Jess Campbell, CEO of Out in the Boons, discusses the need for nonprofits to invest in donor engagement during the summer months through thoughtful and consistent email communications. By nurturing relationships with donors and providing updates on the impact of their contributions, nonprofits can set themselves up for success during the year-end giving season.
Jess addresses the misconception that summer is a slow period for fundraising by citing the Giving Report, which shows a decline in giving across the United States.
The conversation emphasizes the importance of building relationships with donors and providing meaningful updates on how their contributions have made an impact. Jess suggests sending personalized emails to donors, thanking them for their previous contributions and explaining how their donations have been used to support specific initiatives. She emphasizes the need for transparency and closing the information gap between donors and nonprofits.
Regarding email marketing, Jess highlights the benefits of email as a channel for communication and fundraising. She explains that email marketing has a higher return on investment compared to social media and provides nonprofits with more control over their messaging. Jess recommends increasing the frequency of email communications to at least one email per week, or ideally, two emails per month, to ensure consistent engagement with donors.
Jess also emphasizes the importance of effective segmentation in email marketing. She suggests tailoring emails to different donor segments based on their giving history, such as end-of-year donors, lapsed donors, or monthly donors. By personalizing the messaging and focusing on specific segments, nonprofits can enhance donor engagement and build stronger relationships.
Furthermore, Jess advises nonprofits to focus on click-through rates rather than open rates to craft compelling subject lines and create curiosity to entice donors to click through and engage with the content of the emails.