Effective Follow-up Strategies for Incomplete Donations

When a donor abandons a donation midway through the process, it’s easy to assume the opportunity is lost. But that does not have to be the end of the story. Reaching out to that donor in the right way may be enough to get them back on track toward completing the donation. The right follow-up strategy can stop donation abandonment in its tracks and shepherd more donations to successful completion. A combination of well-timed reminders, remarketing, and trust-building elements can increase conversions and bring nonprofits many steps closer to achieving their funding goals every year.  

The Power of a Simple Reminder 

Filling out donor forms is not an exciting process, so it’s easy for potential donors to get distracted right in the middle of it. Many donors abandon a donation simply because they got sidetracked by a phone call or a notification, or because an urgent task pulled them away before they could finish. That’s where a reminder system can make all the difference. 

A subtle, well-placed badge or a pop-up that appears before they leave the page — saying something as simple as, “Did you mean to finish your donation?” — can recover 3% to 4% of lost revenue. Although that may sound small, it adds up significantly over time. 

Email Collection: A Critical Safety Net 

The most important tool in your arsenal for re-engaging donors is capturing their contact information, whether you work through emails or phone numbers.  

Why?  

It’s because the second you capture contact information, you have the ability to communicate with a donor directly. That way, if a donor gets distracted and abandons their donation, you can reach out to them to restart the conversation. The phone number or email address gives you an unlimited number of additional chances to try to recover that donor and help them complete their gift.  

That’s why it’s essential to capture contact information early in the process. Even if they don’t finish their donation, you now have a direct line of communication to remind them to come back. You’ve gained the ability to effectively follow up using a simple strategy that should include: 

• A gentle nudge reminding them of their incomplete donation. 

• A direct link to complete their gift. 

• A short message emphasizing the impact their donation can make. 

Remarketing: Reaching Donors Where They Are 

Not every incomplete donation is due to hesitation or a change of heart — many are simply interrupted. It’s easy to see how quickly someone can be interrupted and distracted when you look at how busy many people are each day. Fortunately, there are several ways to grab a donor’s attention again and guide them back to the donation process.  

Using remarketing ads can help bring donors back by displaying targeted reminders on the platforms they frequent. These efforts can include: 

• Social media ads reminding them of their potential impact. 

• Display ads that appear as they browse other websites. 

• Email retargeting for those who started but didn’t finish their donation. 

By strategically using these ads, nonprofits can recover lost donations from users who may have intended to give but simply got sidetracked. 

Building Trust to Overcome Hesitation 

Interruptions are the reason why some donors don’t complete their gift, but for others, it might be concerns about security or transparency — which is especially true when they’re giving a large gift. 

Addressing these concerns proactively can make a big difference in reducing abandonment rates. The key is to create donation forms that build trust in the organization, its teams, and the security measures they’ve put in place to protect donors’ information.  

A trust-building donation form should: 

• Clearly assure donors that their information is secure. 

• Use trust badges from payment providers. 

• Provide a breakdown of where their donation goes to reinforce transparency. 

Incomplete donations don’t have to be lost opportunities because the donation process is not a one-time chance to secure donations. Make it a series of chances by having a follow-up strategy to keep donors engaged and working toward those donations. By implementing timely reminders, capturing donor emails, leveraging remarketing strategies, and addressing trust concerns, nonprofits can recover a significant portion of abandoned gifts. 

With the right approach, a simple follow-up can make the difference between an unfinished donation and a completed contribution that helps fuel your mission.