Ashley Dittmar shares how she uses technology paired with the human instinct to engage and retain giving to organizations, year-over-year.

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Technology for donor retention is transforming how nonprofits engage supporters. In Episode 44, Lindsay speaks with Ashley Dittmar about leveraging digital tools, data, and strategy to strengthen donor relationships. From segmentation to timely follow-up, Ashley offers actionable tips to boost loyalty and long-term support.

Maximize your CRM for personalized engagement and year over year philanthropy

Did you know that after the first gift, data shows that donor retention is 23% compared to 60% donor retention after the second gift? The best way to retain your donors is to acknowledge their investment, build a relationship, and demonstrate impact. 

While there is value in widening your community of supporters, if you seek sustainability, realistic projections, and high-value donor relationships, focus first on current donors. As Stephen Stills puts it, “Love the one you’re with!” (See resources below for the song link to listen to while you read the show notes! :D)

360 Perspective on a Fundraising Portfolio: Retention is Queen

As fundraising consultants, LSC recommends that organizations begin any development review by focusing on current donors. Are they being properly stewarded? Are they satisfied with their giving experience? And are they engaged in ways that feel unique and meaningful to them?

Look for opportunities to upgrade their giving or deepen their involvement. Consider whether too much time is being spent on disengaged donors. Also, assess how your current supporters are helping to attract and inspire new, prospective donors.

Your existing donors should be your most powerful advocates—sharing testimonials, offering third-party endorsements, making introductions, and continuing to give generously.

In this episode of the Creating Community for Good Podcast, Ashley Dittmar shares how she uses technology paired with the human instinct to engage and retain giving to organizations, year-over-year. That repeat giving is called donor retention. Ashley is the Director Of Development at Crisis Text Line and a specialist in digital campaigns, donor retention, and storytelling. In this conversation, she shares techniques of building rapport with donors, perspectives on the value of retention, and the power of automated technology for meaningful interactions.

this episode, she shares with us the GAIL’s: Gremlin, Assumptions, Interpretations and Limiting Beliefs. These are four main types of thoughts that limit our potential and interrupt our growth in the fundraising sector — and in life! 

How many assumptions do we make based on first impressions—without true, reliable information? How many stories do we tell ourselves about our own skills—and believe them as fact?
And how often do we listen to that inner voice warning of disaster… even when the threat isn’t real? There’s power in questioning what we’ve accepted as truth. That kind of shift isn’t just personal—it’s the revolution the nonprofit sector needs.

In this episode, join the brilliant Mallory Erickson as she shares her mind-blowing strategies to help you build confidence as a fundraiser and forge deeper, more meaningful relationships with donors.

Spoiler alert: it’s all about transforming the ask into an offering—and redefining what fundraising can feel like.

First things first: 

Donor retention is a measure of how many donors continue to donate to your organization. Nonprofits with a high donor retention rate have long-term supporters who come back year after year. Nonprofits with a low donor retention rate need to continually acquire new donors or larger gifts to keep up. 

The average donor retention rate is hovering around 40-45% across the nonprofit sector. This means that if 100 donors give to your organization in a given year, then only about 40 of those donors will give again the following year.

Use this calculation to see how you measure up: 

(# of last year donors giving this year / # of donors last year) x 100 = donor retention % 

Donor retention is the most sustainable fundraising strategy above prospecting and new donor engagement. It takes approximately 3-4 new donors to replace a current donor. Do the math! It makes sense to retain who you have — and it makes sense logically, too. Make sure that your first-time donor doesn’t forget about you. Remember, these people were already motivated to act and support you once. Earn their trust, steward their investment, and encourage their long-term engagement. 

Technology is Your Friend

CRM tools are incredibly helpful when managing large databases, and today’s platforms make it easier than ever to organize data, visualize insights, and build effective strategies.

It might seem counterintuitive, but technology can actually foster more personal, human connections. After all, donor retention is about gradually building relationships—understanding people’s preferences, tracking their engagement, and thanking them in ways that feel meaningful.

As Ashley puts it, we must always remember: a nonprofit’s revenue comes from real human beings who believe in your mission. Keep the faith alive!

