Topic Highlight
Donor Retention, long-term support, and the pipeline. In this session, we will share donor retention strategies along with tips to integrate those strategies into your annual fund program.
Presenters
Emma DeVos, Innovative NonProfit LLC; Jill Ruhd, DSU; Jona Schmidt, DSU
Summary
One of the most effective ways to gauge the health of your organization is through donor retention. A high retention rate means you have long-term supporters who come back year after year. Nonprofits with a low donor retention rate need to continually acquire new donors or larger gifts to keep up. Retained donors form the basis of the annual fund, the first link in the fundraising chain. The annual fund is the pipeline we use to provide unrestricted funds, establish giving patterns, increase donor participation, keep donor data updated, reinforce our mission, and most importantly, identify upgradable donors. In this session we will share donor retention strategies along with tips to integrate those strategies into your annual fund program.
Bios
Emma DeVos is CEO of Innovative NonProfit LLC., based in Mitchell, SD. Innovative NonProfit provides fundraising software and strategic consulting for nonprofits and higher education organizations. Previously Emma held roles in Management and Marketing for private and public-sector organizations in the US and UK. She is a member of AFP and is a board member of Mitchell Main Street and Beyond and the Dakota Dreamers Foundation. Emma is a graduate of George Washington University.
Jill Ruhd is a Development Officer at Dakota State University. She is in her 10th year of fundraising at the DSU Foundation. In college, she was a student caller & supervisor for the DSU Phonathon and then in 2010, started full-time at the DSU Foundation as the Annual Fund Manager working with the Phonathon, Faculty/Staff Campaign, Direct Mail Campaign and other scholarship fundraising. As a Development Officer, she is leading major gift fundraising for endowments and other scholarships opportunities, event fundraising and continues to oversee the annual fund. Jill is the secretary of the Rotary Club of Madison and a graduate of Dakota State University.
Jona Schmidt is the Director of Planned and Major Gifts at Dakota State University in Madison, SD, a role she took on in 2018. Prior to that, she was Director of Alumni Relations at Dakota State University where she developed programs to maintain lifelong interactions with the university’s alumni. As a member of the University’s Advancement team since 1995, Jona has served in various roles including leading the annual fund and several years as director of marketing and public relations. She was editor of the Dakota State Magazine and executive director of the DSU Alumni Association Board of Directors. She currently serves as President of the Lake County Historical Society Board and is current chair of a successful capital campaign at her church. Jona is a graduate of Black Hills State University.