One of the most important questions facing fundraisers today is ‘how can we create a model that sustains giving’ be that outside of emergencies or End of Year (EOY).
Over the last few years, we have seen emergency fundraising set key response moments in the giving calendar — whether that’s the pandemic, climate emergencies (Haiti earthquake, floods in Pakistan, food crises in Somalia), military withdrawal in Afghanistan, conflicts in Ukraine or the continuing long term crises in Yemen and Syria.
For many non-profits, these moments have led to an unprecedented opportunity to build connections with potential and existing donors. However, these connections can be short-lived, like their coverage in the news, and while they drive critical short term revenue, they don’t necessarily lead to meaningful, long-term relationships with donors.
Additionally, uncertainty is rising across markets, with two million fewer people in the UK saying they had donated to charity amid growing fears about the cost of living. A recent US survey found donor confidence faltering there as well.
Alongside this, we are continuing to see a rise in one-off cash donations, particularly among younger audiences — and while they may not commit themselves to a monthly giving product, they are showing an appetite to respond, engage, and give money multiple times across the year when they are asked in the right way.
These donors are ‘non-traditional’ in how they give, but interestingly, they see themselves as regular givers. So perhaps the way we consider and define this term should change also.
And we’re not just talking about small shifts here, either. The number of people estimated to give multiple one-off gifts has doubled in the last three years, every year.
So, with these changes in the giving landscape, what should fundraisers keep in mind?
Build a multi-channel supporter experience
Supporters tend to respond on their channel of choice, but they don’t live exclusively in one channel. Increasingly, digital channels are used as a driver of enhanced integrated experiences, keeping the brand front-of-mind. While attribution becomes more difficult, we see revenue grow the more channels are involved and they present the opportunity to build a tailored end-to-end experience for your donor presenting different opportunities to give.
So here’s a few tips to consider when developing an integrated view:
SMS acts as the perfect reminder
- Looking for a way to prompt your audiences to look at an offline pack or to take an action online? SMS can be the perfect prompt for doing so and often encourages immediacy of response. Tailoring the message based on the content they’ve recently read adds a personal touch and could further drive effectiveness. Again, this may not be about getting that direct debit given the current environment but about sharing a match or tangible follow up one-off ask.
Bringing together direct mail and email with programmatic/social activity
- This doesn’t have to mean spending a large amount with each campaign, but subtly integrating these channels to help drive response rate and we have seen doing so can increase LifeTime Value (LTV). Bring together your plan for all three channels – consider where content can create a journey e.g. if a DM pack is introducing a new concept or product idea – have it followed up days later with a more direct ask or call to ask on social or digital display. For UNHCR we have seen this can triple response rates.
Timing matters
Those early months with new supporters are so important. We’ve found supporters are most engaged at the start of their journey with you. For this reason, the best place to start diversifying and testing supporter asks is right at the beginning: in the welcome series.
Don’t be tempted to speak to your audience all the same way — have a tailored journey ready after second, third, and fourth gifts that could convert them further. This could be in the form of an email series that tailors based on previous gifts/activity or push notifications in a mobile app/digital product based on previous donor interactions.
Look for patterns in your data and plan conversion campaigns. Look for length of time between gifts, number of gifts before converting, amounts given in relation to previous cash contributions and time between first cash gift and ways to upgrade which doesn’t just have to be monthly gifts but could be about upping average gift value/presenting more opportunities for one off donations.
Consider the opportunity for a quarterly or annual gift that is perhaps lower in frequency but higher in value and comes with a value added thank you for the supporter in terms of a personalized DM pack or email ‘this year your support has helped us…’.
Personalize the experience
Respond to the interests of your supporters. Donors want to feel like their money is hard at work. This starts with the welcome series and talking to donors about the themes and issues they care about, before introducing them to the full extent of your work and asking for additional contributions.
Acknowledge past behavior and the impact it has made. Donors want to see the impact their money has made. Third party tools like Nifty Images and Moveable Ink activate data into personalized content for the audience allowing for conditional email content or bespoke landing pages. Some organizations use ‘membership expiry’ asks to secure second cash gifts if a donor hasn’t yet upgraded to a monthly gift.
Is your landing page working as hard as it could? Tools like Optimizely use AI to test new features and allow for testing mechanisms that seek to bring down your cost per acquisition and increase your average gift. We’ve seen, for clients such as the Movember Foundation, that just a change in image can lead to a session income increase of 50%.
Perhaps a subscription model could offer greater value exchange. UNICEF’s Paddington’s Postcards has helped them acquire brand new supporters in key markets with an insight that young audiences love to receive post. The product invites parents, grandparents and extended family & friends to sign up so their little one can receive something each month. The monthly donation feels much more like a by-product rather than a direct ask and the postcards packed with activities, stickers and stories offer a unique engagement experience.
Make your supporters feel a part of something
Build a community of dedicated supporters. For individuals who have hit a certain annual or gift threshold in their first six months, a branded mid-tier program helps to build a sense of community, and gives the opportunity to create a proposition that encourages supporter buy-in. It helps donors feel like they’re a part of something, alongside like-minded people. It also offers the opportunity to introduce ‘early access’ match donation/participation opportunities that will help add value to their experience and your relationship.
Incentivize your program. Make your supporters feel a part of something. Another advantage of branding your program for givers who have reached a certain threshold or frequency for gifts is that it allows you to create merchandise, and incentivizes to encourage donations. Merchandise will also increase the sense of community your supporters will feel. Never underestimate the power of a personalized tote, t-shirt, pen or sticker pack to convert a sustainer – if feasible, maybe even let them choose from a few options.
These are just a few thoughts and ideas that can allow your organization to look toward a more evergreen, always-on giving program outside of rapid response. We’d love to hear what’s worked for you — don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team.