The Thank You Project
Helping charities raise more by keeping the donors they already have
Most charities are working harder than ever to raise funds, yet many are quietly losing donors at an alarming rate. Not because their cause is unworthy, but because donors do not feel genuinely valued once their donation is made.
Across the sector, 70 to 80 percent of first-time donors never give again. At the same time, it costs seven to twelve times more to acquire a new donor than to retain an existing one. Despite this, the majority of fundraising effort and budget continues to be directed toward acquisition rather than building long-term donor relationships.
The Thank You Project exists to address this gap.
It is a proven donor retention and stewardship approach designed to help charities reduce donor attrition, strengthen relationships, and build more sustainable income over time. At its core, The Thank You Project shifts organisations from transactional fundraising to relationship-based fundraising, where donors feel appreciated, connected, and motivated to continue their support.
The Thank You Project Webinar Series
To help charity leaders understand this issue and begin making immediate improvements, we are delivering a five-part webinar series focused on the most common causes of donor loss and the fastest ways to fix them.
Each session is practical, focused, and designed to deliver real financial outcomes. Every webinar includes two immediate actions participants can implement straight away to improve donor retention and generate more income.
To reinforce this commitment to real-world results, each session is backed by a money-back guarantee. If you attend, apply the two actions shared, and do not generate more additional donor income than the cost of the session within 60 days, your registration fee will be refunded.
Most charities don’t lose donors because their cause isn’t worthy they lose them because donors don’t feel valued after they give.
Across the sector, 70–80% of first-time donors never give again. Not because they don’t care, but because the post-donation experience is weak, inconsistent, or impersonal. While charities spend heavily chasing new supporters, they quietly lose the donors they already worked hard to acquire.
In this practical 60-minute webinar, fundraising specialist Charles Alder reveals why donor attrition is one of the biggest hidden revenue leaks in charities and what can be done to fix it quickly.
You’ll learn why retaining a donor is 7–12 times cheaper than acquiring a new one, why receipts and automated emails aren’t enough, and why leadership involvement in thanking donors is one of the most underused fundraising tools available.
Most importantly, you’ll walk away with two simple actions you can implement immediately to improve donor retention and generate more income without new campaigns, extra staff, or bigger budgets.
Who should attend
- CEOs and Executive Directors
- Fundraising and Development Managers
- Donor Care and Engagement teams
- Board members responsible for financial sustainability
What you’ll gain
- A clear understanding of why donors leave
- Insight into the real cost of donor attrition
- Two proven actions to strengthen donor loyalty fast
- A new way to think about donor relationships as a growth strategy
Guarantee
If you attend, apply the two actions shared, and don’t generate more additional donor income than the cost of the webinar within 60 days, we’ll refund your registration fee.
Because fundraising isn’t just about asking it’s about appreciation.
Most charities believe they thank their donors well.
In reality, many unknowingly damage donor trust and loyalty through small but costly mistakes made after a donation is received.
Across the sector, donor attrition is not caused by a lack of goodwill. It is caused by weak, impersonal, or inconsistent post-donation experiences. Receipts replace gratitude. Automation replaces human connection. Leadership stays invisible. Over time, donors quietly disengage.
In this practical 60-minute Zoom session, fundraising specialist Charles Alder reveals the most common thank-you mistakes charities make and how those mistakes directly contribute to donor loss and declining lifetime value.
You will learn why generic acknowledgements fail, why timing matters more than most organisations realise, and why leadership involvement in thanking donors is one of the most powerful and underused levers in fundraising.
Most importantly, you will leave with two immediate actions you can implement to strengthen donor relationships and recover revenue you are currently losing, without increasing your fundraising workload or budget.
Who should attend
- CEOs and Executive Directors
- Fundraising and Development Managers
- Donor Care and Engagement Teams
- Board members responsible for financial sustainability
What you will gain
- Clarity on the thank-you practices that push donors away
- Insight into how poor gratitude impacts retention and revenue
- Two practical fixes that can be implemented immediately
- A stronger framework for building donor loyalty
Guarantee
If you attend, apply the two actions shared, and do not generate more additional donor income than the cost of the session within 60 days, your registration fee will be refunded.
