Why retention beats volume in face-to-face fundraising

Face-to-face fundraising is often judged on one number: how many people signed up. It's easy to count and easy to compare. But for a charity, a sign-up is only worth something if the supporter keeps giving.

What one supporter is worth

Take a typical regular gift of $38 a month. In the first year that's $456. A supporter who keeps giving for three years contributes around $1,368, and five years takes it to $2,280. On average, supporters signed face to face give for about three years.

That means the difference between a supporter who cancels after two months and one who stays for three years isn't small. It's the difference between $76 and $1,368 for the same acquisition cost.

A supporter who stays is worth many times one who doesn't, for the same cost to acquire.

Where retention is won or lost

Most of what decides whether a supporter stays happens in the first conversation and the first few days after it:

• Clarity in the conversation. Supporters who understand it's a monthly gift, chose an amount they're comfortable with, and were asked whether they're happy to support long term are far less likely to cancel.
• The verification call. A quick thank-you call within about 48 hours catches mistakes and answers questions before they turn into a cancellation.
• The welcome. Early contact from the charity that shows the impact of the gift.

What to ask your agency

1. How do you measure quality, not just volume?
2. Are fundraiser incentives tied to sign-ups that stay, or to sign-ups alone?
3. What's your complaint rate, and how do you handle complaints?
4. Can I see your fundraising standards in writing?

At Verifly, fundraiser bonuses are only released after sign-ups pass a quality review, and every sign-up is quality-reviewed before anyone is paid for it. If you'd like to talk about what that could look like for your campaign, get in touch.

Figures are illustrative averages and vary by charity and campaign.