Multi-Channel Madness! Same Donors, Different

StrategiesCathy Grams, The Wilderness Society

Heather Marsh, ABD Direct

#Bridge14

What we’ll cover:• Donor-Initiated Integration (i.e. Like It or Not)• Intentional Integration• Show me the money: Does it even really matter?• The Importance of Listening to Our Donors

The Wilderness Society 80-year old membership based

conservation organization

To protect our public lands and to inspire Americans to care about our wild places

Headquartered in Washington, DC with 13 offices across the country

$27 million annual budget

Membership provides $7.4 million Online provides $1 million

126,000 0-18 Month Members60,000 with Email

Address15,000 Members Give

Online

Convio – Online PlatformTA – Database of Record

About The Wilderness Society

Photo: California's Point Arena-Stornetta Public Lands. Credit: Bob Wick (BLM).

Multi-Channel:Donor-Initiated Integration (i.e. Like It or Not)

Donor-Initiated Integration

Direct Mail Online

Receives mail piece, does Internet search, donates online

Provides email address on reply device, advocacy action, or website, starts receiving emails

Uses web address or dedicated URL on package

DM > Online

DM > Online

DM > Online

The ChallengesCampaign Reporting (Who Gets Credit?)Ask StringsMessage DisconnectDuplicate RecordsFuture Unsubscribes

How to Keep UpUpdate Website with Campaign Content for

Consistency (Annual Fund, Match Campaigns, Year-End)

Employ Matchbacks Match Ask Strings on Dedicated URLsMerge Online/DM RecordsMonitor/Analyze Donor Unsubscribes

Donor-Initiated Integration

Online Direct Mail

Donates online, starts receiving mail

Provides address (advocacy, e-newsletter sign up, reverse append, other), gets in mail stream

Gives online, gets mail acquisition through list buy

Online > DM

Online > DM

DM Conversion of Online Activists

Though a lower initial response rate, the NPD (-$61) is still within acceptable range

12 month LTV is significantly better than all but multis

The ChallengesAsk Strings (Online Gifts are Usually Larger)Channel Preferences (Cost)Campaign Reporting

How to Keep UpSync Databases for Previous Gift AmountsSegment Online Donors to Monitor

PerformanceMerge Online/DM RecordsMonitor Donor Unsubscribes/Do Not Mail

PreferencesAnalyze Donor Giving (Does the Mail Inspire

Online Donors to Give?)

Donor-Initiated IntegrationProvides phone

number through online donation form

Gives email or mailing address during call TM

DM Online

DM/Online > TM

The ChallengesMessaging ConflictsData SyncingSetting Expectations

How to Keep UpCampaign CalendarClearly Segment Audiences

Multi-ChannelIntentional Integration

Intentional IntegrationExamples

RenewalsSustainersActivistsAppends

Renewals/Lapsed RecapturePlan Renewal and

Lapsed Recapture Campaigns to Target Based on Cost and Donor Responsiveness

DM

OnlineTM

Renewal Campaign

Sustainer Upgrades

Upgrade Email

DM

Online

TM

Activists

TM

DM Online

Drop Activists (Wild Alert and Petition Signers) into Telemarketing Campaign for Immediate Conversion

Activist Conversion

Data Appends/HygieneDM

OnlineTM

Append or Request Email, Mail, and/or Phone Data to Donors and Prospects to Allow for Multiple Communications Pathways

Calendar Campaign

Multi-Channel:Show Me The Money

Key Question:Are my multichannel donors more valuable

than my single channel donors?

Multichannel Donor PerformanceTWSMultichannel giving behavior better for donor value

and retention.

Multichannel Donor PerformanceNonprofit “B”Multichannel giving behavior better for donor value

but not for donor retention.

Are multichannel donors more valuable?It Depends!

Understanding the value and impact of multi-channel for your donors is helpful to ensure key donor segments are engaged.

“Multi-channelism” should not be a primary strategy. Understand it, but don’t have it be a primary measure of success.

Key Question:Are there gift and communication pathways that

could help generate a better donor relationship?

Multichannel Donor Performance by Gift PathTWS Nonprofit “B”DM joins: rate of return improved after migrating to online.Web joins: rate of return generally lower after migrating to direct mail giving.

