Your Donor Funnel Is Leaking. Here’s How to Fix It.

It’s not about how many donors you reach. It’s about how many you keep.

If your nonprofit is working harder than ever to bring in donations—but still seeing flat or declining revenue—you may not need more donors.

You may just need to stop losing the ones you already have.

The problem? Most donor funnels are leaking—and most teams don’t even realize it.

🚿 The Problem: The Donor Funnel Is Broken

At Onyx, we often start client engagements with a donor journey audit. And time and time again, we find the same three leaks:

Leak #1: New Donors Aren’t Welcomed

A donor gives—and hears nothing for weeks. No welcome sequence. No impact story. No personal connection.

The result? They disappear. 70–80% of first-time donors never give again.

🔧 Fix:

• Send a thank-you email within 30 minutes

• Follow up with a 3-email onboarding series over 30 days

• Invite them into the bigger mission—don’t just thank them, enroll them

Leak #2: Recurring Donors Feel Ignored

Your most loyal givers shouldn’t feel invisible.

Too often, monthly donors get less communication than anyone else. They quietly give… until one day they quietly cancel.

🔧 Fix:

• Send quarterly “insider” updates or impact snapshots

• Use their names and reference their consistency

• Give them early access or recognition when appropriate

3. Leak #3: Lapsed Donors Go Unnoticed

If you don’t have a system for reactivation, you’re leaving money on the table.

Most nonprofits don’t even know who lapsed until it’s too late.

🔧 Fix:

• Set up CRM triggers for 6 and 12 months of inactivity

• Send a warm re-engagement message (“We miss you. Here’s what’s new.”)

• Offer a low-barrier way to jump back in (e.g., $10/month)

🧠 The Key: Map the Journey. Automate the Basics. Personalize the Rest.

The best donor funnels:

• Welcome well

• Engage consistently

• Reactivate thoughtfully

• And most importantly—center the donor’s story, not the organization’s

At Onyx, we’ve helped clients increase retention by over 25% just by tightening these three touch points.

📊 What Would It Mean to Fix Your Funnel?

✔️ More recurring revenue

✔️ Less stress around acquisition

✔️ A donor base that actually sticks around

It’s not about working harder. It’s about working smarter.

✋ Want Us to Audit Your Funnel?

We’re offering a few free donor journey audits this quarter. We’ll review your current funnel and give you 3 quick wins you can implement in the next 30 days.

📩 Request your audit by emailing info@onyxkc.com

Let’s stop the leaks—so you can build real momentum.