how to communicate with supporters before, during and after a fundraising event

© Constant Contact 2017

How to Communicate with Supporters Before, During and After a Fundraising Event

With nonprofit expert John Haydon

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© Constant Contact 2017

Your Host:

Bria Sullivan Webinar Content Developer

Constant Contact

• Helped Komen Greater NYC increase their online fundraising by 30%.

• Helped the Ellie Fund win a national online fundraising contest ($53,000 in 24-hours).

• Helped Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity raise over $215,000 during a #GiveMN event.

John Haydon is one of the most sought-after digital marketing experts for nonprofits and charities. He has helped hundreds of nonprofits realize their best marketing and fundraising results.

John helps nonprofits, charities and community foundations get more from their digital investments with strategic coaching, consulting, and training.

He is also the author of Facebook Marketing for Dummies, and Facebook Marketing All-In-One (Wiley).

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Agenda

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1. How to craft a compelling pitch

2. How to identify and segment your audience

3. How to drive fundraising event registrations

4. How to identify best times to send donation emails

5. How to retain more donors with email

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How to craft a compelling pitch for your event Agenda

How to craft a compelling pitch for your event

Your sales pitch should cut through the clutter

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Noise

Lack of attention

Competition


Find out what is important to your supporters

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Social media

In email metrics

Through survey responses

Listen to comments on:


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Consider your survey questions carefully

What makes a pitch compelling?


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The 4 Elements of a Compelling Pitch

Avoid a common mistake: Using too many open-ended questions.

PRO TIP

Story

Contrast

What’s in it for me? (WIIFM)

Urgency

Story


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Contrast


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WIIFM


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Urgency


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To get your email opened! Your subject line has one job…


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To get your email opened!


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What is it?

Post this:

Recency to offline interaction


Recency to online interaction

Recognition of the sender

Subject line

Relevance

Factors that influence open rate

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To get clicks! Your email message has one job…


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To get clicks!


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The 3 P’s of a Perfect Email

Message

Payoff

Problem

People


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Go tell it on the mountains and in the valleys

YOUR PITCH

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How to identify and segment your audience Agenda

Why should you segment your audience?

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• Donors

• Volunteers

• Advocates

• Marginal interest

• Event attendees

• Sweepstake participants

• Newsletter subscribers

All supporters are not created equal

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• First-time donors

• Returning donors

• Monthly donors

• Major donors

• Gave over a year ago

• By donation amount

• By program

All donors are not created equal

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What is it?

Post this:

First-time donor


Returning donor

Monthly donor

Major donor

Lapsed donor

Segment based on actions, interest and participation

By donation amount

By event

By program

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• How to identify/segment your audiences

Topics

Types of emails

Email frequency

Let your supporters choose:

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Target more highly relevant subscribers with timely marketing emails

How to identify/segment your audiences

Online donation

Volunteer signup

Newsletter subscriber

Pledge signer

Event registrant

Survey taker

Other actions 28

NOTE: The “trigger” is the action that kicks off a drip campaign, like joining your list, opening or clicking.


Use automated messages to communicate in a timely way

The Trigger

Someone

registers

for your

event

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Use timed messages to stay top-of-mind

Day 1 Day 3 Day 5

Message 1 Message 2 Message 3

“Thank you for registering for our event!

Invite your friends.”

“Event news, please share.”

“Other ways you can help…”

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How to drive fundraising event registrations

What motivates people to attend fundraising events?

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What motivates people to attend fundraising events?

Preach to the choir

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Invite people who:

Love the cause

Love the community

Love the activity

Love the sponsor

Love the organization 34

SET UP - 3 months

PROMOTE - 1 month

REMIND - 1 week

INSPIRE The big day!

THANK + 1 day

WHAT’S NEXT? + 1 week

Mobile friendly event page

Drive traffic with direct mail

Update event page with social proof

Close registration and add important details

for registrants

Update page with event pics (link)

Thank again, tell registrants what’s

next

Develop stories and content

Engage community with stories

Ask registrants to share top stories with

friends

Encourage participants to share

on social during event Feature event pics

Share stories for next event

Write email drip campaigns

Early registration email campaigns

Send 1-2 FOMO emails

Email last-minute details to registrants

Send email blast with event pics

Thank again, tell them what’s next

Assemble ambassadors

Ambassadors start promoting

Ambassadors last-minute push

Encourage ambassadors to share on social during event

Thank by phone and postcard

Coffee and bagels

Google Analytics Native ad retargeting Target friends of event registrants

Stop all ad campaigns Thank all participants

in thank you video Debrief metrics

How to drive fundraising event registrants

What to do before, during and after an event: a checklist

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How to identify best times to send donation emails

• Easy to send

• Promote events, advocacy actions,

volunteer opportunities, etc.

