"From First Gift to Forever: Turning First-Time Donors Into Lifelong Supporters" with Lynne Wester 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.
Approved for 3 CFRE Credits
We'd like to thank MCA Marketing for their partnership in helping us with the venue at Tacoma Armory!
About the Speakers Lynne Wester and Colton Withers:
For over two decades, Lynne Wester has been a dynamic force in the fundraising world, redefining how organizations think about and engage with their donors. A bold believer that donor relations is the secret sauce to fundraising success, Lynne champions the idea that the donor experience should be just as intentional and strategic as the ask itself. Renowned for her ability to challenge the status quo in all the right ways, Lynne steps in when organizations are facing pivotal moments — whether navigating a crisis or seizing an opportunity. Her approach? Smart strategy, authentic connection, and fearless innovation. As the founder and principal of DRG, Lynne leads a powerhouse team of experts who work with nonprofits of all sizes to transform their fundraising outcomes.
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