If there was one metric that illustrates the health of your donor file, the sustainability of your fundraising plan and the effectiveness of stewardship strategies it is Second Gift Conversion every single time! 

Second gift conversion is a critical metric in fundraising for charities aiming to turn one-time donors into long-term supporters. The second gift is often seen as the turning point in a donor’s journey. As great fundraisers we can inspire a person to give one gift to our worthy and important charity. With digital tools, special events, direct mail and peer-to-peer appeals, there are multiple ways to encourage a new donor to give a first gift. 

The real test is can we engage with them long-term. Can we inspire a second, third, fourth gift? 

We have been sharing, through the Gryphon Report, the results of the Second Gift Conversion method for years with our clients. 

I always hold my breath as I peek at this metric when we run a new Gryphon Report. 

We are seeing a big swing – from as high as 55% – meaning 55% of donors give a second gift – to a low of 15%. It is heartbreaking to share the low numbers. However, I always tell our beloved clients that we can only go up! 

This is one of the many areas of the donor database analysis that calls for a strategy conversion. I love these moments with our Gryphon clients. You can see the lightbulb moments as ideas are being shared to help move this number into higher digits. 

Studies show that if a donor makes a second gift, they’re significantly more likely to become a recurring donor, which is vital for building sustainable funding. By focusing on securing a second gift, charities can increase retention rates and their Long-Term Donor Value (LTDV) leading to more predictable revenue.

We are happy to chat about Second Gift Conversion or any other metric we measure through our Gryphon Reports. Reach out anytime at Samantha@gryphonfundraising.com. 

Chat soon! 

Sam