10 ways your NGO can enhance donor stewardship with Salesforce

You’ve worked hard to win your donors’ trust. However, keeping that trust alive, especially in 2025, is a different game altogether. Expectations are higher, attention spans are shorter, and the gap between one-time support and long-term loyalty keeps growing.

That’s where donor stewardship comes in. It is not just about sending thank-you emails or annual reports. It is about building real relationships, staying connected, showing impact, and creating a reason for donors to keep coming back.

The numbers speak for themselves. Recurring donors are 5.4 times more valuable than those who give once. They are also far more loyal, with an average retention rate of 83% compared to just 45% for one-time donors. Yet, only 14% of nonprofits actually prompt donors to switch to recurring during the donation process.

We’ve seen this firsthand. In our work with NGOs, we’ve helped teams move beyond generic outreach and start creating donor experiences that feel personal and timely using Salesforce. With the right setup, you can turn data into action and turn casual supporters into long-term partners. In this article, we’ll walk through ten practical ways you can use Salesforce to improve donor stewardship based on strategies we’ve tested, tools we trust, and nonprofit donor experience examples we’ve helped deliver.

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How Salesforce helps in cultivating donor relationships: success stories from our practice

Before we get into the strategies, here is what this looks like in real life. Our team has helped many NGOs create stronger relationships with donors using Salesforce. One of these cases is Better Time Stories.

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How Better Time Stories built donor trust and community support with the right Salesforce setup

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Better Time Stories was launched in response to the full-scale war in Ukraine to support displaced children through bilingual storybooks and audiobooks. While the mission resonated with donors, the organization struggled with a buggy Salesforce setup that made donation tracking and donor communication difficult.

We stepped in to fix technical issues without interrupting their day-to-day work. Our team cleaned up the system, improved data handling, and made sure the platform supported clear, personal communication with donors.

The results we achieved together:

• Better communication. Donors now receive timely, personalized updates about the impact of their gifts.
• More transparency. Improved reports make it easy to show where funds go.
• Stronger community. Recognition tools help celebrate donor contributions and keep them engaged.

With a working system in place, Better Time Stories can now focus on helping children while building lasting donor relationships.

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How Nova Ukraine uses Salesforce to build lasting relationships with their donors

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When the full-scale war in Ukraine escalated in 2022, Nova Ukraine saw a huge spike in donations and grant requests. But their existing setup, based on manual tools like Google Workspace, couldn’t keep up. The team struggled with slow donation processing, inconsistent donor tracking, and time-consuming grant workflows. Reporting impact to donors was also difficult, which risked weakening trust at a critical time.

We partnered with Nova Ukraine to fix this with a custom Salesforce solution built around their real needs. Our goal was to make donor stewardship easier, faster, and more personal.

Here’s what we did:

• We set up workflows to handle monetary and in-kind donations faster and with fewer errors. All donor data now lives in one place, making it easier to track and stay connected.
• We customized Nonprofit Cloud so the team could send real-time updates and personalized messages, keeping donors informed and engaged.
• We built an end-to-end system to manage grant applications, remove duplicates, speed up approvals, and report outcomes clearly.
• With better analytics, Nova Ukraine can now understand donor behavior and reconnect with supporters who dropped off.

By March 2023, they had raised over 85 million dollars and delivered more than 112 million dollars worth of aid to over 3.6 million Ukrainians. Donor relationships grew stronger thanks to transparency and timely updates, and the team could finally focus more time on helping people instead of chasing spreadsheets.

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The best donor retention strategies and how to implement them with Salesforce

Acquiring new donors is expensive. In fact, it can cost 10 to 20 times more than keeping the ones you already have. But retention isn’t just about saving money. It’s about building trust, showing impact, and giving people a reason to stay connected. In this section, we’ll walk through the strategies that work and how you can put them into action with Salesforce.

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Segment and personalize

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Not all donors are the same, so your communication shouldn’t be either. Segmenting your donor base allows you to speak directly to people’s interests and behaviors. You can divide donors by amount given, donation frequency, campaign engagement, or specific causes they support.

