ASPCA Fetches More Online Support in 2003

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has learned the value of collecting and using information about constituents to develop strong relationships and solicit donations through online communications.

Among many e-philanthropy efforts, the organization deploys special appeals and targeted weekly newsletters according to information offered voluntarily by constituents, including geographic region.

According to Jo Sullivan, senior vice president of development for the ASPCA, site traffic on http://www.aspca.org increased 56 percent in 2003 over 2002; the number of online gifts outpaced site traffic growth, increasing by 160 percent over 2002; the number of Web-site users increased by 48 percent; and, currently, 310,000 unique visitors log on to the Web site each month.

One catalyst for ASPCA’s impressive growth in online interaction with donors and prospects, Sullivan attests, is the organization’s efforts to collect e-mail addresses on myriad Web pages and offline direct mail solicitations. Overall, the ASPCA’s donors with e-mail addresses tend to give more; specifically, they give 112 percent more in average dollars, and the number of gifts they give is approximately 85 percent higher than constituents who have not provided an e-mail address.

“Donors with e-mail addresses are undisputedly more valuable to an organization,” Sullivan affirms.

The ASPCA also leverages its direct mail solicitations to promote its Web site by providing a dedicated landing page for each campaign -- designed for prospects who wish to give online.