Best Practices for Online Fundraising

1. Best Practices for Online Fundraising Kate Millea and Adam Lemmon Convio, Inc.

2. Best Practices for Online Fundraising • eCRM Overview • Online Communication • Your “Housefile” • Planning for Online Success • Recap

3. eCRM Framework

4. Best Practices for Online Fundraising • eCRM Overview • Online Communication • Your “Housefile” • Planning for Online Success • Recap

5. Kinds of Communications • Scheduled Communications: timing is planned well in advance • Timely Communications: timing is based upon specific events or specific opportunities • Triggered Communications: timing is “triggered” by an online interaction

6. The Importance of Timeliness • Nonprofit organizations lose access to a stream of new online constituents as time progresses Source: Analysis of 3 major nonprofits

7. Example – Timely Communication • Uses “Letter from the Desk of” format • Copy is short & to the point • Timely information that invites action – leads to loyalty • Tell-A-Friend prominent for viral outreach

8. eNewsletter- Scheduled Communication • When KUT simply asked for email address, they got 5%. When they switched the ask to receive eNewsletter, they captured 95% of email addresses. • Define your objectives. • Modify all offline advertising, direct mail, event registrations with a “hook” and an email ask. • “Please provide your email address to receive the latest news on cancer research in our monthly email newsletter.” • Never ask for an email address without highlighting the eNewsletter benefit.

9. eNewsletter Template Example • Personalized • Tell A Friend and Donate links above the fold • Excerpt-style newsletter, with monthly headline feature • Look remains consistent from issue to issue • Headlines and features change from month to month • Speaks to reader through clear calls to action

10. Deconstructing the eNewsletter Template • Top-priority links & branding consistent from month to month • Headlines & graphics change, but general dimensions stay the same • Color scheme may change, but structure is consistent Branding In this Issue Personalization First Headline Graphic & Lead Story Copy Donate Link Feature #1 Feature #2 Feature #3 Second Headline Graphic & Second Story Copy

11. eNewsletters – How are they read? • Recipients fully read only 19% of an eNewsletter, often not scanning the entire newsletter. • 35% of readers scanned only a small part of the newsletter. • 67% of readers completely skipped introductory text at the top of the newsletter. • Average amount of time readers spend on an eNewsletter after opening it: 51 seconds • Notice the emphasis on reading the first two words of the headlines. • RSS feeds do not work as a substitute for an eNewsletter. Also, avoid referring to them as “RSS feeds.” Use something more easily understood, like “news feed.” “2006 Email Marketing Snapshot”, David Daniels, Jupiter Research, 2006 Email Newsletters: Surviving Inbox Congestion. Jakob Nielsen. http://www.useit.com/alertbox/newsletters.html. June, 2006.

12. Copy Writing: Online vs. Offline

13. Best Practices for Online Fundraising • eCRM Overview • Online Communication • Your “Housefile” • Planning for Online Success • Recap

14. Importance of Housefile Example: Web Traffic = 5,000 Visitors/ Month Housefile= 10,000 email addresses Open Rate = 20 % 2,000 people might open the email Click Through Rate = 5% 500 people might click through to your site to learn more Actions = 1% 100 people might act on that email

15. Best Practices for Online Fundraising • eCRM Overview • Online Communication • Your “Housefile” • Planning for Online Success • Recap

16. What’s your path to online success in 2009? Campaign Calendar: what and when Editorial Calendar: themes, content, timing Budget: training, staff, content & materials Plan Build Launch Can Your Staff: • Manipulate images? • Work with basic HTML? • Be detail-oriented (copy & visual)? • Go through Convio Training? Perform final QA: Test all web & email content Get final approvals Launch!

17. Planning – 2009 Top Three Priorities • Examples: • Raise funds • Grow our email list • Increase awareness about our cause • Recruit more advocates • Recruit more volunteers • Communicate more effectively • Promote a major event • Build richer profiles

18. Your 2009 Plan Ready Set Go! Top 3 Priorities Fundamentals Campaigns 1. 2. 3.

19. Create Your Plan Now! Q1 2009 Q2 2009 Q3 2009 Q4 2009 J F M A M J J A S O N D

20. 2009 – Planning Example: Q4 2009 Q1 2009 Q2 2009 Q3 2009 Sustained Giving Campaign Housefile Building Campaign Fall Fundraising Campaign Year-End Campaign Best Practices: Converting year-end Donors to monthly givers Best Practices: Outreach tactics for finding new supporters Best Practices: Creating a compelling ask for support Best Practices: Maximizing year-end giving Community | Consulting | Experience Q&A: Donation forms and fundraising appeals Q&A: Tell-a-friend, eCards, viral marketing, and rewards programs Q&A: Donation forms and fundraising appeals Q&A: Donation forms and fundraising appeals

21. Campaigns: Spring/Fall Fundraising Message #1: Send 200 youth to Yellowstone this summer Message #2: We still have 115 youth who need your support Message #3: We’re able to send 178 youth – it’s not too late to give

22. Campaigns: Spring/Fall Fundraising *excludes donors *excludes donors Audience: Entire email file, minus your optional suppression list eAppeal – Campaign kick-off Sent to broad audience eAppeal Reminder – Donating online is fast and easy Campaign Close – Success statement and a reminder that there’s still time to donate *received after donation completed *received during week after donation Audience: Individuals who have donated to this campaign Donation Confirmation AutoResponder – includes tax receipt information Thank you for financial support – Call to Action: Tell your friends about this campaign After a constituent makes an online gift, they will be shifted to the audience which receives thank you messages.

23. Best Practices for Online Fundraising • eCRM Overview • Online Communication • Your “Housefile” • Planning for Online Success • Recap

24. eCRM Framework

25. Kinds of Communications • Scheduled Communications: timing is planned well in advance • Timely Communications: timing is based upon specific events or specific opportunities • Triggered Communications: timing is “triggered” by an online interaction

26. What’s your path to online success in 2009? Campaign Calendar: what and when Editorial Calendar: themes, content, timing Budget: training, staff, content & materials Plan Build Launch Can Your Staff: • Manipulate images? • Work with basic HTML? • Be detail-oriented (copy & visual)? • Go through Convio Training? Perform final QA: Test all web & email content Get final approvals Launch!

27. Why Nonprofits Use Convio • Increase revenue • Reach and acquire new donors and retain existing ones • Increase giving frequency and average gift size from each donor • Increase response rates to direct mail using an integrated approach • Cultivate potential major donors and steward existing relationships • Lower costs and increase capacity • Decrease marketing and communication costs by leveraging email • Ease administration through online automation • Support their mission • Raise awareness of their cause and organization (increase profile) • Educate constituents through timely, informative, personalized content • Make taking action easier and more rewarding for constituents • Encouraging constituents to share their passion with friends

28. How Those Benefits Are Created • Software • Internet software with proven capabilities in: • Fundraising • eCommerce • Events • Email marketing • Web site content management • Provided through Software as a Service (SaaS) model • Services • Ensure quick, successful implementation • Address your unique needs, mission and timeframe • Expertise • Provide best practices for success • Create documentable results

29. Contact Convio On the Web: www.convio.com Share your email Contact Kate or Adam: kmillea@convio.com or alemmon@convio.com