This is a longer email, but it’s worth the read because you know your donors.

You know who gave today.

And you definitely remember the one who dropped $10,000 out of the blue.

But do you know which of your donors are the “strongest?” Which show the most potential for even greater gifts? Or which are starting to get annoyed at all the requests you send?

That’s the gap an RFM analysis closes.

• Recency
• Frequency
• Monetary value (or “mitzvah value”)

RFM sounds fancy, but it’s really a simple relationship check-in. It’s a way to see who’s engaged, who’s drifting, and who’s halfway out the (donor) door.

Here’s what you want to review:

Recency: Who still feels connected?

How recently someone donated is the single strongest predictor of future response. If someone hasn’t acted in 18–24 months, blasting them with urgent appeals trains them to ignore you.

Frequency: Who has a habit?

Frequent, modest donors are often your most reliable long-term supporters.

They don’t need endless education because they already trust you. These are the people you want to keep close.

Monetary: How much does this matter?

High-value donors are worth catering to.

This will determine whether the work of segmenting and catering your marketing plan specifically to them will have worthwhile ROI.

So…how DO you reach different donors?

Recent and frequent donors (AKA your people)

• Email them most often of everyone on your list
• Show them the real gaps and needs in your fundraising
• Thank them and ask frequently without apology

Recent but infrequent donors (AKA your ‘growth zone’)

• Lead with gratitude and impact
• Show them what their first gift made possible
• Invite them to take a next step (ex: become a monthly supporter – and do this sooner than later. The bigger the gap between their first and second donation, the harder it will be to engage them.)

High monetary, not recent donors (AKA your ‘handle with care’)

• Avoid the frequent appeals and focus on sharing mainly impact
• Fewer generic blasts, more “We’ve missed you”
• Save the asks for in-person or highly-personalized outreach

Lapsed or Low-Engagement donors (AKA your ‘stop chasing’)

• Email less often – only when you have something extremely compelling to share
• Focus on re-engaging them (impact vs. appeals)
• Sometimes, let go (a smaller, more engaged email list always performs better than a big, tired one)

Without considering RFM:

• You send every message to everyone
• Over-ask disengaged donors
• And underuse your best supporters.

With considering RFM:

• Your tone matches your org’s relationship with each person
• You show respect for donor’s attention
• Fewer messages raise more money

Want to hear what your donor list is telling you?

Do an RFM check, segment your list, and respect the people who make your work possible.

And if you have any questions on RFM, hit reply. We’re here to help.

Our agency helps multi-million dollar nonprofits with marketing strategy and copywriting that touches hearts. And gets people giving. See our NPO packages

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