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Need New Donors or More Recurring Donors?

Written by Tony Finneman, Founder & CEO | Jan 22, 2026 6:30:48 PM

 

Start With What Today's Donors Actually Want

Nonprofits often assume donors are disengaged or fatigued. But the data tells a different story.

Across generations, donors want to give. They want to stay connected. They want to feel their contributions matter. What they don’t want is uncertainty, inconsistency, or unclear impact.

The 2025 Nonprofit Fundraising Study shows that donor acquisition remains the sector’s top challenge, with 51% of nonprofits acquiring fewer than 20% new donors in 2024. Yet fewer than half of nonprofits begin the year with a donor engagement strategy. That disconnect is costing organizations both new and recurring donors.

If you want more donors, and especially more recurring donors, start by aligning with what donors say they actually want.

 

Step 1: Fix Visibility Before Volume

Before you chase new donors, fix the experience for the ones already trying to support you.

Donors stop giving when they’re unsure their gift matters.

The Qgiv Generational Giving Report found that donors across generations are deterred by:

  • Outdated websites
  • Inconsistent communications
  • Negative reviews or unclear financials

Younger donors are especially sensitive to digital signals: Gen Z and Millennials are “most likely to look for testimonials on social media or local news outlets” when vetting a nonprofit.

Meanwhile, the 2025 Nonprofit Fundraising Study reinforces the same theme: donors need clarity and connection. As Molly Fast of Event 360 puts it:

“Donors support causes that they want to see succeed… it falls to nonprofits to show gratitude and impact.”

2025 Nonprofit Fundraising Study

If donors can’t see the impact, they assume it isn’t there.

How Mindful Giving Solves This Visibility Gap

Mindful Giving was built specifically to address the transparency and trust issues that cause donors to hesitate or stop giving.

How Mindful Giving increases donors and donor retention:

✔ Donors choose exactly what they want to give.

Mindful Giving provides a familiar online shopping‑cart experience where donors select real products from a nonprofit’s curated wishlists. This eliminates uncertainty about how their gift will be used.

✔ Donors see their impact immediately.

Every donation is a tangible item the nonprofit needs. No ambiguity, no guesswork. Donors know exactly what they gave and why it matters. That’s donor transparency in action.

✔ Donors receive an instant thank‑you and itemized, tax‑deductible receipt.

Mindful Giving automatically sends a thank‑you note and receipt right after checkout, reinforcing gratitude and transparency at the moment donors are most emotionally engaged. These added steps in the nonprofit donor experience increase trust.

✔ Direct-to-site delivery builds trust.

Items ship directly to the nonprofit, and the organization knows what’s coming and when. Donors feel confident their gift is going exactly where it’s needed. This is another step in how Mindful Giving helps the nonprofit improve donor stewardship.

✔ Modern, digital experience donors expect.

Mindful Giving’s interface is built for today’s donors, especially Millennials and Gen Z, who expect seamless, mobile-friendly giving experiences.

✔ No more outdated or inconsistent donor experiences.

Mindful Giving eliminates the friction points that turn donors away:

  • No outdated forms
  • No unclear impact
  • No manual processing delays
  • No missing receipts

This is exactly the kind of clarity and immediacy donors say they want.

 

Step 2: Make Engagement Sustainable

The biggest barrier to donor growth isn’t donor behavior. It’s nonprofit capacity.

The 2025 Nonprofit Fundraising Study reports:

  • Smaller nonprofits are far less likely to have a donor engagement strategy.
  • Only 42% outline a donor engagement strategy each year.
  • Only 44% create a comprehensive fundraising plan.

This means most organizations are engaging donors reactively, not intentionally.

How Mindful Giving Reduces Staff Burden

Mindful Giving was designed to remove the operational strain of in-kind giving, which is a major pain point for nonprofits.

Here are the benefits:

  • No more manual processing of in-kind donations.
  • Secure donor data capture and financial reporting are built in.
  • Automated receipts and acknowledgments.
  • Dynamic, easy-to-update wishlists.

This frees staff to focus on stewardship, not logistics. This is exactly what the study says nonprofits need to improve retention.

 

Step 3: Retention Happens Between Appeals

Donors don’t disengage because they don’t care. They disengage because they don’t hear from you until you need something.

The 2025 Nonprofit Fundraising Study highlights that:

  • Donors disengage when communications feel reactive or transactional.
  • Retention challenges spike among organizations with staff turnover or weak planning.

Joe Frye of TrueSense Marketing says:

“Showing gratitude does not have to take a ton of time, but it does require thoughtfulness.”

2025 Nonprofit Fundraising Study

How Mindful Giving Strengthens Retention

Mindful Giving builds gratitude and connection into the giving experience:

  • Instant thank-you notes after every donation
  • Clear visibility into impact through tangible items
  • A modern experience that feels personal, not transactional

This aligns perfectly with what donors say keeps them giving.


Step 4: Design for How People Give Today

Donor expectations have changed, and they vary by generation.

The Qgiv report shows:

  • Millennials and Gen Z rely heavily on digital channels, social proof, and storytelling.
  • Outdated websites and poor social media presence deter donors.
  • Baby Boomers still prefer direct mail but expect email receipts and timely follow-up.

Mindful Giving Meets Modern Donor Expectations

Mindful Giving provides:

  • A digital-first giving experience that feels like online shopping
  • A frictionless checkout process
  • Instant digital receipts
  • A platform built for mobile donors
  • A transparent, trustworthy giving flow

This is exactly what younger donors expect, and what older donors increasingly appreciate.

Conclusion: Growth is Built, Not Chased

New donors come from clarity.

Recurring donors come from trust.

Both require intention.

The data is clear: donors want to give. They want to stay connected. They want to feel their contributions matter.

Mindful Giving helps nonprofits deliver exactly that.

By offering a transparent, modern, donor-centered giving experience — complete with real impact, instant gratitude, and seamless digital tools — Mindful Giving removes the barriers that keep donors from giving and returning.

If you build the systems that support donor connection, donors will build the growth.

 

Ready to Give Donors What They Actually Want?
Mindful Giving Makes It Easy.

Today’s donors expect transparency, convenience, and proof that their gift matters. Mindful Giving delivers all three and more.

Mindful Giving transforms the donor experience by offering:

  • Real, tangible impact through wishlist‑based product donations
  • A modern, mobile‑friendly giving experience donors love
  • Instant thank‑you messages and tax‑deductible receipts
  • Automated donor stewardship that reduces staff workload
  • Direct‑to‑nonprofit delivery so donors know their gift is used exactly as intended
  • A familiar online shopping experience proven to increase conversions
  • A trust‑building, transparent giving flow aligned with what donors say they want

If your nonprofit wants to increase donor retention, attract new supporters, and build recurring giving through a donor‑first experience, Mindful Giving is the simplest way to get there.

See how it works. You’ll discover why donors (and nonprofits) love it.

Schedule A Demo