Why donor feedback is essential for supporter journeys

Creating a good experience for your supporters is an important step when it comes to fundraising. The right communication between a charity and its supporters can mean the difference between a one-off donation, a monthly donation, or even no donation at all. 

Part of creating this good experience comes down to how you interact with supporters. It is not simply a case of broadcasting your information but creating a communications channel that feels like an authentic dialogue between a charity and its audience. This means allowing them to tell you what they want or need from you. It is the charity’s job to meet them halfway. 

However, supporter needs is a challenge many charities have yet to crack. According to the 2022 Supporter Experience report, conducted by CRM software providers Blackbaud, more than one in ten charities say they never define supporter needs. In fact, only 3% say they do this always.  

Indeed, the report showed that feedback is under-utilised in the charity sector. Feedback is a great research tool for charities to find out what is working and what isn’t, but only a quarter of charities say they give their supporters the opportunity to feedback whenever possible or appropriate – 4% say they never do.  

Asking supporters directly can unearth ways of communicating with them that organisations might not have thought of. It can explain more about how your audience behaves and ultimately improve engagement as supporters feel like they have a say in how the charity behaves as well.  

Charities have seen success with similar tactics. Saying thank you for donations, for example, acknowledges the impact supporters are providing for your mission and deepens engagement with them. The Supporter Experience report found that saying thank you was universal across all organisations they surveyed – 100% of respondents said they thanked supporters.  

The Supporter Experience Spectrum 

The report also highlighted a gap in the sector between those who were doing well with supporter experience and those who were yet to embark on that journey. According to Blackbaud, only a quarter of charities say they are “experts” when it comes to supporter experience.  

This means that they rate their supporter experience between eight and ten out of ten. Blackbaud’s research showed that this group are far more likely to invest in technology, make the most of the data they have in order to improve their supporter experience activity, and make supporter experience a priority. 

They are also more likely to respond to supporter needs, with nine in ten saying they do so compared to three quarters of organisations deemed “novices” (who rated their supporter experience between zero and five out of ten).

The vast majority of supporter experience experts (87%) make it easy for supporters to donate in the way that works best for them.  

But while supporter experience experts are achieving success with their supporters, other organisations require more time. The report revealed that organisation size and income performance is not a factor in how well charities are able to provide a good supporter experience. It says, “a smaller non-profit is as likely to be a Supporter Experience Expert as a large organisation”.  

The main barrier appears to be a lack of understanding of the importance of supporter experience, with 47% saying this and 45% saying there is no one in their organisation to push the agenda. More than a third (36%) say there is a lack of leadership in the area.  

Good supporter experience is a matter of strategy. Blackbaud’s supporter experience experts know this, they are far more likely to prioritise long-term success over short-term financial targets and have a strategy that is fit for purpose.  

The purpose of a good supporter experience is to make it easy for supporters to donate more funds. First, you need to know what they need.