The 10-Point Donor Communication Checklist

We send a personal, non-receipt email within 48 hours of a first-time gift.

77% of first-time donors never give again. A fast, warm welcome is the single best way to change that.¹

We track giving by household, not just individual profiles.

If a spouse gives for the first time but their partner has given for years, they should not receive a new donor email. Household context matters.

We acknowledge when someone makes their second gift.

A second gift is a signal. This person is sticking around. Celebrating that consistency deepens the relationship before it's fully formed.

We actively invite consistent givers to set up a recurring donation.

Recurring donors give 30–60% more annually and 4× the number of gifts.² You have to ask them to make the switch — it rarely happens on its own.

We send quarterly impact updates to our active donors.

68% of donors want to know how their gift made a difference.³ Tell them stories. Don't just ask for more money.

We have a system to catch and follow up on failed recurring gifts.

Credit cards expire. Bank accounts change. If you don't follow up quickly, those recurring gifts are gone — and the donor often doesn't even know it happened.

We use different language for failed credit card gifts vs. failed ACH/bank transfers.

ACH failures often mean insufficient funds. The tone needs to be pastoral and sensitive — not a generic "please update your payment info" message.

We reach out to donors who start a gift but don't complete it.

Abandoned gifts represent frustrated generosity. They wanted to give but hit a snag. A quick, helpful email can recover that gift and turn a bad experience into a good one.

We notice when a regular donor stops giving and reach out to check on them.

A lapsed donor is a pastoral opportunity, not a collection call. Reach out to offer prayer and connection — not to ask for money.

We invite long-term, flat-amount donors to reflect on their giving.

If someone has given the same amount for 2+ years, their capacity has likely grown. A gentle, vision-forward nudge — not a pressure ask — can reignite generosity.