This is lesson thirty-five. 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.
Most organisations focus heavily on getting attention.
The strongest organisations focus on keeping trust.
Retention and advocacy are where real growth happens: quietly, sustainably, and ethically.
They are the result of everything you’ve learned so far: CX, VoC, brand, trust, value, and relationships working together.
For charities, retention and advocacy aren’t “nice to have.”
They are essential to survival.
What Is Retention?
Retention is the ability to keep supporters engaged over time.
In charities, retention includes:
repeat donors
monthly givers
volunteers who stay involved
supporters who continue opening emails
people who don’t quietly disappear
Retention answers one simple question: Do people come back?
High retention means trust is compounding.
Low retention means you’re constantly starting from zero.
What Is Advocacy?
Advocacy is what happens when supporters go beyond participation and actively promote your mission.
Advocates:
recommend you to friends
fundraise on your behalf
share your content
defend your reputation
speak proudly about your work
Advocacy answers a deeper question:
Do people care enough to put their name behind you?
You can’t buy advocacy.
It must be earned.
The Retention → Advocacy Path
Advocacy is not a tactic. It’s an outcome.
It usually follows this progression:
Positive first experience
Clear, respectful communication
Trust built over time
Emotional connection
Consistent value beyond asks
Pride in association
Voluntary advocacy
If retention fails early, advocacy never happens.
Why Retention Matters More Than Acquisition
Acquiring new supporters is expensive.
Retaining existing ones is far more efficient.
For charities:
improving retention by even 5% can dramatically increase long-term income
retained donors give more over time
retained volunteers reduce recruitment costs
retained supporters require less persuasion
Retention multiplies Lifetime Value (LTV).
Acquisition only creates potential.
The Foundations of Strong Retention
1. Experience First
People leave when experiences are confusing, cold, or transactional.
Retention improves when:
journeys are smooth
gratitude is genuine
follow-up is consistent
communication feels human
CX is retention in disguise.
2. Trust & Transparency
People stay where they feel safe.
Retention increases when:
impact is clearly reported
finances are transparent
mistakes are acknowledged
promises are kept
Trust is the currency of long-term support.
3. Value Beyond the Ask
If every message is a request, people disengage.
Strong retention includes:
impact stories
learning and insight
community updates
recognition
behind-the-scenes transparency
Supporters should receive more value than they give.
4. Relevance Through Personalisation
Retention drops when communication feels generic.
Segmentation and personalisation:
reduce fatigue
increase relevance
show respect for supporters’ time
Relevance signals care.
How Advocacy Is Created (Not Forced)
Advocacy emerges when three things align:
1. Emotional Satisfaction
People feel proud, hopeful, or inspired by their involvement.
They feel comfortable recommending you without reputational risk.
3. Identity Alignment
Your mission aligns with who they are and what they value.
When these align, advocacy becomes natural.
Practical Ways to Encourage Advocacy (Ethically)
You don’t “ask” for advocacy too early.
You invite it once trust exists.
Examples:
“Would you like to share this impact story?”
“Know someone who might care about this?”
“Want to fundraise with us?”
“Would you be open to giving feedback or a testimonial?”
Advocacy grows when the invitation feels optional, respectful, and meaningful.
Measuring Retention & Advocacy
Key metrics include:
donor retention rate
repeat engagement
email engagement over time
NPS (Net Promoter Score)
referral activity
volunteer return rates
community participation
Numbers show what is happening.
VoC explains why.
Common Mistakes That Kill Retention
focusing only on new supporters
over-asking without giving value
poor thank-you experiences
silence after action
generic communication
ignoring feedback
treating supporters as transactions
Most churn is silent.
Retention failure is rarely dramatic - it’s gradual.
10-Minute Retention Audit
Pick one supporter type (donor, volunteer, subscriber).
Ask:
What do they receive after they act?
How often do we thank them?
How do we show impact?
How do we recognise loyalty?
How easy is it to stay engaged?
Fix one thing this week.
Retention improves through consistency, not campaigns.
Why is this important to know?
Because charities don’t grow through constant replacement, they grow through continuity. Retention turns trust into stability.
Advocacy turns stability into momentum. When supporters stay, give again, and proudly recommend you, your mission becomes stronger than any single campaign.
Retention and advocacy are not tactics. They are the outcome of doing everything else right.
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.
