In our previous article, “You have to know your donors to engage them,” we outlined the data points needed to build the emotional connections with your donors that lead to increased ROI for your fundraising. Many of those points can be found in your existing donor data, or through data appends, but some points will require primary research. In this article, we outline how to design research to be useful in creating more relevant and meaningful communications. 

Most fundraisers are familiar with the idea that it’s less expensive to keep a donor than to find a new one. And many are aware about how to retain donors: they need to build strong connections between the charity and the donor. In the past, charities have focused on the importance of making rational, deliberate appeals on the assumption that donors made rational, deliberate decisions when giving. 

CHALLENGE:
A 1,200% increase in net proceeds may not seem possible, but that’s exactly what we helped the Detroit Zoo achieve over a five-year period through a more efficient and targeted marketing program.

The results of appeal season are in for Children’s Leukemia Foundation of Michigan (CLFM) and the impact of a new approach has been dramatic.

There’s so much uncertainty surrounding the impact the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will have on individual giving, that many of our non-profit clients are asking for advice on how to plan their fundraising activities for the coming years.