DM joins: rate of return declined after migrating online.Web joins: rate of return generally higher after migrating to offline

Has an Email Address Donors

% Retained

Initial Value

Sub Value12

Cume Value12

Value Increased by…

DM-DM-DM 1561 42% $27 $19 $45 70%DM-DM-TM 98 52% $41 $48 $89 116%DM-DM-Web 263 39% $39 $26 $65 65%DM-TM-DM 82 32% $31 $19 $49 60%DM-TM-TM 54 56% $28 $38 $67 135%DM-TM-Web 8 38% $27 $16 $43 60%DM-Web-DM 134 43% $31 $37 $68 120%DM-Web-TM 29 55% $46 $52 $98 113%DM-Web-Web 236 49% $38 $34 $72 87%Web-DM-DM 189 48% $61 $57 $118 93%Web-DM-TM 22 55% $61 $47 $108 76%Web-DM-Web 103 52% $67 $50 $117 75%Web-TM-DM 22 59% $51 $82 $133 161%Web-TM-TM 51 59% $38 $65 $104 170%Web-TM-Web 28 54% $97 $58 $154 59%Web-Web-DM 140 49% $49 $51 $100 104%Web-Web-TM 39 54% $73 $62 $135 85%Web-Web-Web 888 53% $45 $61 $105 135%GRAND TOTAL 3947 47% $38 $37 $75 97%

Has an Email Address Donors

% Retained

Initial Value

Sub Value12

Cume Value12

Value Increased by…

DM-DM-DM 9812 50% $74 $60 $134 81%DM-DM-TM 541 43% $59 $45 $104 75%DM-DM-Web 3972 34% $154 $62 $216 40%DM-TM-DM 670 44% $61 $38 $99 62%DM-TM-TM 302 33% $52 $28 $80 54%DM-TM-Web 463 30% $126 $67 $193 53%DM-Web-DM 947 49% $153 $114 $267 74%DM-Web-TM 107 36% $79 $52 $132 66%DM-Web-Web 2505 41% $224 $126 $350 56%Web-DM-DM 1535 57% $136 $138 $274 102%Web-DM-TM 182 48% $93 $70 $163 75%Web-DM-Web 1937 30% $178 $119 $297 67%Web-TM-DM 229 49% $77 $59 $135 77%Web-TM-TM 249 24% $70 $19 $89 27%Web-TM-Web 506 25% $127 $53 $181 42%Web-Web-DM 674 47% $136 $137 $273 101%Web-Web-TM 205 37% $66 $55 $120 83%Web-Web-Web 5397 39% $160 $119 $278 74%GRAND TOTAL 30233 43% $127 $86 $213 68%

Multichannel Donor Productivity by Gift PathDM Joins from Nonprofit “B”Productivity declined after DM donors exhibited multichannel giving behavior, particularly when that behavior was online.

The ability to retain DM donors after they migrated to other channels generally declined, also impacting their subsequent valuation.

Are there gift and communication pathways that could help generate a better donor relationship?

It Depends – But Probably Yes!

Developing a holistic understanding of multi-channel donors can provide focus…

On what donors value most with stronger communications, Provide opportunities to created integrated segmentation to

provide improved targeting, Thereby building a stronger bond and LTV.

Multi-Channel:Give the Donors What They Want

Donor StewardshipRevenue Relationshi

ps

Planned Giving

Major Donors

Attrition

$$$$

$$$

Multi-Channel Communication Offers Opportunities to Build Donor Relationships but Without Planning Can Have the Opposite Effect

Messaging MixThe Magic Formula:

Audience Channel Offer Messaging

ID Key Audiences on Your File

Create Appropriate Messaging:Timing, Tone, Copy, Creative

Develop Offers to

Engage Them

Consider Channel

Responsiveness, Donor

Preferences

AudiencesLow Dollar DonorsMid-High Dollar DonorsProspectsActivistsSustainersLapsed Donors

SuppressionsPrevious GivingDonor Preferences (One Appeal, No Mail)Constituent Expectations (Text Messaging vs.

TM)

Thank you!Cathy_Grams@tws.org

Heather.Marsh@abdata.com

Don’t forget to visit the Solutions Showcase!

Many of the ideas discussed today are on display at the

Solutions Showcase!

#Bridge14