Rainmaker Fundraising Podcast Virtuous 2025 Benchmark Report
Jun 25, 2025
Gabe Cooper, CEO of Virtuous, and Carly Berna, Vice President of Marketing, explore the key donor performance metrics crucial for nonprofit success. They highlight the importance of donor retention, emphasizing the need for personalized communication and automation. The conversation delves into the challenges nonprofits face and how leveraging clean data and AI can enhance fundraising efforts. Strategies to engage everyday donors and adapt to evolving donor behaviors are also discussed, making it clear that data-driven insights are essential for future growth.
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Importance of First to Second Gift Timing
- The days between first and second donor gifts critically signal donor loyalty and future giving potential.
- Shortening this gap through quick, personalized thank-you and impact communication boosts retention and revenue.
Use Multi-Channel Welcome Series
- Implement a new donor welcome series with multiple touches and multi-channel communication to shorten the first to second gift window.
- Avoid single-channel, sparse follow-ups to new donors that risk losing them.
Decline in Everyday Donors
- Everyday donor participation is declining sharply, with many households opting out of giving since 2008.
- Personalization, expressing gratitude, and showing impact can counteract decline and re-engage donors.
