Inviting them to volunteer, get a tour of the space, provide advice or feedback, etc.)?

📢 Stage 5: Evangelizing

If you can get your donor here, some real magic happens! At this stage, the donor becomes a powerful voice and advocate for your organization, sharing your efforts with their friends and networks because they simply love what you do!

When you can empower and equip your donors to thrive in this stage, funding can grow, because now you have many more people – trusted by their friends – asking for support than just your own team. Think through…

• What tools, information, or content can we provide donors to share with their friends?
• How can we recognize donors who act as ambassadors for our cause?
• Are we tracking metrics on the contributions brought in through other supporters acting as ambassadors?

At the end of the day, donors give out of a sense of love and passion for your cause 🥰 – like you, they give (whether it’s time, money, or other resources) because they believe it can make a real difference. Your job is to show them they were right!

Resource Roundup

3 more ways I can help you

1. I have lots of free content for you! Check out my library of 250+ educational videos on nonprofits, social entrepreneurship, fundraising, and more on my YouTube channel. If you like what I’m trying to do, help me reach more people like you – who want to make an impact – by subscribing to the channel and sharing it with a changemaker friend! 😁
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2. Need extra support to build or grow a nonprofit or social enterprise? While enrollment for my Changemaker Accelerator membership is now closed, you can still get on the waiting list to get an alert next time we open!
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3. Need a speaker or training workshop for your social impact event? I’m currently booking 2025 speaking engagements — check out my speaking and workshop opportunities to learn how I can help you make your event inspiring and actionable!