Personalized messages can increase engagement by up to 29%. Instead of sending the same message to everyone, you can thank a first-time donor differently than a long-time supporter, or share project updates only with those who gave to that specific cause.

How to do it in Salesforce:

• Use Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud or Salesforce Marketing Cloud to create donor segments using filters based on fields like donation history, engagement scores, or campaign responses.
• In Marketing Cloud, use Data Extensions and Audience Builder to group donors and personalize content blocks within emails.
• In Nonprofit Cloud, use Reports and List Views to build custom donor lists for targeted outreach. These can be synced with tools like Email Studio for tailored messaging.

Example:

• For major donors, set up a segment and send quarterly impact reports with financial breakdowns and personal thank-you notes from your team.
• For new donors, trigger an automated welcome journey with an introduction to your mission, team, and future plans.
• For lapsed donors, build a re-engagement journey that shares recent success stories and invites them to contribute again.

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Communicate regularly

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Many NGOs make the mistake of only reaching out when they need support. But regular communication is key to keeping donors connected and loyal. People are more likely to give again when they see the real-world impact of their donation.

Why it matters: Ongoing updates help donors feel like partners, not just ATM machines. Even simple updates can strengthen trust and connection.

How to do it in Salesforce:

• Use Marketing Cloud Email Studio to schedule and send monthly newsletters, announcements, or event invites.
• Set up Automation Studio or Journey Builder to create recurring communication flows, like thank-you sequences or project updates tied to donation dates.
• In Nonprofit Cloud, you can use Engagement Plans and Tasks to assign outreach follow-ups to team members and make sure no donor goes silent for too long.

Example:

• Send a monthly newsletter with updates on your ongoing projects, highlighting what was accomplished with donor support.
• Use event triggers to send reminders and invitations based on donor preferences, past attendance, or campaign involvement.
• After a donation, set up a follow-up journey that includes a thank-you message, a short story about how the funds are used, and an invite to stay involved.

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Share updates transparently

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Donors want to see where their money goes. Being transparent about how funds are used not only builds trust but also encourages donors to continue their support. Up to 48% of donors say that email updates are the number one thing that makes them more likely to give again.

Why it matters: When people can clearly see the results of their giving, they are more likely to trust your organization and stay engaged.

How to do it in Salesforce:

• Use Salesforce Reports and Dashboards (available in both Nonprofit Cloud and Salesforce core) to track donation allocation, project spending, and outcomes.
• Create project-specific reports filtered by campaign or fund to show how donations were used.
• Export visuals and summaries, or embed charts directly in emails using Marketing Cloud Content Blocks.

Example:

If donors gave to a campaign supporting medical aid, you can create a report showing how the funds were distributed across supplies, logistics, and local partners. Share the highlights in a monthly email using Marketing Cloud Email Studio, or upload a PDF summary through an Experience Cloud portal for full transparency.

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Tailor acknowledgement messages

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Thank-you messages are more powerful when they feel personal. Instead of sending the same thank-you note to everyone, acknowledge the specific project or impact area the donor contributed to. This makes your message more meaningful and encourages repeat giving.

Why it matters: A generic thank-you may check the box, but a personalized one builds loyalty and shows donors they are truly valued.

How to do it in Salesforce:

• Use Marketing Cloud Email Studio or Nonprofit Cloud Engagement Plans to trigger thank-you messages based on donation records.
• Personalize content using Dynamic Content Blocks or AMPscript in Marketing Cloud to include donor names, gift amounts, and supported campaigns.
• In Nonprofit Cloud, use Acknowledgment Templates and Merge Fields to generate unique letters or emails depending on donation history or type.

Example:

A donor who supported a school construction project could receive a thank-you message that says, “Your gift helped us lay the foundation for a new school that will serve 200 children.” For recurring donors, set up a journey that thanks them periodically with updates and personal milestones like donation anniversaries.

