guest post // How to Tailor Fundraising Appeals to Various Donor Segments
By Debbie Salat, ABC Fundraising
You already know just how diverse your supporter base is. Your mission speaks to people with many different perspectives, habits, and backgrounds. The question is: How do you successfully communicate with all of your supporter segments?
To make the most of your fundraising appeals and create stronger donor relationships, try these strategies.
Analyze Donor Data
To adapt your messaging to various donor sectors, you first need to determine how you’ll segment supporters. Common donor segmentation criteria include:
Demographics, such as age, occupation, or geographic location
Average donation amount
Affiliation with your organization
Interests
Use your donor database to create and implement these groups. There’s no one “right” way to segment your data, so find what approach works best for your organization. For example, if you’re a school hosting a cheerleading fundraiser, you might have the most success segmenting your data by affiliation. Students, parents of squad members, and school alumni all have different perspectives on why your cause is important. Using these donor segments will help you form unique connections with every supporter and reach your fundraising goals faster.
Tell a Story
In your fundraising appeals, it’s important to show, not tell. Stories resonate with all donors, and you can maximize your fundraising potential by choosing the right story to speak to your audience.
Let’s think about the cheerleading squad example again. You’ve experimented with different donor segmentation strategies and found that sorting by affiliation seems to make the most sense for your cause. What story would you tell to appeal to your audience of alumni? Here’s an example your team might use:
“Remember the squeak of the basketball court under your shoes? The smell of freshly mown grass at a football game? The feeling of zipping up your cheer uniform for the very first time? The next generation of the Artemis Cheer Squad is here, and they can’t wait to experience all of the joys of cheer for the first time. But to make those dreams a reality, we need your help.”
This story uses sensory detail to evoke emotion in the reader and appeals to the alumnus’ nostalgia. For other segments, you might take a different approach. Parents and students, for instance, might be more drawn to individuals’ accounts of what cheer has meant to them.
You can share these stories through impact reports, case studies, blog posts, and videos. Use multiple media approaches to really make an impact with your audience. UpMetrics’ guide to nonprofit storytelling also recommends incorporating high-quality visuals, such as “pictures of your team at work, photos of your beneficiaries, or even engaging infographics” to bring your stories to life.
Host Events Tailored to Donors’ Interests
The right fundraiser will appeal to any donor. Having a fun event that anyone can contribute to will encourage donor participation across segments. Here are a few examples of fundraisers that are exciting and profitable.
Host a movie night. Who doesn’t love to watch a movie with family and friends? Appeal to donors with children by hosting a movie night, in which you raise money by selling tickets. Boost funds even further and round out the experience by offering concessions like popcorn, soda, and candy.
Have an auction. Some older supporters may be looking for a more sophisticated event. Auctions are a great way for nonprofits to bring their community together while earning money. Remember to keep your audience in mind while acquiring your auction prizes. ABC Fundraising says that the right prizes can “attract a large audience of excited bidders and earn a ton of revenue,” so treat your supporters to prizes at a variety of price points that appeal to their unique interests.
Hold a dance-a-thon. Some busy supporters may want to be involved in your event, but they don’t have the time to volunteer or attend a typical event. A-thon events bring those supporters into the action by allowing them to give pledges to participants instead of attending the event themselves. The participants dance the night away, and the pledgers can watch the night unfold remotely via livestreams! A win-win-win for you, your participants, and the supporters offering pledges.
Offering a variety of events that appeal to donors of various segments ensures that each supporter feels they have a place in your organization. Showing donors you care about their wants and needs encourages donations.
Strategically segmenting your donors empowers you to better communicate with supporters. Creating dynamic written appeals with each group in mind will help you resonate with each donor and maximize your fundraising results. Remember, donor communication is challenging for any nonprofit, so you can always seek out strategic communications support to help you revamp your approach and appeal to every supporter.
This guest post was written by Debbie Salat.
Debbie Salat is the director of fundraising activities and product development at ABC Fundraising®. Debbie joined ABC Fundraising® in 2010 and has helped launch over 6,500 fundraising campaigns for schools, churches, youth sports teams, and nonprofit organizations all across the USA. With over 20 years of fundraising experience, Debbie knows the path to success for fundraisers, which she shares with groups on a daily basis so they can achieve their fundraising goals.
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