Engage USA

03/19/2026

Most fundraising teams focus on creative and segmentation.

But timing may matter more.

In a dataset of 259,000+ first-time donors, the economics of the second gift changed dramatically based on one variable:

When the second ask was sent.

Within ~3 weeks: strong ROI
After ~4 weeks: sharp drop

Same donors. Same channel.

Only the timing changed.

This is a lever most teams aren’t measuring.

Most teams don’t have a creative problem. They have a timing problem. In a dataset of 259,229 first-time direct mail donors, one variable changed the economics of the second gift: Time. When the second ask was mailed within about three weeks, programs netted roughly $0.45–$0.60 per dollar raised...

01/25/2026

For years, the conversation around fundraising has focused on a single headline: Fewer people are giving.

But that framing misses something important.

When you look more closely at the data, much of the decline in donor participation is concentrated in one place: collection-plate giving tied to church attendance. As attendance has fallen, millions of small, habitual gifts have disappeared from the count.

At the same time, giving outside religion has proven far more resilient. Dollars are up. Digital engagement remains strong. Direct-response fundraising continues across channels.

That doesn’t mean challenges aren’t real. It does mean the problem may be getting misdiagnosed.

We break down what the data actually shows, why this distinction matters, and how misreading it can lead organizations to the wrong strategic decisions in our latest blog post:

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11/21/2025

Why do donors really stop giving?

Everyone talks about “donor fatigue,” but the data tells a very different story. IMPACTS Research analyzed 98,000 lapsed donors — and the biggest reasons they left weren’t emotional at all. They were preventable.

No thank-you.
No follow-up.
No second ask.

And when we ran our own study of 126,822 first-time donors at Engage USA, we saw the same pattern: silence pushes donors away long before frequency does.

Dennis breaks down the numbers — and what every nonprofit can do to fix it — in his latest post. Worth the read.

👇 Check it out here:

Most conversations about donor retention focus on “donor fatigue.” But when you look at the data, a very different story emerges. Dennis Hoffman shared something today that deserves a wider spotlight: 15.8% of donors stop giving simply because they were never asked again. That insight comes from...

10/14/2025

Why does direct mail still work?
Because it feels personal.

Most donors—especially those born before 1960—still trust what arrives in their mailbox more than what lands in their inbox. They open letters, write checks, and connect through something they can hold in their hands.

At Engage USA, we help nonprofits combine design, data, and emotion to make every message count.

Our CEO, Dennis Hoffman, just wrote about direct mail on LInkedIn. Check out his post!

📬 Real mail. Real connections. Real results.|

You may not have stamps in your house. ​ But your donors do. ​ That’s why direct mail still works. ​ Most of us who plan fundraising campaigns live in a digital world—automated, paperless, optimized. ​ But the people funding most of today’s missions were born before 1960. ​ Boomers a...

07/07/2025

Reader's Digest just named Frederick, MD the Most Beautiful Main Street in America.

We already knew.

Engage USA’s lockbox, data center, and fulfillment hub are all right here—because Frederick’s not just where we work. It’s where we live.

And it turns out, it’s the best-looking Main Street in the country.

📍 Proud to call Ferderick home.

We’ve always known Frederick was special. Now  Readers Digest  has made it official, naming our city’s downtown the  Most Beautiful Main Street in America .  Here’s the article. It’s not just about the charming shops, brick-lined sidewalks, or Carroll Creek runn

03/25/2025

📊 ENGAGE RESEARCH: The 19-Day Window That Could Transform Your Fundraising

Our study analyzing 126,822 new donors reveals a startling truth: waiting just 16 days too long to ask for a second gift can slash your return on investment by 56%!

Key findings from our research:

• Donors contacted within 19 days of their first gift respond at 6.37% - the highest rate in our study

• Each day of delay results in lower response rates AND smaller gift amounts

• By day 35, follow-up appeals actually LOSE money

For an organization with 5,000 new donors annually, implementing these timing recommendations could mean a $34,500 swing in net revenue - without spending an extra dollar on acquisition!

The data is clear: when it comes to converting one-time donors into multi-givers, timing isn't just important—it's everything.
Read the full study to learn how you can apply these insights to your fundraising program:

When nonprofits wait just 16 days too long to ask for a second gift, they lose 56% of their return on investment. That's what our analysis of 126,822 newly acquired donors revealed. At Engage USA, we set out to answer a critical question for nonprofit fundraisers: What drives a donor to give again?

02/20/2025

Nonprofits work hard to acquire donors—but too many lose them due to slow acknowledgments and follow-ups. Engage USA’s 2024 study of 126,822 new donors proves that speed matters when it comes to donor retention.

⏳ Delays in processing donations impact second gifts.
📈 Faster acknowledgments increase donor retention.
💰 Timely follow-ups drive long-term donor value.

If your nonprofit is struggling with retention, the problem may not be what you're saying—but how fast you say it.

Read more about why speed is non-negotiable in fundraising:

The Hidden Cost of Slow Response Management: Why Speed Matters in Nonprofit Fundraising Introduction: The Donor Retention Crisis Nonprofits work hard to acquire new donors, but far too many fail to keep them. The problem isn’t just about engagement—it’s about  operational inefficiencie

07/19/2024

Be careful what you say online... Our CEO Dennis Hoffman has a lot to say about a new report by the Church of England...

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sdennishoffman_what-would-jesus-think-if-he-read-your-social-activity-7219757117405102080-pwbK?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

08/02/2023

📣 Dennis Hoffman has some valuable insights about the importance of speed in direct mail processing. 🚀

If you've ever felt like your direct mail processing is stuck in the slow lane, you'll want to read this! ⏰ The truth is, delays can cost your organization precious funds and lead to missed opportunities for donor engagement.

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Does it feel like your direct mail processing is stuck in the slow lane? ​ Here's the hard truth: that delay is likely costing your organization precious… | 15 comments on LinkedIn

03/22/2023

Engage USA CEO Dennis Hoffman wants to know why non profits are preoccupied with finding younger donors:

"Age has predicted philanthropy as far back as we have data. And that’s good news. Your donor is part of a pool of older Americans that is getting larger. By the end of the decade, there will be 73 million Americans over the age of 65."

Check out Dennis' post on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sdennishoffman_donations-nonprofits-giving-activity-7043564131831926784-L7jd?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

03/09/2023

Our CEO, Dennis Hoffman, talks about how bad data led him to team up with Kathleen Rollins Clem and found Engage USA:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sdennishoffman_i-was-a-copywriter-then-a-creative-director-activity-7039584277285478400-F7lc?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

02/15/2023

Brent Thomas Nelson has great things to say about Engage USA and our founder, Dennis Hoffman, on LinkedIn. Thank you Brent!

Hey.... It sounds like Brent Thomas Nelson, C.C. CEO is talking about us... "✅ *I'm NOT that expert in mail! (I am in F2F, though!) BUT! I have all the…