I am short.
And when it comes to clothing, I often find myself visiting a tailor to hem my pants, shorten a dress, or even take up sleeves.
To help people like me, “petite” clothing was invented. However, you can’t always find exactly what you want in that section.
So why am I sharing these minor challenges in a world full of real problems?
I share this to illustrate why one size doesn’t fit all—whether it’s clothing or emails. Just as a single piece of clothing may not fit everyone, a single email blast doesn’t target everyone with the same messaging.
What is segmentation?
Donor segmentation means grouping your nonprofit's supporters based on things they have in common. For example, you might segment those who donated to a particular campaign, attended events, or contributed larger amounts.
This helps you send more personalized messages, which people appreciate far more than generic ones.
Why is it so important?
When you group your donors, you can give each group the content they’re most interested in, making them feel like the message is tailored specifically for them.
Instead of painting all donors with one brush, you create a more personalized experience for each donor—or at least for those with similar interests.
Why is the information EACH AND EVERY team member enters into your database or CRM so important?
As you can imagine, effective donor segmentation requires information about your supporters. It would be impossible to group them by shared traits if you don’t know enough about them.
As part of your donor management, collect detailed information about your supporters in your donor database or CRM, then use that data to create segments and send personalized messages.
How to get started
When you ask donors to give to your nonprofit or register for events, be sure to save the following information to start building your segments:
Name
Contact information
Donation amount
Donation date
Communications leading up to the donation
Events attended
Over time, you’ll gather more and more insights about your supporters, including additional data about their interests and motivations.
Compile this information, then look for segmentation opportunities.
Don’t forget to keep your records up to date, as circumstances inevitably change—like divorce, the death of a spouse, or relocation.
Then, start a conversation with your donors based on the topics that matter most to them, and watch your retention rates grow!
Leveraging donor segmentation to build stronger relationships increases donors' loyalty to your organization, encouraging them to give again and again. Remember, it’s easier to keep a donor than it is to find a new one.
BONUS: It's around 10 times more expensive (according to NPQ) to attract new supporters than it is to retain existing ones.
And, when donors give consistently to organizations over time, their contributions tend to increase.
Criteria to help you set up your segments:
How long have donors been giving?
How often do they give?
How do they give (online, in person, etc.)?
How much do they give?
Why did they give?
Event participation
Special campaign
Tribute gift
Monthly donor
And more!
I first learned about segmentation when I was working at an advertising agency. It was more about discovering your customer and then finding more like them.
As my old boss, Dan would say…
Birds of a feather flock together.
We used to use what was then very high-tech information to discover this information. You have this information if you enter donor information correctly into your database or CRM.
Use this information to make sure you message to all the major gift Goldfinches about what is of interest to them.
To all the party- Peacocks about enjoying your next event.
And your corporate Cockatoos about your new employee engagement opportunities.
And remember, if you need help with segmentation or about who is the best donor dove to target---Reach out today.
We are Team Kat & Mouse and we want to help you grow your fundraising through Training, Tactics and Tools!
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