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Create recognition programs

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Acknowledging your donors goes a long way in building loyalty. When people feel seen and appreciated, they are more likely to continue supporting your work. Donor appreciation does not need to be extravagant. It just needs to be thoughtful and consistent.

Why it matters: Donors who feel valued are more likely to stick around. Public recognition, thank-you messages, or even a small mention in your newsletter can build stronger emotional ties to your cause.

How to do it with Salesforce:

• In NPSP, use Donor Levels for nonprofits to track milestones. For example, you can assign a donor to a Gold, Silver, or Bronze tier based on lifetime giving.
• Create custom badges or achievement fields to track who qualifies for special recognition.
• Use Reports and Dashboards to track who reached a new tier or gave a major gift.
• Sync these records with Email Studio to send personalized event invitations or thank-you messages.

Example: Set up a quarterly report that shows all donors who reached a new giving tier, then automatically send a thank-you message and update your Donor Wall list.

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Engage with non-monetary activities

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Not every donor wants to give money every time. Sometimes, the best way to build loyalty is by offering meaningful ways to participate beyond financial support. Involvement in volunteer days, events, or advisory boards helps supporters feel more connected to your mission.

Why it matters: When donors engage in other ways, they are more likely to stay committed long term. It also deepens their understanding of your work and builds trust.

How to do it with Salesforce:

• Use NPSP Engagement Plans to track all types of interactions, not just donations. You can assign tasks to team members to invite donors to events, send follow-ups, or record participation.
• Use the Volunteer Management add-on in NPSP to manage sign-ups and track hours or roles.
• Combine this with Marketing Cloud Email Studio to send personalized invitations and reminders based on each donor's interests and history.

Example: For donors who have not given in the past year but attended multiple events, create a custom journey to thank them for their time and offer new ways to stay involved.

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Seek donor feedback

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Listening to your donors helps you understand what works and what needs improvement. It also shows donors that their opinions matter. Feedback can uncover gaps in your communication, reveal what inspired someone to give, or highlight areas where your process caused confusion.

Why it matters: Donors who are asked for feedback feel more connected and respected. Plus, their input can help you fine-tune your campaigns and donor journeys for better results.

How to do it with Salesforce:

• Salesforce can be integrated with popular survey tools like SurveyMonkey or FormAssembly using AppExchange apps or custom API connections.
• You can set up automated survey journeys in Marketing Cloud Journey Builder that trigger after key events, such as after a donation or campaign close.
• In Nonprofit Cloud, use Engagement Plans to create follow-up tasks for team members to review and act on survey results.

Example: After closing a fundraising campaign, automatically send a personalized email with a short survey asking what donors liked and what could be improved. Their responses can be stored back in Salesforce for easy analysis and future segmentation.

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Analyze donor behavior

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Data is more than numbers. When used right, it tells you who your donors are, how they interact with your campaigns, and what motivates them. This insight helps you make better decisions, target messages more accurately, and keep donors engaged over time.

Why it matters: When you know which channels, topics, or campaigns perform best with different types of donors, you can focus your efforts and resources where they matter most.

How to do it with Salesforce:

• Use Salesforce Reports and Dashboards in Nonprofit Cloud to track donation trends, engagement by campaign, donor retention rates, donor lifetime value and response to specific messages.
• In Marketing Cloud, use Analytics Builder to monitor email open rates, click rates, and audience behavior over time.
• Apply filters by donor segments, such as age groups, donation frequency, or campaign source, to uncover patterns in giving and engagement.

Example: You may find that younger donors engage more with short, visual content on mobile, while older donors prefer detailed emails. Based on this insight, you can customize how each group receives updates and appeals.

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Communicate meaningfully

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Donors want to know that their support made a real difference. Sharing outcomes and success stories helps them see the impact of their contributions. When you make that message personal, it strengthens the connection even more.

Why it matters: A thank-you email is nice. But a thank-you that says exactly what their donation helped accomplish is what makes donors feel truly involved and appreciated.

