01 | Introduction Clients, people who read my blogs and newsletters, and those who participate in my training all know that I firmly believe that philanthropy starts with gratitude. Alas, that is the one thing that seems to always get lost. I think of gratitude as “And then?” — those actions that happen after a person says yes. It’s what you do once the gift is given. THESE ARE DONOR RETENTION STRATEGIES AND THEY ARE CRITICAL FOR KEEPING YOUR DONORS HAPPY. Keeping donors happy is just plain good sense. A happy donor is likely to become a donor again. And again. Unhappy donors, however, are likely to become lapsed donors. That is the 60% or so of donors who never make a second gift to an...