What can fundraisers do to enhance the donor experience? Our panel of charity experts give their views.

Wanda Hamilton, group director, fundraising, Royal National Institute of Blind People

Call me terribly old-fashioned, but I think it boils down to plain old good manners. There are two dimensions to this, which I would call “the segment of one” and “mother was always right!” The goal of ‘segment of one’ targeting is to address each customer uniquely, to truly understand how and when they wish to be spoken to, and perhaps even more importantly, why. To achieve the best donor experience, fundraisers must understand – and respect – donors’ communication preferences.

Secondly: mother was right. You must be polite, say thank you, be on time – just exercise good manners! The best donors are those who are truly engaged with your organisation, and this can only happen when we create high-value, two-way relationships characterised by timely, respectful, appropriate and authentic communications.

Danielle Atkinson, head of fundraising integration, Merlin

Make it easy for donors to respond, in ways that suit them. Keep it simple and make it about them, not you. For example, it’s not ‘your’ newsletter – it’s theirs. So make it relevant. They don’t care about the difference ‘you’ve’ made – they care about the difference ‘they’ve’ made.

Supporter care is key. Think about how you feel when you get bad service. Answer your phone, keep your promises and say thank you at least once a year. Indulge in that one pure, gushing and loving retention piece. It doesn’t have to be expensive.

And never forget to ask for money! They’re donors for a reason – so asking for money is a good thing. Remember the old adage: if you don’t ask, you don’t get.

Ruth Flanagan, fundraising coordinator, Thai Children's Trust

All donors should be thanked in a timely fashion, and be thanked appropriately. If they have raised money for a specific campaign, thank them and tell them what difference their donation will make. If they have raised money for your charity by taking part in an event such as the London Marathon, then congratulate them on their achievement.

Once you have thanked your donors, don’t forget them. Keep their interest. Can you sign them up for your newsletter? Do they know how to find you on social media? Put them on a specific interest list to mail them when a campaign for that cause comes up again.

Most importantly, be open and friendly and make sure they know how to contact your charity if they need to.

We make sure all donors who sign up for a child sponsorship with us receive all the above support. They will also receive a sponsorship pack which includes a photo of the child they have sponsored.

Valerie Morton FInstF (Dip), fundraiser and consultant

The best thing any fundraiser can do is to imagine it was their own mother who had made the donation. What kind of thank you letter would make them feel good? What kind of communication would annoy or upset them?

Too often donors are seen as simply members of a segment. Most thank you letters I receive are very formulaic and have no warmth about them. After making a small in memoriam donation to a hospice a few years ago, no one asked me what relationship I wanted with the charity in the future, and the assumption was made that I would want to read lengthy quarterly newsletters.

So – go and talk to your real-life donors, and find out what kind of relationship they want with you.