“It typically costs around five times as much to solicit a new customer as it does to do business with an existing one. Acquisition costs through direct forms of marketing are high (Maltby, et al 1991). This is particularly the case in the context of fundraising where it typically costs nonprofits two to three times as much to recruit a donor than they will give by way of a first donation.”

Adrian Sargeant
Robert F. Hartsook Professor of Fundraising
Indiana University