4+ keys to great year-round fundraising campaigns
- Digital communications & marketing
- Fundraising ideas
- Nonprofits
- Guided Fundraising
Donors have different preferences for how they like to engage with nonprofit organizations. For instance, some donors may prefer receiving email updates, while others may enjoy receiving handwritten letters in the mail. By reaching out to supporters through a variety of communication channels, including email, social media, online ads, and direct mail, you can cater to these preferences and maximize your fundraising potential.
In this guide, we'll explore what multichannel donor outreach is and how you can use it to pursue your purpose. Let's get started!
Multichannel donor outreach is the process of using multiple communication channels, such as email, direct mail, social media, and mobile, to engage with donors. With multiple touchpoints, you can reach as many prospective supporters as possible and increase your fundraising potential.
The ideal frequency for multichannel donor outreach varies depending on an organization's size, goals, and donors' preferences. It's generally recommended to strike a balance between staying top of mind with donors and not overwhelming them with too many messages.
A good starting point is to aim for 1-2 communications per month per channel, but this can be adjusted based on your needs at a given time. For instance, during campaigns like GivingTuesday, it’s acceptable to send multiple messages over the course of a few days.
With the basics of multichannel donor outreach in mind, you can begin crafting your campaigns and appealing to donors. Use these four tips for the best results:
Before launching a multichannel marketing strategy, take the time to identify your target audience. This will ensure that your time and resources go toward people who are most likely to support your cause.
To identify your target audience, begin by:
Once you identify your nonprofit’s target audience, begin tailoring your outreach to their preferences, motivations, and interests.
Tailoring your messages to individual donors can increase engagement and responsiveness. Start by using segmentation to group donors based on shared characteristics and personalize your messages according to their unique needs and interests.
Common donor segments for multichannel donor outreach include:
You can also segment donors based on their geographic location, employment status, or volunteer history, depending on your needs. For example, while promoting a hybrid fundraising event, you might send in-person invitations to supporters within your community and choose to send a virtual invite link via email to those living outside of the area. This level of personalization will more effectively engage supporters.
Sending the same message across multiple channels is an effective strategy for nonprofits looking to reach a wider audience and maximize engagement. However, it’s still important to adapt your messaging to different channels and platforms. For example, a message sent via email might be longer and more detailed, while a social media post might be shorter and more visually engaging.
Let’s say you run an animal shelter and your goal is to drive traffic to the donation form on your website. Here’s how you would create a consistent message across the following channels:
Maintain consistency in your messaging, tone, branding, and overall theme across communication channels. Doing so will strengthen your message and improve brand recognition.
Track the success of your multichannel outreach strategy and make any necessary adjustments to continuously improve upon your performance. Some common marketing metrics to track for multichannel donor outreach include:
Experiment with different channels and strategies to see what works best for your organization and audience, and adjust your outreach tactics based on data-driven insights for the best possible results.
Multichannel donor outreach can be a highly effective way for nonprofits to engage with their supporters and raise more funds. By leveraging multiple communication channels and tailoring outreach to specific donor segments, you can maximize your impact and build stronger relationships with your donors.
For more information, watch our video about multichannel donor outreach.
Ready to Get Started?