From First Gift to Forever: Turning First-Time Donors Into Lifelong Supporters

When:  Wed, Sep 9, 2026 from 09:00 AM to 12:00 PM (ET)
Associated with  AFP IN, Indiana Chapter

Speakers:  Lynne Wester and Colton Withers from Donor Relations Group

If you’ve ever worried about losing donors after their first gift, you're not alone. According to AFP’s Fundraising Effectiveness Survey, only ~18% of first-time donors are retained year-over-year. Translation? If you don’t make an impact early, you lose your chance at a meaningful, long-term relationship—and you can say goodbye to that future major gift.

In this data-backed, sample-rich session, we’ll walk through a jaw-dropping case study: how the Donor Relations Group (DRG) helped a client welcome 250,000 first-time donors to their nonprofit family in one month and built a mass communications strategy designed not just to thank them, but to keep them giving year after year.

Whether you steward 25 or 25,000 new donors a month, you’ll leave with:

- A framework for retention-focused donor journeys

- Real-world samples of donor communications that build loyalty

- Scalable ideas you can implement right away

- Tips to move from reactive to proactive donor relations                  

For this extended workshop format, we’ll take the core concepts presented and then and move into guided application. After walking through each step of the proposed first-time donor journey, participants will have structured time to outline the basics of their own journey including key touchpoints, audience segments, and simple communication drafts. Exercises and small group discussions will help participants translate ideas into practical next steps to take back to their shops, regardless of size or team capacity.

Agenda:
8:30 a.m. Registration
9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.  Program

Registration:
AFP-IC member: $125
Non member: $175

Location

United Way of Central Indiana
2955 N Meridian St.
Indianapolis, IN 46208
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