 Not all donors are the same. There are individuals with strategic giving plans, and then others who are impulse givers who respond to online appeals — and everything in between. And yes, the relationship may call for different strategies, but meaningful interactions are always important — and technology can help! Join this conversation with Ashley and me about true meaningful engagement and how technology can help you make your donors feel seen and appreciated. Believe me, even a templated but personalized thank you email, or a scripted (but not robotic) phone call can work wonders!

Key Takeaways: 

8:55 – “Your revenues are empowered by people, not ATMs!”: How to engage your donor community and make them feel seen and appreciated.

13:28 – Why Ashley absolutely loves using CRM tools to understand data and generate killer retention strategies.   

16:33 – Focus on retention first!: Remember, there are already golden donors in your database.

11:44 – From Excel to a CRM: How to level up and use key tools for more meaningful and personalized interactions. 

25:55 – Ashley’s golden rule for reaching out: “Do not go out of any conversation or meeting thinking you wasted that person’s time.”

29:21 – Truly engaging in a human way: The importance of getting to know your donors, who they are, and what they are passionate about. 

32:29 – “A happier you is a happier us”: How fundraising is truly Ashley’s calling and why that passion is exactly what we need.

Five Next Steps: 

1. Set a plan: plan your work, and work your plan.
2. Segment your donor portfolio: include options such as first-time donor, second-time donor, monthly giver, long-time giver, donor in active proposal stage, mission affinity variations, geographic relevance, etc. 
3. Use technology: automate outbound messages to segments of donors that are relevant; and then customize a personal response to drive engagement and giving. 
4. Communicate regularly: check in quarterly with newsletters, phone calls, (virtual) gatherings, etc.; include personal header, acknowledge giving and areas of interest and open the funnel of information about your organization including success stories, impact numbers/stats, and overall learnings/growth. 
5. Pay attention: listen more than you talk and add notes in your CRM to ensure meaningful conversations and connections are had rather than one-way stream of info sharing. Ask high-value questions. 

By the numbers as of early 2020: 

Despite concerns that the COVID-19 pandemic would depress donations to nonprofits, giving in the U.S. in 2020 increased by 10.6% compared to 2019, with the overall number of donors growing by 7.3%, according to the Fundraising Effectiveness Project’s 2020 Fourth Quarter Report.

Notably, significant increases were seen at all giving levels, with smaller gifts (under $250) leading the way—growing by 15.3% over the previous year. Meanwhile, larger gifts ($1,000 or more) rose by 10.4%, and mid-level gifts ($250 to $999) improved by 8.0%.

However, donor retention—a key metric that tracks the percentage of donors who gave to a charity in both 2019 and 2020—declined by 4.1% during the same period.

Connect Ashley Dittmar

Through LinkedIn

Episode Resources

Theme song: Love the One You’re With, Stephen Stills

32: Jen Risher | We Need to Talk… About Wealth

Retention Rate Decreased Resource: AFP Fundraising Effectiveness Project 

We Need To Talk: A Memoir About Wealth by Jennifer Risher 

About Stacey Abrams | Fair Fight

Start Donor Retention Tracking on Day One

Don’t wait until year-end to calculate donor retention. Instead, begin tracking from the first day of the fiscal year—when retention starts at 0% or less than 1%. This method helps you monitor progress in real time as lapsed donors become re-engaged.

It also builds momentum, delivers consistent wins, and shifts the focus from revenue alone to long-term relationship-building. Over time, this approach leads to stronger revenue, a healthier pipeline, and a more loyal donor community.

Meet Ashley Dittmar

Ashley Dittmar is Director of Development at Crisis Text Line, leading major fundraising efforts and building a global, empathy-driven supporter network.

She previously led development at BlinkNow Foundation in Nepal, doubling revenue, boosting retention, and launching the organization’s first endowment.

Ashley began her career at UC San Diego, supporting low-income and first-generation students, then helped secure a $100 million gift.

She continued her impact at Project Concern International, launching a donor retention-focused annual giving program. Ashley holds an MPA from USC and a BA from San Diego State University. She serves as a mentor at The Preuss School UCSD, co-founded Classy Connect, and held a board position with AFP San Diego.

In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, exploring NYC, and spending time with her nephews.