First‑time Donor Drop‑off
UMES flagged that only about 19% of first‑time donors make a second gift, but noted Bronze Level first‑time givers often convert to repeat donors — using individual examples like Tamara Peterson to show the possibility of retention. That gap underscores how one initial gift doesn’t guarantee ongoing engagement. (x.com)
UMES NAA’s public Donorbox pages show a $3,742.93 haul from 85 donations on one campaign page and $6,875 from 74 donations on a separate 2025/26 listing, indicating current small‑scale giving activity tied to the alumni association’s online appeals. (donorbox.org) The university simultaneously launched the public phase of a $60 million “Soaring Above & Beyond” capital campaign in September 2023, marking UMES’s largest fundraising effort and creating a high‑profile context for alumni solicitations. (wwwcp.umes.edu) Industry analysis shows a wider downward trend in first‑time donor re‑engagement, with Dataro reporting that roughly 28% of new donors gave a second gift in 2023 and projections near 26.9% for 2024, framing the scale of the retention challenge national nonprofits and small alumni shops face. (dataro.io) Fundraising research identifies the second gift as the critical inflection point: Neon One analysis summarized by Nonprofit Campaign Lab places retention near 60% after a donor gives a second time, and Philanthropy News Digest found a substantial share of returning donors make that second gift within three months of the first. (nonprofitcampaignlab.com) Donor‑recognition tiers (Bronze/Silver/Gold) are standard moves‑management tools; sector guidance from major‑gifts and alumni firms recommends tying specific stewardship benefits to tiers to nudge initial low‑level givers toward repeat support. (majorgifts.com) UMES’s Office of Alumni Relations lists an alumni base of more than 11,000, a definable population that can be segmented by giving level, location, and event participation for targeted Bronze‑level stewardship strategies. (wwwcp.umes.edu) Recent practitioner guidance emphasizes designing a donor journey—personalized touches and experience design rather than more frequent blanket asks—as a proven route to lift repeat giving and upgrade donors after that pivotal second gift. (bloomerang.com)
