DonorPerfect
Welcome to Nonprofit Expert, presented by DonorPerfect.
Mallory Erickson
Hello, and welcome to Nonprofit Expert, presented by DonorPerfect. I’m Mallory Erickson and I’m here for a little podcast takeover, a mini series of episodes where Read More
DonorPerfect
Welcome to Nonprofit Expert, presented by DonorPerfect.
Mallory Erickson
Hello, and welcome to Nonprofit Expert, presented by DonorPerfect. I’m Mallory Erickson and I’m here for a little podcast takeover, a mini series of episodes where we’re going to dive into fundraising strategies that make your life easier and your organization stronger. Today we’re exploring how to leverage data to have deeper, more meaningful conversations with your donors. Specifically, we’ll focus on the power of donor segmentation. That is about organizing your donor base into meaningful groups to foster personalized and impactful communication. So a lot of nonprofits struggle with generic communication that doesn’t resonate deeply with individual donors. Sending the same message to everyone can really lead to missed opportunities, disengagement, and lower response rates, because people don’t really feel like the message was necessarily meant for them. A big part of fundraising is validating people’s identity and feelings of belonging, and when you get an email that seems like it’s for a different type of person, that’s what can lead to that disengagement. So without segmentation, we risk our donors feeling a bit unseen or misunderstood and it can diminish their motivation to engage and to contribute, which is totally understandable, right, because if any of us are wondering if we’re in the right place, that means that we feel like we don’t belong. So donor segmentation is a big solution here because it allows you to categorize your donors based on shared characteristics like giving history, interests, engagement levels, and other demographics. So when you clearly understand these segments, you can tailor your conversations and appeals to speak directly to each group’s specific motivation and interests. So here are some examples, you might segment your donors into groups like first time donors or monthly givers, lapsed donors or major contributors, right, those are some very basic ones. Maybe they attended a certain event and each of them are going to receive tailored messages that are designed to nurture their unique relationship with your organization. So segments can also be driven around motivation or a program area that they’re particularly passionate about. So why does segmentation work? I want to make sure you understand the reasoning behind this. It works because it really allows you to meet donors where they are and to engage them with relevant content because personalized communication based on that segmentation demonstrates that you understand the value your donors individually and that significantly understandably improves those retention and engagement rates. And another example I’ll give here is I don’t know about you but I’ve often received emails after participating in a peer to peer campaign that sounds something like, you know, we’re so grateful Mallory for how much you believe in our mission to do x y and z or we’re so grateful Mallory for your incredible support and deep understanding and I’m like what organization is this? I don’t even know this organization and had they written the email and said hey Mallory, we know that you recently gave to Josh’s bike ride through Philadelphia and we wanted to reach out and tell you a little bit more about what that bike ride really did for x y and z. Would have helped me really remember why I donated to them, that I did it through a peer to peer campaign, that I did it because my friend cares about that organization, and maybe that organization does really align with what I believe in, but I don’t even keep reading that other email when I immediately feel this disconnect between who they’re talking to and me not even necessarily remembering the organization in the first place. So data driven segmentation really helps you allocate your own resources more effectively and use those precious emails that you’re sending to your donors in a way that is going to yield the greatest impact when it arrives in their inbox or if it’s a phone call or a text message. So here’s your specific and simple action step for right now. Identify at least three distinct segments within your donor database. Develop some targeted messaging strategies tailored to each group, and if you feel like you don’t have the time or capacity to go into full strategies then just one message each. So, for example, you could create special content or communications for new donors, welcome series, loyal supporters, and donors who have stopped giving. Evaluate and refine your approach based on donor responses. So maybe you start with one message to each group and again pick whichever segments are most top of mind for you and then send a tailored email to each segment, to each group, and let’s evaluate how it did. And if you’re a DonorPerfect user, leverage built in tools to segment your donor database quickly and use the system’s reporting and tracking features to understand each segment’s segments behaviors, preferences, and trends. There’s so much valuable information inside that DonorPerfect database, so this can help you continually refine your outreach for even more personalized and effective conversations. As a final piece, I’ll just say I want you to remember that behind every data point is actually a real person who cares about your mission, your organization, or somebody else who does care deeply about your work. And by understanding and using segmentation strategically, you’re not only improving fundraising results, but you’re really strengthening relationships and honoring each donor’s unique contribution. So your thoughtful and personalized outreach can truly make such a difference in having donors feel seen, valued, and deeply connected to your cause. So thank you for joining us today on the nonprofit expert. Keep leveraging data to create deeper connections and lasting impact. I’ll see you next time.
DonorPerfect
Thank you for listening to Nonprofit Expert presented by DonorPerfect. For more information and a special offer, visit donorperfect.com/podcast.
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