# Why holding on to loyal donors is not the right advice for every nonprofit

Source: [Science News - Mathematics, Economics, Archaeology, Fossils](https://phys.org/news/2026-11-loyal-donors-advice-nonprofit.html) · 2026-11-11 · Life
Page: https://themorning.science/story/why-holding-on-to-loyal-donors-is-not-the-right-advice-for-every-nonprofit-9a9f0044481f8bc8
Kind: research · Impact: medium

## In brief

- Conventional fundraising advice says nonprofits should hold on to loyal donors, especially as humanitarian funding shrinks.
- New research finds that the value of a donor depends on how a nonprofit is set up.
- For many organizations, winning new donors matters more than keeping loyal ones.

## Why it matters

A one-size-fits-all retention rule may misdirect fundraising effort, so organizations that depend on donations, including humanitarian groups, may need to base donor strategy on their own structure.

## Coverage

- [Why holding on to loyal donors is not the right advice for every nonprofit](https://phys.org/news/2026-11-loyal-donors-advice-nonprofit.html) — Science News - Mathematics, Economics, Archaeology, Fossils, 2026-11-11

Tags: nonprofits, fundraising, donor retention, humanitarian funding, philanthropy

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Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science