This is lesson one. 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.
If you want to understand how people truly feel about your organisation — not just whether they saw your post or opened your email — you need a way to measure loyalty.
That’s where Net Promoter Score (NPS) comes in.
Created by Fred Reichheld, NPS is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to measure supporter satisfaction and long-term loyalty.
Corporate brands like Apple and Amazon built entire customer strategies around it — and it’s just as valuable for charities.
Because loyalty isn’t about one donation…
It’s about ongoing trust.
What Is Net Promoter Score (NPS)?
NPS is a single-question measure of loyalty that predicts whether someone will continue supporting you and whether they’ll recommend you to others.
The question is:
“How likely are you to recommend our organisation to a friend or colleague?”
People answer on a scale from 0 to 10, and are grouped into three segments:
1. Promoters (9–10)
These are your biggest supporters: loyal, enthusiastic, and happy to advocate for your cause.
Charity equivalent:
repeat donors
fundraisers
volunteers who stay long-term
people who refer others to your cause
2. Passives (7–8)
They’re satisfied, but not emotionally committed.
They won’t promote you, but they’re not unhappy either.
Charity equivalent:
one-off donors
newsletter readers
attendees who don’t return
3. Detractors (0–6)
These are unhappy or disengaged supporters.
They may leave quietly — or actively discourage others from participating.
Charity equivalent:
donors who stop giving
volunteers who disappear
people who feel let down by communication or experience
How to Calculate NPS
The formula is simple:
NPS = % Promoters – % Detractors
Passives don’t affect the score.
Scores range from –100 to +100, but anything above +30 is considered strong — especially in the charity sector.
Why NPS Matters for Charities
Because loyalty is everything.
Most charities lose upwards of 60% of donors each year.
Not because people don’t care, but because the experience wasn’t strong enough to keep them.
NPS helps you:
Understand supporter satisfaction
Spot problems early
Reduce donor and volunteer churn
Improve communication and thank-you processes
Strengthen long-term relationships
Turn supporters into advocates
A high NPS means people trust you enough to recommend you. The strongest sign of brand health.
Where to Use the NPS Question
You can insert the NPS question at key moments:
After a donation
After an event
After volunteer onboarding
After someone receives a service
During annual supporter surveys
On your email footer or website
The more consistent you are, the better the insight.
How to Act on NPS Insights
If someone gives a 9–10 (Promoter):
Thank them personally
Invite them to join a community group
Ask if they’d like to fundraise or advocate
If someone gives a 7–8 (Passive):
Ask what would make their experience even better
Send more value-driven content
Improve clarity and emotional connection
If someone gives a 0–6 (Detractor):
Reach out with empathy
Address their concern directly
Review internal processes
Fix the friction point they experienced
Detractors can become your greatest insight. If you listen.
10-Minute Exercise: Send Your First NPS Question
Pick one audience segment — donors, volunteers, or newsletter subscribers.
Send:
“How likely are you to recommend our charity to a friend or colleague? (0–10)”
“What’s the main reason for your score?”
Then:
Categorise responses
Calculate your score
Look for recurring feedback themes
Choose one improvement to make this week
You’ll learn more in those two questions than in most long surveys.
Why is this important to know?
Because loyalty isn’t built on assumptions - it’s built on understanding. NPS gives you a simple, reliable way to measure how supporters feel about your organisation and whether your experience is strong enough to keep them.
When you know what creates loyalty and what damages it, you can build a charity that people trust, love, and proudly recommend.
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.
