Wednesday September 10- No show donors

Hi !

Power pellet muncher: What’s cookin this week

In this week’s enews…

• Don’t ignore them

• What to do with non-givers

• Learn from the good: Best show and tell ever!

• Great post: Does the amount of the match matter?

• Strategy Insider: Read every last page

• But why that test?

The solution to the Triple E (enews easter egg) from last week: This fantastic intro to the TV show Laverne & Shirley.

I receive questions about how to work with donors, build relationships, raise more. But there’s a group of people that many nonprofits overlook or don’t take the time to connect with:

Non-givers. People who don’t make a donation when you have a campaign running.

For many organizations it’s a big pain point because of the money pressure. Those who are giving? Stay connected. Those who didn’t give? We don’t have time for you.

Let’s dive in: How should you treat those who don’t give to your year-end campaign?

Wocka wakka: The forgotten people 

I’d like to take you on a trip. Please close your eyes.

No wait, scratch that. This isn’t a podcast.

It’s Monday January 5, 2026. The year-end campaign is over. You sit down to review the data, who gave and how much.

Everyone at the office is happy. Your team surpassed the goal set for you! That’s always a good feeling.

As you review the data, you see that 15% of those you contacted gave a gift for your year-end campaign. That beats 2024. Woohoo!

To add to the excitement, 150 first-time donors donated. Your acquisition efforts paid off!

I don’t wanna rain on your parade but I do have a question: Have you considered the 85% of people who received the year-end campaign but didn’t give? Do they get written off in 2026 or do you work to attract as many as possible to make a donation?

They’re a very important group of people. Maybe they gave in the past. They attended an event. They are volunteers. They came to your website, liked what they saw and subscribed to your enews.

Whatever the reason, they’re on your list. What happens to them after they “no-showed” your year-end campaign?

Because so much of what nonprofits do is based on the almighty dollar, our attention ends up focused on those who gave. We gravitate to where we think the money is.

This means that in 2026, those who didn’t give at 2025’s end might be neglected. And that’s how 85% of your list quickly become lapsed donors and you have no idea if you can bring them back.

In 2026 I want you to try a different tactic.

Dot chomper: Next time

Like every nonprofit, yours has lapsed donors. People who were once donors, connected, engaged, happy to create impact.

And then they stopped giving. Sometimes you are to blame and sometimes it has to do with them.

So the first thing is, ahead of your year-end campaign, here’s how to bring those lapsed donors back. Get them giving and involved again.

Bonus: Here’s how to write a lapsed donor letter

My goal is to prevent someone from becoming a lapsed donor because of you. I want to share a few thoughts and ideas around this issue:

1️⃣ Look around: You’re not the only one dealing with tough financial times. So are plenty of your supporters. They feel bad they can’t give but right now, money’s tight. You need to do everything in your power to NOT make them feel bad! For example, don’t do this!!!

2️⃣ Two way street: Part of your job is to provide value for people. But you also need to show them empathy, understanding, love.

Take a look at what Planned Parenthood sent their email subscribers just before launching their year-end campaign:

They understand that people may not have the funds right now to donate. So they gave them an out.

People will appreciate that.

3️⃣ Absolutely not: The idea that if someone doesn’t give now they’ll never give again is ludicrous. And yet…

The abysmal donor retention rate? Part of that is making assumptions about our donors.

This is why I advocate for picking up the phone and talking to people. Check in on them. Ask how you can help them. Find out what’s going on in their lives.

Let them know you still care, whether they gave or not.

4️⃣ Do your job: Ask. Thank. Report.

The “report” part of the equation isn’t just for people who recently gave. It should be for EVERYONE! Share with everyone how gifts are making a change for the better in the community. Push out stories, pictures, testimonials and data to EVERYONE.

If I didn’t give at year-end, don’t assume I don’t care. There may be a million reasons why I couldn’t donate. But I may still want to have a relationship with your organization and feel part of a large community of do-gooders.