How to do it with Salesforce:

• Use NPSP to track which donors gave to which campaigns or projects. You can create custom fields to note specific causes supported or donation designations.
• Use Merge Fields in Email Studio to insert donor names, gift amounts, or project names into your messages automatically.
• Share success stories in email newsletters or through Marketing Cloud Social Studio by matching the content to the donor's interests. These stories are part of what makes a nonprofit donor experience truly meaningful. For example, donors who gave to education programs should see stories and photos from those projects.

Example: “Your support helped us fund 500 hours of trauma therapy for displaced families.” That one sentence, tied to a specific campaign the donor supported, is far more powerful than a generic update.

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Cultivate major donors

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Major donors often expect more than a thank-you. They want to understand your vision, see measurable results, and know they’re making a lasting impact. Personalized engagement and exclusive access can help deepen these relationships.

Why it matters: Major donors usually contribute a large share of total funds. Focusing on their experience helps you retain their support and even grow it over time.

How to do it with Salesforce:

• Use NPSP Levels and Engagement History to identify who your major donors are based on giving frequency, total amount, and participation in past activities.
• Create custom engagement plans for high-value donors. These plans can include tasks like booking one-on-one meetings, sending handwritten thank-you notes, or sharing early previews of upcoming projects.
• Use Salesforce Event Management or AppExchange tools like Cvent or Eventbrite integrations to track participation in private events, dinners, or donor briefings. You can record attendance, follow-up actions, and feedback right inside the contact record.

Example: If a major donor attended your last private event, you can assign a follow-up task for a personal call or message. You can also log insights about what they care most about to tailor future conversations.

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Get professional help for setting up Salesforce in your nonprofit

Setting up Salesforce the right way is key to building strong donor relationships and running your nonprofit efficiently. But doing it alone can be overwhelming. That’s where we come in.

At Noltic, we specialize in helping nonprofits make the most of Salesforce. We are a Salesforce Summit Consulting Partner with over 130 projects delivered and 400+ certifications across our team. We have deep experience with Nonprofit Cloud, Marketing Cloud, Experience Cloud, and integrations that help you engage donors, manage grants, automate processes, and report impact clearly.

We do more than just configure the platform. We build Salesforce setups that support meaningful relationships and deliver a better donor experience software foundation, so your team can focus more on people and less on tools.

We work closely with your team to understand your mission and goals, then build a Salesforce setup that fits your workflows, your data, and your people.

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FAQs

Is Salesforce expensive for NGOs?

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Salesforce offers significant discounts and even free licenses for eligible nonprofits through its Power of Us program. The first 10 subscriptions to Nonprofit Cloud Enterprise Edition are free, and additional licenses come at a discounted rate. While there are costs related to customization, setup, and support, many NGOs find the long-term value and time saved on manual work more than justify the investment.

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Do I need a dedicated IT team to manage Salesforce?

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No, a full IT team is not required. Many nonprofits successfully manage Salesforce with a small internal team or even a single trained staff member. The system is designed to be user-friendly, especially with Nonprofit Cloud. However, for setup, custom workflows, or integrations, it helps to work with a certified Salesforce partner like Noltic. We can guide you through implementation and provide ongoing support when needed.

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How long does it take to implement Salesforce for donor stewardship?

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It depends on your current setup and goals. A basic implementation with core donor management features can be completed in a few weeks. More advanced setups involving data migration, automation, or integrations can take several months. At Noltic, we start with a discovery phase to understand your needs, then tailor a project timeline that matches your resources and deadlines. We focus on making the transition smooth and interruption-free.

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What kind of reports can I generate in Salesforce related to donor stewardship?

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Salesforce allows you to create detailed reports on donation history, donor engagement, campaign performance, volunteer activity, and more. You can track donor retention, lifetime giving, response to communications, and event attendance. Reports can be filtered by segments, such as first-time vs. recurring donors, and visualized in dashboards. This helps you measure what is working, spot trends, and plan smarter fundraising strategies.