Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? How to Retain Crisis Donors

In 2020, nonprofits saw a large increase of crisis donors to various causes and an influx of new donors to many nonprofits, as Americans were moved to ease the suffering of their neighbors, making one-time reactive gifts in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the CDC Foundation experienced a tsunami of new donors, and almost overnight, the foundation’s donor base expanded well beyond the traditional public health funders to include tens of thousands of individuals who gave generously to help combat COVID.

Historically, these “emergency” donors can be difficult to retain in future years, which often makes many organizations hesitant to invest in efforts to keep them. Join CDC Foundation’s Helene Erenberg, Director of Major Gifts and Individual Support, and Elizabeth Patrick, Director of Advancement Services, to learn about the organization’s efforts to retain these new donors and transition them from “crisis donors” to “mission donors” – donors who continue to give because they believe in the ongoing impact and mission of the organization.