At your nonprofit, you likely have a list of people who have expressed interest in your organization at one time or another. Maybe they signed up to receive email updates or follow your Instagram account. Or perhaps they downloaded a free resource you provide on your website, or came to an event you put on, or stopped by your booth at a community event.
Hopefully, you captured their email addresses so you can follow up with them because some of these people have the potential to become vital supporters of your organization. However, don’t just add these people to your email list to receive occasional updates. Putting a plan in place to turn subscribers into supporters is key, and timing is everything!
Reaching Out to Those Who Took Recent Action
Right after someone takes a step with your organization, invite them to take the next step. If that feels too soon or too aggressive, it’s not! It’s actually the perfect time to tighten the relationship because their recent action suggests current interest.
If someone provides their email address to receive a resource, send them the resource, and then the next day, send them a follow-up email. Suggest other resources in which they might be interested. Invite them to an event. Request that they follow your social media accounts.
If someone takes the time to attend one of your events, follow up with a request for support. Hopefully, they were impressed with your organization at the event, and the best time to ask for support is when your organization is top of mind. If you wait, their enthusiasm for your cause could start to wane, and they will be less likely to contribute financially.
If someone makes a one-time donation to your organization, send them a thank you email right away. In that email you could make them aware of any benefits you offer to monthly donors, and ask them to consider becoming a regular supporter by signing up for automatic donations.
Reaching Out to Those Who Take Frequent Action
Another great time to further your relationship with someone on your subscriber list is when they start to take frequent action.
Someone who has attended multiple events or has made multiple donations could be asked about becoming a monthly donor. Someone who has recently become a monthly donor could be encouraged to conduct an online fundraising campaign that encourages their contacts (through email or social media) to donate to your cause. A volunteer who has stepped up to help on multiple occasions could be asked to help recruit other volunteers.
Sending out blanket emails to your subscriber list asking for help is rarely effective. However, targeting subscribers based on recent or frequent action can be very successful. When you work with a nonprofit marketing agency in Colorado Springs, they can help you set up a framework that will make targeting these people easier. For example, our company often helps nonprofits establish an email “welcome series” for new email subscribers and a “thank you series” for new donors. These series of emails help tighten the relationship between nonprofits and those who have the potential to become key supporters.
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