If you’re like most of us, you’re probably wondering what happened to 2021!
The year that was filled with lockdowns, remote working and an unstable economy is now all but over as we head towards the biggest season of giving on the fundraising calendar at breakneck speed!
As fundraising starts to recover from the lack of face-to-face contact caused by the pandemic, there’s just one last chance to claw back results from what we hope is the final year of disruption.
Generic communication will fail to create a bond. Nor will it encourage the reader to click on the all-important ‘donate’ button.
For major and higher-end donors, adjust the language to empower the donor and highlight the extended gratitude for their level of support. This empowerment will encourage more significant gifts leading towards the end of the year.
Personalise everything
Nobody wants to read anything addressed to ‘dear sir/madam’. With just a few short seconds to capture the attention of your email reader, failing to use the first name immediately shows the recipient that you don’t know who you’re communicating with.
Always use names where appropriate and make sure that donor details are accurate and spelt correctly.
Create a powerful headline
When sending an email campaign, the first few words in the subject line can make the difference between someone choosing to ‘read more’ or ‘send to trash’.
While email has a relatively low ROI compared to direct mail and other campaigns, it is still vital that you make every word count.
Generate a headline that compels someone to read more either by creating intrigue, giving them an offer, or empowering them to support.
Consider matched giving
According to data released by
Consider approaching a major donor or a group of high-end donors and ask them to create a ‘double gift’ fund. You can cap the value of the matched gifts, but once a supporter knows their impact can be doubled, it may encourage them to dig a little deeper.
Layer the communication strategy
When creating a digital campaign, you have the benefit of the supporter base at your fingertips. Use social media and email to create a layered campaign consisting of a teaser email, appeal, follow-up appeal and campaign update. A sophisticated email platform can help you pre-load a communication journey and relocate contacts depending on the action taken, saving you time once the campaign has started.
Analyse data
Data is the key to unlocking the fundraising door this Christmas.
There’s no denying that donor habits over the past 18 months will be more erratic than usual. With an unstable economy, those you have previously counted on for support might not be as likely to give as they once were.
But times are changing rapidly in the world of your supporters. Analyse data on who usually gives at Christmas pre-pandemic. Create an appeal targeted to those almost guaranteed givers who have perhaps been more frugal with their donations and who may now be ready to give again.
There are no safe assumptions to make in fundraising. Specifically target the database on facts to guarantee success.
Share results
Report back to donors at various stages of the campaign. Use social media or an email created to send once specific targets are reached. Unlike direct mail campaigns, the major benefit of digital campaigns is that donors can be kept informed every step of the way. Not only that, seeing how close they are to targets with a strategically timed ‘thank you’ could even encourage second donations for the same campaign.
Create a specific fundraising page
A campaign-specific landing or fundraising page will direct supporters to the information related to the current campaign. While a charity website is essential to generate wider support for the organisation, too much information can dilute a specific campaign and reduce the impact.
A simple, branded fundraising page will make life easier for donors and show them what you want them to do, why you want them to do it and exactly how they can help. Integrating a fundraising page with the CRM or donor database is an excellent tool to gather data and analyse supporter habits.
SupporterHub is an integrated fundraising platform that combines email marketing, fundraising pages and sophisticated data analysis.To get started with a FREE trial, (no credit card required), get started
