57.7% of the donors who stopped giving to a charity in 2008 did so because they no longer felt connected to the organization, according to a survey reported in The Chronicle of Philanthropy. In the survey, this was the single largest category of reasons why donors stopped giving!

The bad news is, this survey was conducted before the 4th Quarter market crash of 2008. What do you think happened as money became tighter and people experienced the pinch of the tightening economy? If donors weren’t connected, you can bet many simply stopped giving.

To add to the bad news, 80% of wealthy donors surveyed didn’t think they made a major impact on the organization they support! Do you think donors who are in a financial crunch will continue to give sacrificially if they don’t think they make a big difference in your work?

Here’s the good news. It’s never too late to make relationships with your donors a priority! Oneicity will help you connect with your donors so that they love you and support you (nearly as much as Ethel loved Lucy).

(The survey was reported in the 11/27/08 issue of The Chronicle of Philanthropy).