This is lesson seventy. This is towards one of our missions. Education. You'll learn everything about marketing - from the basics to the most advanced strategies - for free, thanks to VellumWorks.
What Gets Measured Gets Improved
Supporter experience is not a feeling; it is a set of measurable behaviours and outcomes.
If you can't measure it, you can't manage it. And if you can't manage it, it will drift, usually downward, without anyone noticing until the damage is done.
The Key Metrics of Supporter Experience
Donor retention rate
The percentage of donors who give again the following year. The charity sector average is around 40–50%. World-class is 60–70%+.
If your retention rate is low, something in the experience is failing, usually the post-donation journey.
Net Promoter Score (NPS)
Ask your supporters one question: "On a scale of 0–10, how likely are you to recommend our charity to a friend or family member?"
Scores of 9–10 are Promoters. 7–8 are Passives. 0–6 are Detractors.
NPS = % Promoters minus % Detractors. A positive NPS is good. Above 50 is excellent. Track it annually.
Average response time to supporter queries
How quickly does your charity reply to emails, social messages, and calls? Speed is directly correlated with satisfaction.
Complaint resolution rate and time
How many complaints are resolved? How quickly? Are supporters satisfied with the outcome?
Supporter survey scores
Simple periodic surveys, even one or two questions, give you direct feedback from the people whose experience matters most.
The Feedback Loop: Ask, Listen, Act, Repeat
Measurement alone changes nothing. It is the action taken in response that improves experience.
Set a quarterly rhythm:
Collect: gather data on the metrics above
Analyse: identify the patterns, not just the individual cases
Act: make changes to the processes, communications, or systems that are failing
Measure again: did the change work?
This cycle, repeated consistently, is how organisations genuinely improve over time.
Tools for Measuring Supporter Experience
SurveyMonkey / Typeform: for supporter surveys
Your CRM: for tracking retention, giving patterns, and response times
Google Analytics: for website experience (bounce rates, donation page drop-off)
Email platform analytics: open rates, click rates, unsubscribes as proxies for experience quality
Social media listening: monitoring mentions and comments for unsolicited feedback
You don't need all of these. Start with one or two and build from there.
10-Minute Exercise: Set Your Baseline
Choose one metric from the list above, ideally your donor retention rate or a supporter survey.
Find out what your current number is (or run a quick survey to establish it).
Write it down. Date it.
In three months, measure it again. The gap between the two numbers is your progress, or your signal to act.
Why is this important to know?
Improvement without measurement is guesswork. And in a sector where every supporter relationship represents real investment and real impact potential, guesswork is expensive.
Understanding how to measure and systematically improve supporter experience is what turns good intentions into consistently better outcomes — for your charity, and for the people who choose to support it.
At VellumWorks, we believe knowledge should be free. That's why this series will guide you, step by step, through everything from the basics to the most advanced strategies in marketing: no jargon, no gatekeeping, just education that empowers.
