a scientist in your event fundraising department
DESCRIPTION
Presented at the 2011 Run Walk Ride Fundraising Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Sure, you have a plan for communicating with your constituents online, but are you doing it in the most analytical way possible? Different people respond to different messages in different ways, based on their affinity to your cause and their past or current behaviors. This session will share lessons learned from segmenting online communications for some of the largest fundraising events in the country. From identifying audience segments, to targeting communications, to tracking the final results of each campaign, this session will feature strategies for increasing your marketing and fundraising results through more targeted online communication.This session will be targeted to organizations who are already utilizing basic e-mail communications methods with their constituent populations. We will give you strategies and tactics to take your communications to the next level.Session Takeaways:1) How to segment with descriptive analysis2) How to target with predictive analysis3) How to analyze the impact of your segmentation & targeting strategyTRANSCRIPT
A Scientist in Your Event Fundraising Department:
Segmenting messages
Customizing content
Delivering results
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Why Am I Here?
OBJECTIVE:Strengthen your effectiveness in your event fundraising
communications
OUTCOME:A few good ideas to test when you get back to the office
A business case for data-driven event communications
AGENDA:How to segment with descriptive analysis
How to target with predictive analysis
How to analyze the impact of your segmentation & targeting strategy
DOES THIS WORK?
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Situation
Problem: How do I use online communications effectively to increase my event fundraising?
Hypothesis: Personalizing event communications through segmentation will generate results.
Procedure: Identify groups within your event audience with unique characteristics and talk to them based on what motivates them.
Results: More meaningful connections with your event participants and more money raised for your mission.
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How do I utilize online
communications to generate real
event fundraising results?
PROBLEM:
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The first rule of fundraising is to ASK.
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The key is to ask in a PERSONAL way.
Directly affected by your cause, city-dweller.
New volunteer with your organization, parent.
“Likes” you on Facebook because a friend
participated in an event, lives abroad.
Participated in a different event with siblings, lives with parents at home.
Long-time major donor, milestone birthday approaching.
Board Member, married, no kids.
Team captain for top fundraising team,
thinking about retirement.
Lapsed participant, but consistent donor.
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Personalizing event
communications strategies and
tactics through segmentation will
increase your fundraising results.
HYPOTHESIS:
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What is segmentation?
Understand what makes your constituents tick.
oGroup them together based on similar characteristics.
o Identify your highest potential groups.
o Forecast future behavior based on information.
Speak to each group differently.
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What happens if I don’t segment?
Oversaturate people with information.
Hit or miss on your messaging = no constituent action.
Lose the opportunity to build a meaningful connection.
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What happens if I do segment?
Right message to the right person at the right time.
Create a connection and generate a response.
Deepen relationships with people who care about your mission.
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Identify groups within your event
audience with unique
characteristics and talk to them
based on what motivates them.
PROCEDURE:
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Step 1: Collecting Data
Keep it simple, start with WHY. What’s your connection to the cause?
Why did you choose to donate?
Use the donor information you already have: Address information
Gift history (how much, how many, to what projects)
Gender, birthdate (age)
Group based on basic information, identify trends and adjust communications based on trends.
Work towards standardizing your process, your questions and your data entry to make measurement and evaluation easier.
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Case Study:
Komen Global Race for the Cure, Year One
Existing database was inconsistent.
Added a question to registration form: “What is your connection to the cause?”
Focused on building our understanding of who was actually coming and why, instead of deciding we already knew.
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Step 2: Descriptive Analysis
Focus on donor characteristics.
Evaluate what they have done in the past.
Segment based on characteristics and past activity.
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Went beyond the standard split of fundraisers versus non-fundraisers.
Discovered clustering of fundraising around specific levels.
o Allowed for tiered segmentation below this fundraising level and above this level (high potential fundraisers).
o Tailored communication to each of these audiences’ fundraising behaviors and motivations.
Combined cause connection information with the amount actually raised to create blended messages that spoke to very specific situations.
Don’t forget donors!
Created targeted asks based on the previous year’s average donation (social norms) to encourage donors to give more.
Case Study: Komen Global Race for the Cure
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Case Study: PetSmart Charities PetWalk
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Step 3: Predictive Analysis
Use your constituent knowledge and information about past activities as indicators of potential future activity.
Identify a predisposition towards a specific action, give them messaging and tools to get there faster.
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At registration asked: “Do you plan on fundraising?”
“Are you interested in incentives?”
From 2009, knew that “Yes, I plan on fundraising” was an indicator of someone who would be a good fundraiser. Combined with an interest in incentives, this was a predictor of a
strong fundraiser.
Received different messaging based on what we expectedthem to do, versus what they had already done.
Case Study:
Komen Global Race for the Cure, Year Two
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Step 4: Building Strong Messaging
Build a clear case for your event.
NEED: What problem are you trying to solve?
IMPACT: What difference will you be making?
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Step 4: Lessons on Messaging
Make a specific ask.
Be simple and concise – attention spans are short.
o Mission always front and center.
o Demonstrate a donation’s impact.
In peer-to-peer event fundraising:
o Relationship with the participant is the donation driver.
o Strong case for your mission at time of donation may increase the donation amount.
o Follow-up donor messaging is equally important, use the opportunity to educate.
Say THANK YOU.
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Case Study: Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure
Acknowledgement ofpast participation.
Specific, realistic ask that is tied to event.
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More meaningful connections with
your event participants and more
money raised for your mission.
RESULTS:
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How do you measure results?
Evaluate click-through and open rates.o Compare to number of gifts and actions taken (e.g. event registration).
After your event or campaign is complete, review the median gift size.o If the asks are more powerful through segmentation, there will be a
rise in the median gift size.
o Begin with measuring against year-ago to ensure change.
Results provide important data for you to make adjustments and changes for campaigns in following years. o Make note of trends and adjust your strategies accordingly.
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Case Study: Komen Global Race for the Cure
Fundraising average per registrant up 10 %
Fundraising average per fundraiser up 16%
Median fundraising per fundraiser up 20%, from $100 to $120
Median donation up 20%, from $50 to $60
Event raised more money through fewer participants.
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
2009 2010
150
170
190
210
230
250
270
2009 2010
Average per Registrant Average per Fundraiser
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Case Study: Komen Global Race for the Cure
Interest in fundraising rewards was a key indicator.
Affirmative answer to “are you interested in earning rewards” second largest indicator of fundraising potential.
In some cases, the group who answers “yes” is twice as likely to fundraise as those who answer “no.”
10%
21%
69%
yes
maybe
no
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Messages about incentives were the most engaging.
Tested messages using incentives, stats, stories and tools as motivators.
Case Study: Komen Global Race for the Cure
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Open Rate Click Through
Rate
Forward Rate
Incentives
Stats
Stories
Tools
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Directly affected by your cause, city-dweller.
New volunteer with your organization, parent.
“Likes” you on Facebook because a friend
participated in an event, lives abroad.
Participated in a different event with siblings, lives with parents at home.
Long-time major donor, milestone birthday approaching.
Board Member, married, no kids.
Team captain for top fundraising team,
thinking about retirement.
Lapsed participant, but consistent donor.
CONCLUSION: You have a diverse group of event participants.
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CONCLUSION: Using your data to segment your messages will bring them together to raise more money for your cause.
WE CARE ABOUT YOUR
CAUSE.
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READY FOR RESULTS?
Come and chat with us.
www.event360.com/RWR2011
Download slides from today’s presentation.
Sign up for a complimentary session with our fundraising consultants.
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