Getting the Younger Donor to Say Yes

By Joe Boland

"On the surface these two endeavors look different," Bartlett said, "but the strategy is the same."

And that strategy revolves around studying your different demographic segments and engaging with them accordingly.

It's a multichannel world
All the panelists agreed that it's vital to take a multichannel approach. Twombly laid out a three-phase approach as to how fundraisers can communicate through all the channels afforded to them:

Integration. Twombly said it's important to keep a consistent brand message across all channels so donors and prospects don't get confused about your mission. That means using the same tone, design and overriding message in your direct-mail campaign as your e-mail and online communications.
Expansion. Expand your outreach by launching a mobile action network, blog, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook to supplement the more traditional channels. Donors and prospects, especially younger ones, frequent these mediums. They’re there, having conversations and looking for organizations to throw their support behind. Be there to join those conversations to have even greater reach than simply your mailing and e-mail lists.
Sharing. Give your donors ways to share your information and stories. People trust and rely more and more on peer-to-peer communications. Add share links to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and any other online channel your donors and prospects inhabit. That way they can pass along the experiences and stories they've had with your brand and open up your organization to people who might never have never thought to look for you before.

Groves added that it's important to make your board aware that while some of these channels might not look like they're helping your bottom line, research shows that the more channels in which a donor engages with an organization, the more he or she gives. All channels must be used in unison to get the most out of your donors, young or old.