Stop Guessing What Donors Want

If you’re a nonprofit fundraiser still guessing what your donors think, feel, or care about—stop. There’s a better way.

Too often, teams spend precious time building strategies based on assumptions. Assumptions about whether donors recognize a new program. Assumptions about which campaigns feel most meaningful to them. Assumptions about how they’re talking about your work with others—or whether they’re sharing it at all.

But what if you could just… ask?

We learn something new every time we listen to donors—especially through Insight Panels, which offer a steady stream of feedback and perspective in near real time. These panels help us understand what’s landing, what’s missing, and where we might need to recalibrate. Here are three moments where listening brought unexpected clarity.

1. How much brand equity do we have in a recently launched midlevel program? 
A client launched a midlevel program in 2024 and wanted to understand how much brand equity they had built in a short time. We asked. It turns out 50% of respondents were already familiar with the program—thanks to a strong onboarding series and consistent touchpoints. The team is confidently doubling down on these tactics, knowing their message is sticking.

2. Should we sunset this campaign? 
Another client was planning to sunset a long-running campaign they believed had lost steam. But when we asked their donors, we heard something different. One person said: “[Campaign Name] is the most consistently well-attended annual event on the calendar, and I look forward to participating each year.” The quantitative data also confirmed that finding—the campaign was the most valued activity among key segments. Now, the organization can reevaluate their approach with this data in mind.

3. Crowdfunding? They’re Already There.
Another client was considering investing more resources in crowdfunding. But with budgets tight, they wanted to know whether their donors would be on board. We found nearly 60% of donors had donated to a GoFundMe or similar campaign—but only 20% had shared one. In other words, they’re more likely to give than to amplify. Even more compelling? A third had fundraised themselves. Now the client can move forward with this tactic with stronger confidence and clarity.

As you can see, listening doesn’t just give you data—it gives you direction.

So the next time someone says, “I think our donors want…” pause. And consider saying, “Let’s find out.”