April Thompson took a grassroots foster care nonprofit from 33% donor retention to 66% — and grew the donor file from about 100 to over 400 along the way.

The system behind it was two touches: a personal voicemail within 48 hours, a handwritten note from a board member days later. Both logged in the CRM. That's it. 🩵

In this episode, you'll hear:

The "one-two punch" gratitude guide that doubled retention, and how to document it so nobody loses track of the last donor touch
Why a ringless voicemail drop is the highest-return, lowest-lift gratitude tool most small shops have never tried
How to batch and schedule 10–15 personal thank-you messages at a time, so gratitude runs on a cadence instead of on your memory
Why an unscripted message with the "ums" left in builds more trust than polished copy
How the same gratitude practice recovers failed recurring gifts — and keeps the door open for donors who pause

If you've been waiting for a bigger budget to fix your retention numbers, April's answer is a lot simpler and starts this week. 🩵

Episode Highlights:

(2:43) April's path: hotel galas, animal shelters, and learning on her feet
(4:42) Fractional fundraising before it had a name
(6:04) The case study: 33% to 66% with a team of one
(7:54) The single most effective tool in her toolbox
(10:14) Batching gratitude and recapturing failed recurring gifts
(12:08) Voicemail drops in a year-end campaign
(13:54) The gratitude guide: the "one-two punch" system
(14:56) Start with the capacity you actually have
(16:19) A moment of philanthropy: founders
(17:49) One good thing: giving gratitude is never time wasted

Episode Show Notes: www.weareforgood.com/episode/739

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739. The Simple Gratitude System That Doubled Donor Retention (From 33% to 66%) - April Thompson

We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits

739. The Simple Gratitude System That Doubled Donor Retention (From 33% to 66%) - April Thompson