• Lets you measure engagement

• Lets you segment subscribers

Examples:

• Newsletters

• Action alerts

• Campaign launch

How to identify the best times to send donation emails

Blasting your list

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The good

How to identify the best times to send donation emails

• Can be an interruption

• Engagement rates can be low

• Difficult to drive multiple actions

• Competing action calls

The bad

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Blasting your list

Examples:

• Newsletters

• Action alerts

• Campaign launch

How to identify the best times to send emails

The benefits of triggered emails

Triggered by subscribers

Timely and relevant

Repeatedly invites action

Engagement rates are higher

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1

3

4

On-boarding emails

Follow-up series

Action triggers

Retention series

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Benefits Types


How to lower unsubscribes using opt-out messaging

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More Tips for Reducing Opt-outs Avoid a common mistake: Using too many

open-ended questions.

PRO TIP


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Timing is everything

2

1

3

Right people

Right content

Right time


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Speak to the most interested

2

1

3

People interested in events

People who downloaded a resource

People who joined a campaign


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Always aim to be helpful to your supporters

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1

3

How can you empower them?

How can you connect them with outcomes?

How can you be useful?

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How to retain more donors with email

How to retain more donors with email

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7 Factors That Influence Donor Retention

Donor feels important

Donor feels appreciated

Donor gets updates about their impact

Donor feels your organization is effective in achieving its mission

Donor knows what to expect with each interaction

Donor receives sincere and timely ‘Thank You’ Messages

Donor has opportunities to make her views known

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On-Boarding Email #1) Say Thanks

B

A

C

Message tone: Thank them with no

strings attached. Be encouraging and

express appreciation.

Timing: Immediately after donation.

Testing: Create 2-3 variations to split

test. This will help you discover the

best approach.

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On-Boarding Email #2) Report back about their gift

A

C

Message tone: Talk about what their

donation did, not what your organization

did. Be encouraging and express

appreciation.

Timing: If your donor system allows,

create a rule to automatically send these

messages 30 and 90 days after the gift

was made


test. This will help you discover the best

approach. Also test timing (30 and 90

days).

B

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On-Boarding Email #3) Invite donors to give again

A

C

Message tone: Thank them for their

support, here’s a new challenge.

Timing: Within the first 90 days

increases retention.


test. This will help you discover the best

approach. Test variations with 10% of the

list, then use winning elements for 90%.

B

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1. Craft a Compelling Pitch a. Story b. Contrast c. WIIFM d. Urgency e. Focus on the 3P’s People, Problem, Payoff

2. Segment based on interest and actions a. Let supporters choose their timing and interests b. Rely on automated emails for more timely messages

3. Drive registrations by preaching to the choir a. Focus on those who already love the cause, supporter, organization b. Make sure you have everything set up before promoting event

4. The best time to send is when your message is most relevant a. Timing is everything b. The most interested are those most engaged with content c. Messages will be welcomed if they are helpful to supporters

5. Retention a. Thank the donor b. Inform them about their gift c. Make the donor feel appreciated

Takeaways

Summary

Learn to communicate better with your base

Free Email Fundraising Course

https://johnhaydon.lpages.co/email-

fundraising-basics-ebook/

Stop blasting your list. Start raising more money.

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https://johnhaydon.lpages.co/email-fundraising-basics-ebook/







Resources

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View the recording https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/104016586

9447771650

Download our

Fundraiser Planning Checklist for Nonprofits

https://blogs.constantcontact.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/John-Haydon-Fundraiser-

Planning-Checklist-for-Nonprofits.pdf

Subscribe to our Hints & Tips Mailing for info about upcoming webinars https://blogs.constantcontact.com/newsletter-

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how to communicate with supporters before, during and after a fundraising event

Government & Nonprofit