Fundraising Metrics that Matter – Tracking First Time Donor Retention Rates

Fundraising Metrics that Matter – Tracking First Time Donor Retention Rates

• Julianne Read

Events are a key strategy in fundraising. Inviting donors in to learn more about your nonprofit’s mission, sharing your vision, then engaging and asking for a gift are the basics, but how do you turn this transactional engagement into a lasting relationship?

First, we need to look at a study surrounding first time event donors:

NonProfitPRO shared a study that only 38% of nonprofits track first-time donor retention rates – and if you are not managing this data, then how do you really know how effective your event was?

To counteract this trend, organizations need to prioritize donor acquisition AND retention in 2025. So, what action can you take to retain the donors that you worked so diligently to gather during your major event? Here are three strategies you can use now to engage and retain first-time donors:

1. Shift your Donors’ Mindset – Move donors from transactional giving at events to a deeper, mission-driven commitment. Release the silent auction from your event, and instead, tell your story effectively before a raise the paddle effort.

2. Create Meaningful Engagement Strategies – Design follow-up communications and stewardship plans that build lasting donor relationships beyond the event. Plan these communications before your event so a campaign is ready to go.

3. Develop a Year-Round Donor Cultivation Plan – Create a year-round plan for keeping event donors engaged through thoughtful touchpoints, storytelling, and personalized outreach. Look at your event data and thread communication referring to the event, and most importantly, how your nonprofit used the funds raised to build trust.

   
   

By tracking first-time donor retention rates, and implementing these three strategies, you’ll continue to positively leverage the work you put into your major event, keeping more donors and building momentum, ultimately raising more funds over time to support your mission.