Note: This guest post is from Bob Osborne of The Osborne Group. Thanks, Bob!

As we move from the economic uncertainty of a global pandemic to the economic uncertainty of inflation, high energy prices, and what many see as looming recession, it’s important to have happy, loyal, well-stewarded donors. 

How can you determine how your donors are feeling about your work? How do they perceive the impact of their giving? It’s simple: a donor satisfaction survey.

Your survey can provide you with real-time data to:

• Make accurate predictions about your donors.
• Reinforce what you’re doing well.
• Engage them more effectively.
• Take proactive steps, if necessary, to avoid worst-case scenarios.

When times get tight

In uncertain times, resilient nonprofits succeed in a tight market by leaning into their fundraising operations.

And yes – we operate in a competitive market. 

Donors have choices and weigh their charitable giving against their everyday needs. In an uncertain economy, donors might make different choices. Your nonprofit needs to think about how you’ll operate in what may become a more competitive environment. 

Giving is hard to predict

During the Great Recession of 2008 – 2010, overall contributions went down by about 10 to 15%, but many organizations saw increases.

During 2020 – the first year of the pandemic – we saw substantial growth in giving. Last year, overall giving continued increasing by 4% but actually declined a bit when measured in inflation-adjusted dollars. 

In tough economic times, donors will continue giving to the causes that are most important to them – some will even increase their giving, as we saw repeatedly during the pandemic – while turning away from causes they feel less connected to.

Organizations that form strong relationships do just fine during economic uncertainty. On the other hand, groups that are low on donors’ priority lists are more likely to suffer fundraising declines.

Liked … but not loved

Imagine that your organization is liked – but not loved — by most of your donors. How would you know? 

One of the best ways to determine where you stand is through a donor satisfaction survey. You can use these surveys to answer these questions.

• Where do you stand on their priority list? 
• Do they feel well cared for and informed about your work? 
• Do they believe their gifts make a difference – and do you communicate that difference effectively?
• Which strategies have successfully engaged them? What can you do as an organization to engage them more deeply? 

Once you know the answers, you can begin planning your fundraising efforts for the uncertain times ahead.

Things to think about

As you’re approaching this task, consider the following suggestions. 

• To make it official, have your survey “commissioned” by your development committee. It’s also a great way to engage the committee.
• As you know, surveys can be done online using Survey Monkey or similar services. However, for your higher capacity donors and select mid-level donors, surveys can also be conducted in-person or by video conference. You might think of this approach as series of one-on-one focus groups.
• Once you’ve analyzed the results, share them with your donors: an additional layer of stewardship. When you ask for input, it’s always good etiquette to let people know how you’re using their input. 

Using the data for fundraising planning

Are you a priority for any of your donors? That great! How will you remain a top priority? What’s your plan?

If you aren’t yet a priority, you risk a drop in your donations unless you engage and steward them more effectively. What actions can you take to move up their priority list?

It’s critical to understand your donors and how they feel. If you don’t know, you might be blindsided if donations decline. 

With good information, you can plan, adapt, and thrive.

Next up: How to prepare your donor survey

In a future post, we’ll share tips for:

• Writing good questions.
• Ensuring a great response rate for your survey.
• Interviewing your donors one-on-one.