Multi-channel fundraising provides more revenue and better donor retention than any single-channel program. When soliciting donors, the case for giving is often made in one channel and the payment of the gift in another. That’s why it’s so important to identify how different channels work together to move supporters through their donor journeys.
Let’s explore how a multi-channel approach to the donor journey can impact your nonprofit organization.
The multi-channel donor journey approach
Consider the following approach to a multi-channel donor journey that many nonprofits take with their supporters:
1. An organization sends its donors a direct mail donation appeal.
A tangible donation appeal via direct mail is more memorable than an email or a phone call. Sending a donation appeal via direct mail also allows you to give supporters items that they can remember you by, such as a branded bookmark or postcard.
2. Over the next week, the donor gets two emails from the nonprofit.
Following up with an email gently reminding donors to give to your nonprofit helps you catch your prospect wherever they are, whereas direct mail is confined to their homes.
3. A few more days pass, and the donor gets a short, personalized text with a link.
Using a mobile-friendly channel like texting is an even more effective way to reach your donor at any time and place. Send them a link to a tailored landing page that matches the look and feel of the direct mail and email pieces the donor received earlier.
4. On the donation page, the donor submits a pre-filled donation form.
Your nonprofit should streamline the giving process as much as possible. Be proactive and offer your donors a suggested gift amount on the form based on how much they’ve given in the past. It’ll take only seconds for them to complete their gift without even putting down their mobile device.
5. The nonprofit’s system automatically sets up thank-you messages.
Use your donor management platform to send an automated thank-you email immediately after a donor gives. Then, send out a mailed acknowledgment letter to be delivered the next day. Finally, the donors who donated above a certain threshold should get a handwritten thanks from your head of development or a personal call.
How to optimize your multi-channel outreach process
To reach out to donors across multiple platforms quickly and in an organized manner, leverage your nonprofit software to streamline communication. To run an impactful multi-channel program that aligns with a sophisticated donor journey like the one above, look for a platform that can:
- Unify and integrate donor data to personalize the ask
- See all channel data to track the effectiveness of the channel mix
- Run and integrate multi-channel programs
- Identify and segment audiences
- Create automated flows for gift acknowledgments and other messaging
Bonterra Donor Engagement Fundraising solution is the best software for nonprofits looking to build and maintain a strong multi-channel communication process. Its virtual phone bank, click-to-call, and mobile canvassing features seamlessly integrate to help you coordinate any scale of outreach. Plus, Bonterra Fundraising saves critical donor information that informs your outreach process. For instance, you can save your supporter’s giving history and contact information in your CRM and message them directly through the mobile canvassing feature.
The impact of using a multi-channel donor journey
With numerous channels at your disposal, your nonprofit can create touchpoints with supporters efficiently. And, with a powerful software solution like Bonterra Fundraising guiding you, your bandwidth increases immensely to achieve your purpose.
