Donor engagement is a primary driver of donor loyalty and retention. This is pretty fundamental stuff in the nonprofit world. If you can build a deep personal a

Donor engagement is a primary driver of donor loyalty and retention. This is pretty fundamental stuff in the nonprofit world. If you can build a deep personal and emotional connection, such as "helping build a house with their own hands", that is a big boost to average lifetime donor value. (Nonprofit donor development can run on decades-long timeframes - engage a high schooler and you're more likely to be able to solicit funds from them in their 50s.) On a smaller level, this is why many charities will get an initial $5 donation and then spend more than $5 on further solicitation of the same donor. The best indicator that you're going to give money to a charity (or political campaign) is that you've already done so. Lots of people feel this doesn't apply to them personally, but data-driven fundraising bears the point out.