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Whether you’re soliciting donations via email or mailing event invitations, a strong communications strategy is the key to raising brand awareness and inspiring meaningful support for your nonprofit organization.
In this guide, we’ll walk through nine nonprofit communications best practices that will help you engage supporters and pursue your purpose.
With everything you have on your plate, it can be difficult to remember when you need to send out a thank-you note or follow up with every individual donor.
That’s why pre-planning is crucial. Not only will a nonprofit communications strategy guide your outreach efforts, but it will also provide concrete, measurable objectives so that you know what you’re working towards.
A successful communications plan should include:
Although building a communications plan can be time-consuming, your messaging will be more consistent and effective as a result.
The next step in nonprofit communications is deciding who to target through your outreach efforts. Are you looking to contact a group of potential new donors or loyal supporters who have donated consistently over the years? In order to understand each group’s preferences and motivations, use donor segmentation.
Start by applying filters in your fundraising software, like Bonterra Donor Engagement’s Guided Fundraising solution (formerly Network for Good), to segment donors based on their giving level, communication preferences, and engagement history. Defining these segments will help your organization create content that is relevant and engaging for everyone.
Whether you’re writing a thank-you letter or an invitation to an upcoming event, it’s important to personalize your communications. Your supporters are much more likely to pay attention, feel appreciated, and take action when you speak to them directly, rather than sending out a mass appeal.
Fortunately, you don’t need to write unique messages for each donor to reap these benefits. Simply addressing them by name and mentioning their past involvement will help build stronger relationships.
You can also tailor your communications to the well-defined segments that you made earlier. These segments may include:
Tailored communications are key to maximizing your nonprofit’s outreach efforts.
Donors may indicate that they prefer to be contacted via specific channels. Use these preferences in combination with how you know other supporters like to engage with your organization to craft a multichannel communications approach. Reach as many people as possible by leveraging multiple mediums like:
Combining these communication channels provides multiple touchpoints for interaction and increases your chances of reaching your target audience.
We all respond more positively to messages that sound personable and friendly. Donors are no different. Imagine that you’re speaking with your donors face-to-face and write your message in the same voice and style.
Do you use contractions in everyday conversation? Do you start sentences with conjunctions? If you have an informal voice, your nonprofit communications should match. Read your writing aloud and make edits until it sounds natural.
While it may seem insignificant, the grammar and style choices you make combine to create your nonprofit’s brand voice. When supporters receive your message, they’ll be able to recognize almost immediately that it’s from your organization.
When donors feel valued, they are more likely to take meaningful action. That’s why all of your communications should be focused on the donor.
Rather than talking about your nonprofit’s accomplishments, position your donors as the heroes who help you pursue your purpose. It’s as simple as using first and second person to address donors. For example, instead of saying, “Our nonprofit saved 100 pandas this year,” try saying, “Your generosity has helped save 100 pandas.” Using “we” and “you” language treats donors as your equals.
Donors appreciate a thank-you. But they have an even greater appreciation for a thank-you that updates them on how the projects, programs, and campaigns they’ve given to are progressing. Since you’ve segmented your contacts, it will be easy to share specific updates with the right people.
Consider this highly-specific example:
“Last month, you showed your generosity when the kids needed it most. Your contribution helped to build 12 new schools for children in need. Today, you can help make an even greater impact by helping build new computer labs in each of these schools.”
Keeping the communications relevant will help keep your donors engaged.
Invite supporters to deepen their involvement by including a clear call-to-action (CTA) in every message. This could include any action that supports your cause, from donating to signing up for an email newsletter.
Here are some helpful tips for getting started with CTAs:
Believe in the power of a donation button or compelling statement. When done correctly, effective CTAs provide donors with a quick and easy way to lend their support to your cause.
Soliciting feedback from donors will make them feel like valued partners and help to improve their engagement and retention. After you accept a donation, consider:
With this constructive feedback, you can work toward deepening the relationship between your organization and its donors.
Following these best practices will result in communications that resonate with supporters. Just remember to track engagement metrics and make improvements that align with your recipients' preferences and interests. Not only will your donors feel valued, but they will also be more committed to the long-term success of your organization.
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