Leveraging What You Know About Donors
In a session last week at the DMA Nonprofit Federation 2007 New York Nonprofit Conference, Jennifer Donahue, director of development for NARAL Pro-Choice America, discussed her organization’s experiences integrating e-mail, telefundraising and postal mail.
According to Donahue, NARAL’s journey to integration began when it had successful direct-mail, telemarketing and Internet fundraising programs and asked the question “What now?”
Among its integration efforts, NARAL began using the telephone to convert non-donating online activists who didn’t respond to direct mail. The organization saw a 2-to-1 improvement in response, which Donahue attributes to the fact that activists were contacted within 24 hours after they took an action.
In addition, to expand the success of its “Who Decides” direct-mail control package and boost online recruitment, NARAL’s online team has integrated the “Who Decides” message with its online messaging.
While this strategy has proven successful, Donahue warns nonprofits not to think of funds raised online as “free money.” In her organization’s experience, the Web is not a bottomless resource, in that donors don’t end up giving more often through multiple channels.
She advised organizations follow their data and what it tells them about donors and to use that data to shepherd both donors and activists through the proper channels of giving “because you know them better than they know themselves.”
NARAL’s credo for integration success:
* No dollar left on the table;
* No donor left “untouched”;
* No cost untested to reduce expenses;
* No segment not optimized; and
* No mercy shown the donor (be vigilant and consistent in staying connected to your donor base).
Jennifer Donahue can be reached via www.naral.org