5️⃣ It’s not about the dollar: Fundraising and marketing are about relationships and shared values. It’s about connection, doing good, making a positive change in the world.

Stopping to communicate with someone because they didn’t give to specific campaign X? That’ll cost you.

Do your best to get your year-end campaign in front of all your supporters. Then it’s up to them to give or not.

But if they decide not to, they should still get an email on January 1 wishing them a Happy New Year. You should still send them in the mail your annual Impact Report. They should still be invited to participate and help move your organization’s mission forward.

Which leads me to this: Donating money isn’t the only way for someone to participate. Provide other avenues for engagement so even if they can’t give money, they can donate a different way.

Not. Everything. Is. About. Money!

Ghost chaser: Best show and tell ever!

In this section I will share with you something good being done by a nonprofit that you can learn from.

To say that I’m a huge Stephen King fan would be an understatement. I have read all the novels and short story collections he’s published. (Except the Dark Tower series. I’m not a fan of sci fi.)

On Friday the movie “The Long Walk” comes out, based on a short novel of King’s (that he wrote under the pseudonym Richard Bachman). In short, a group of young people enter an annual walking contest where they need to maintain a speed of at least three miles an hour or they will be executed.

To hype the movie, Lionsgate brought treadmills into a movie theater. People were invited to watch the movie but they had to walk the treadmills and maintain a speed of 3 MPH… or they’d be escorted out of the theater, even if the movie wasn’t over.

BRILLIANT!

When people can experience something, it has a much bigger impact on them.

Which brings me to your organization’s mission.

What if people could experience the very issue you advocate for? What if they could see and feel it?

That is exactly what Sightsavers did with an AWESOMSTUPENDOUSMAZING show and tell experience! Instead of describing it, please watch this video and see what they did.

Could it work for every organization? Not necessarily. But it should get you thinking how you can help people experience the main issue you advocate for.

(Also, if anyone goes to see The Long Walk, lemme know. Many of King’s novels and short stories have been made into movies or TV miniseries but I haven’t liked most of them. So waiting to hear from one of you if I should go see the movie or not.)

Don’t forget the Ms.: A little of this and that

In this section I’m going to share with you great content I’ve picked out that you can learn from.

1. How to use donor psychology to boost retention (Nonprofit Learning Lab)

2. The do’s and dont’s of volunteer recruitment (The Fundraising Coach)

3. Understanding and how to ask for stock donations (Nonprofit Pro)

4. Does the amount of the match matter? MUST READ! (The Better Fundraising Company)

5. How to get started with planned giving (Stelter)

Maze runner: Read ALL the things

In this section I’m going to share with you how I build strategies for nonprofits.

I read a lot. A LOT. It’s how I learn and of course find content for the enews to share with you.

When I’m conducting my deep dive analysis (which I do before building out a custom strategy) I ask the client to share with me anything and everything. I’d rather have too much to read than too little.

Documents, ebooks, presentations, flyers, plans, templates, you name it. I want it all.

For example, for a recent client I read over 600 pages of documents during the deep dive. I took notes and used those notes to help build their organizational strategy.

When I do an email analysis, I’ll read and audit the last 6-12 months worth of emails the organization has sent (depending on volume). Again, the more I read, the more I learn. The more I learn the more I know about the organization. The more I know the better I’m able to craft a successful strategy.

Over the last few months I’ve shared with you what my “deep dive” includes. I’ve outlined what I’m looking for, what I’m analyzing, how I go about doing it.

I appreciate that you’ve been reading and reacting. Starting next week this section is going to change and I’ll cover a new topic. I have a few ideas but I invite you to reply to this email with an idea for what would be helpful to you.

Atari forever: I have a question

What happened that caused them to specifically use this test?

I’ll be back in your inbox next Thursday. Have a great weekend!

🎶 I listened to Pat Benatar’s “We Belong” while working on the enews. I love that song!