b'DAYTODAYPRIORITIZE DONOR ACQUISITION AND RETENTION Nonprofit PRO recommends seven ways for fundraisers to prioritize both donor acquisition and donor retention: 1. Cultivate. Its easier to retain donors than acquire new ones, so implement a vibrant email calendar full of gratitude, stories, and impact statements to communicate the message, Our work relies on you. 2. Ask. Dont be shy about using varying tactics and messages with your most loyal supporters throughout the year. Stay at their top of mind and give them compelling reasons to keep giving. 3. Accept that churn is inevitable. You cant keep all your donors, so you need to continually find new ones using paid media acquisition, lead generation, intelligent web design, and search engine optimization. 4. Create segments. Tailor your messaging to various donor segments, including when and why they contributed previously.5. Dont stop there. Ensure new donors get to know your organization with a warm, informative welcome series. Thank them for joining your cause and show them their impact. The sooner they make their next gift, the better the outlook for longterm support. 6. Leverage multiple channels. From email to direct mail to texts, each channel can play a role in keeping your mission top of mind, providing multiple touch points to drive new and subsequent gifts. 7. Set up automations. Triggered series, careful cultivation, and timely appeals prevent hardearned supporters from lapsing.UPSKILL YOUR TOP EMPLOYEES Turn quiet hiring into opportunities for employees to accelerate their skill development and promotions. Rather than overworking and overburdening your skilled people, retrain those who are in easiertofill roles. Give driven workers a defined path to higher pay in hardtofill job roles. Training Magazine offers these suggestions to identify and nurture the right employees for upskilling apprenticeships: The best candidates are reliable, hardworking employees currently in lowerwage roles. They have the foundation and hunger to move ahead but lack the skills, knowledge, or experience to land higherpaying roles. The ideal candidates are fast learners. They are also diverse. Because they may not have had the same experiences and same chances to earn degrees, these employees can bring fresh perspectives to their roles, thinking about problems differently and devising solutions a homogenous team might never consider. In addition to reviewing performance evaluations and metrics, ask managers for their recommendations. Look for candidates who are personable, patient, and emotionally intelligent. Then connect candidates with mentors in the roles you wish them to learn. Good mentors serve as experts and advisors, teach candidates about the job, and build excitement. Candidates should shadow their mentors, joining meetings to see how people in this role think, communicate, and make decisions.Lastly, lay out a clear framework of expectations and salary for the candidate. Then let it be their choice. This model of filling open roles avoids foisting additional responsibilities onto already overburdened employees. JULY/AUGUST 2023 WWW.CITYGATENETWORK.ORG 59'