4 techniques for turning volunteers into donors
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For nonprofit organizations looking to increase the sophistication and efficacy of their fundraising practices, one important thing to remember is that donors have different preferences for how they like to engage with the causes they support. 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, give supporters the best experience possible, and maximize your fundraising potential.
In this article, we’ll explore what multichannel donor outreach is and how you can use it to pursue your purpose. And if you’re looking for more advice on how to acquire, engage, and retain more of your donors over time with a great multichannel experience, check out our complete Guide to acquiring and retaining new donors for more expert tips on the right mix of technology and tactics to meet your goals.
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. Try to strike a balance between staying top of mind with donors and not overwhelming them with too many messages.
Nonprofits just starting on their multichannel journey typically aim for 1-2 communications per month per channel, but if you’re ready to make your multichannel outreach more sophisticated, we recommend adjusting your message frequency and channel mix based on your results and on your organization’s needs at a given time. For instance, during campaigns like GivingTuesday, it’s acceptable — even expected — to send multiple messages over the course of a few days. However, if you see donors begin to unsubscribe from your messages and you aren’t in the midst of a major campaign, consider experimenting with sending fewer messages to avoid saturating their inboxes.
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. We typically don’t recommend sending the same exact message to every single donor. Getting clear on who your target audience is for your messages 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:
Pro tip: your donor database should help you maintain accurate lists of donors. Some even let you create not just static lists, but also dynamic lists that change to include or exclude supporters by criteria you set. This can be a great time-saver for busy nonprofit staffers.
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.
Just a few common donor segments for multichannel donor outreach include:
You can also segment donors based on their geographic location, employment status, or volunteer history, and other behavioral and demographic data depending on your needs. For example, while promoting a hybrid fundraising event, you might send in-person invitations to supporters within your community and virtual invite links via email to those living outside of the area. This level of personalization will more effectively engage supporters because you’re showing them you know them and want to offer them a great experience.
Sending the same core 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 wording, visuals, and communication style 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 could start creating 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, improve your brand recognition, and build trust with supporters. Think of it like this: you want each supporter to know exactly which organization and which campaign they’re looking at every step on their way to making a donation, from your letter in the mail to your email to your donation page.
Track the success of your multichannel outreach strategy and make adjustments to continuously improve your performance. Some common marketing metrics to track for multichannel donor outreach include:
Experiment with different strategies and channel mixes to see what works best for your organization and audience, and adjust your outreach tactics based on the insights you gather in your donor database for the best possible results. Storing all of your donor data in one place helps you streamline your work, so everyone who talks to donors knows where to look for information about them. It also helps you pull more accurate reports on your successes more easily. Less stress for staff, board members, and volunteers; more focused and personalized messages for your supporters — it’s a win-win.
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, tailoring outreach to specific donor segments, and giving supporters a great experience with support from the right technology, you can build stronger relationships with your donors and propel your organization to its peak impact.
Craving more insights about how to make sure your multichannel donor outreach strategy is helping you build more support over time? Download this Guide to acquiring and retaining new donors for some tried-and-true tips!
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