Because fundraising success does not start with asking.
It starts with appreciation.
The most important donation a supporter ever makes is not their first.
It is their second.
Across the charity sector, up to 70 to 80 percent of first-time donors never give again. Not because they regret giving, but because the relationship fades after the initial donation. Without timely follow-up, meaningful communication, and clear next steps, donors quietly disengage.
In this practical 60-minute Zoom session, fundraising specialist Charles Alder explains why the gap between a first and second donation is the biggest point of failure in fundraising, and how charities can fix it quickly.
You will learn why the first 90 days after a donation are critical, why silence is the enemy of loyalty, and why many charities unintentionally wait too long to re-engage supporters.
Most importantly, you will walk away with two simple actions you can implement immediately to encourage repeat giving and significantly increase donor lifetime value, without launching new campaigns, hiring additional staff, or increasing budgets.
Who should attend
- CEOs and Executive Directors
- Fundraising and Development Managers
- Donor Care and Engagement Teams
- Board members focused on sustainability
What you will gain
- A clear understanding of why first-time donors lapse
- Insight into the psychology of repeat giving
- Two practical actions to secure second donations faster
- A stronger framework for building long-term donor loyalty
Guarantee
If you attend, apply the two actions shared, and do not generate more additional donor income than the cost of the session within 60 days, your registration fee will be refunded.
Because long-term fundraising success is built on relationships, not one-off gifts.
Most charities focus their fundraising efforts on finding new donors. Very few focus on keeping the ones they already have.
The result is predictable. Acquisition costs rise, donor churn increases, and fundraising income becomes unstable. Yet loyalty remains one of the most powerful and underused growth strategies available to charities today.
In this practical 60-minute Zoom session, fundraising specialist Charles Alder explains why donor loyalty consistently outperforms donor acquisition, and why charities that prioritise relationships build stronger, more sustainable income over time.
You will learn why donors give emotionally rather than contractually, why repeated asking without relationship erodes trust, and why many charities unknowingly treat donors as transactions instead of partners.
Most importantly, you will walk away with two immediate actions you can implement to strengthen donor loyalty and increase long-term giving, without increasing acquisition spend, adding staff, or launching new campaigns.
Who should attend
- CEOs and Executive Directors
- Fundraising and Development Managers
- Donor Care and Engagement Teams
- Board members focused on long-term sustainability
What you will gain
- A clearer understanding of why loyalty drives fundraising growth
- Insight into how donor relationships influence lifetime value
- Two practical actions to increase donor commitment and retention
- A framework for shifting from transactional to relationship-based fundraising
Money Back Guarantee
If you attend, apply the two actions shared, and do not generate more additional donor income than the cost of the session within 60 days, your registration fee will be refunded.
Because donors who feel connected do not just give again.
They stay.
Register for this webinar
Most charities do not lose donors because supporters stop caring.
They lose them because small breakdowns in the donor experience quietly push people away.
From the moment someone donates, every interaction either builds trust or erodes it. Delays, silence, generic communication, and unclear follow-up all create friction that leads to disengagement. Over time, these issues compound into significant revenue loss.
In this practical 60-minute Zoom session, fundraising specialist Charles Alder shows charities how to view their organisation through a donor’s eyes and identify exactly where donor relationships are breaking down.
You will learn how to audit the donor experience from first donation through the first year, where most charities unknowingly lose supporters, and how minor changes can deliver immediate retention gains.
Most importantly, you will leave with two simple actions you can implement immediately to close revenue leaks, improve donor experience, and increase donor lifetime value, without new campaigns, additional staff, or larger budgets.
Who should attend
- CEOs and Executive Directors
- Fundraising and Development Managers
- Donor Care and Engagement Teams
- Board members responsible for financial sustainability
What you will gain
- A clear framework for assessing donor experience
- Insight into where donors disengage and why
- Two practical fixes to recover lost revenue
- A stronger foundation for long-term donor loyalty
Money Back Guarantee
If you attend, apply the two actions shared, and do not generate more additional donor income than the cost of the session within 60 days, your registration fee will be refunded.