Megan ElliottSenior Consultant, Community Boost Consulting

Shukri MohamedDigital Marketing Specialist, Community Boost Consulting

How to Build and Grow a Recurring Giving Program

#NMS2020

The power and predictability of recurring giving.

487%Increase in total donor lifetime value.

50%Increase in average donor retention rate.

52%of millenials are more likely to give monthly over a large, one-time donation.

Case Study: Step Up● $7,882 Ad Spend● 128 Total Activated Users● 17 Total Cancelled● 86.71% Retention Rate● $20,877.31 Total Donated to

Date● $2,587.37 Current Monthly

Revenue

So we get the why… let’s focus on the how.

Part 1 Align on your

message— creative

Part 2Market and scale your

program— traction

Part 1:Aligning on your campaign

CREATIVE.

Your MessageYour campaign message is the center of truth from which

everything else stems. Give time to make sure it is genuine and real.

Simple

StoryRelevant

Emotional AppealImpact-centric

Unique

Build Your CampaignThemed Landing PageA core, campaign-branded landing page is a MUST for any recurring giving program.

Flagship VideoThe most effective way to deliver your message.

Crystal Clear Impact MetricsAs competition for recurring donors increases, clear impact metrics are more important than ever before.

Private TribeA private group(Facebook) that makes your donors feel like they belong in this community of like-minded peers.

Incentivize EngagementLet your donors know they are as valuable as they are by going above and beyond with direct mail.

Recurring Giving Landing Page

Good recurring giving landing pages are clear, concise, and creative.

Testimonials

Impact Blocks

Strong, Branded, Campaign Name

■ Simple: strip your message down to its most critical core without turning it into a soundbite.

■ Emotional: Easy for NPO’s. Focus on Emotion!

■ Relevant: Make sure that your targeted donor audience is ideologically aligned.

■ Video: Invest in a flagship video. Can pay unexpected dividends.

■ Effective: Focus on impact. Add data or appeal to authority.

■ Stories: Again the story of your RG tribe’s impact is everything, share it.

A Best-In-Class Recurring Giving Program...

Part 2:MARKETING and SCALING Your

Campaign.

Our Top 7 Marketing Channels for Your Recurring Giving Program

1. Email Marketing

2. Organic Social Media Marketing

3. Facebook and Instagram Ads

4. Google Ad Grants

5. Paid Google Ads, Youtube, and Display

6. Direct Outreach

7. Peer-to-Peer Empowerment

Email Marketing● Create automated, segmented email

drips for existing email lists.

● Segmentation is absolutely critical to your conversion rate:

○ Customize drip based on warmth of the audience

■ Ex: First time donors, long-term donors, lapsed donors, first time subscribers, etc.

● Test diverse content strategy○ Text-only, mission centric appeal○ Message from the beneficiary○ Utilize video creative

Source: www.dezzain.com

Organic Social● Showcase beneficiary stories.

● Use a memorable #hashtag

● Get audience involved and share their stories tagging you - the ultimate goal is user generated content.

● Build a tribe of recurring donors through a Facebook group.

Facebook and Instagram Ads

● Hyper Targeting: ○ Tier 1: Pre-Wire Awareness○ Tier 2: Convert○ Tier 3: Gratitude

● Specify messaging and CTA

● Utilize video creative.

● Take advantage of existing viral effect.

Google Ad Grant● Utilize $10,000/month in free Google

search ads○ Increase brand awareness

○ Build remarketing audiences

○ RLSA capability

● Reverse engineer what your audience is searching for and cares about

○ Things to do campaigns

○ Activities for kids

○ Best local nonprofits

● Send thousands of potential supporters to your site every month for free

Paid Google Search, YouTube, and Display● Paid Search

○ Capture branded traffic with intention to opt-in

○ RLSA (Remarketing List Search Ads) ● Youtube

○ Flagship video: Increase awareness of the value of recurring giving

■ Cost effective & expansive● Display

○ Remarketing■ Use in parallel to search and

social advertising○ Custom Affinity Audiences

■ New audience reach○ Cost effective & expansive

Direct Outreach● Pick up the phone and call your donors to

ask if they’d consider becoming recurring donors.

● Keep things personal.○ Informality can be an advantage—

signals genuine intent.

● Direct Mail: ○ Show the value of recurring giving

through personal stories and metrics of impact

● Increasing Program Retention: ○ Make your recurring donors feel

valuable. Send welcome trinkets or handwritten thank you notes.

Peer2Peer Empowerment

● Incentivize Referral Program: Encourage brand advocacy on and offline

● Consider a core supporter Facebook group.

● Prepare easy-to-use templates to remove barriers to participation

● Mobilize core supporters to text, email, call— support evangelization.

● Leverage their social media networksYour

Recurring Giving

Program

Core Supporters

Supporter Network

Recap

Part 1 Align on your

message— creative

Part 2Market and scale your

program— traction

■ Simple.

■ Emotional.

■ Relevant.

■ Video.

■ Effective.

■ Stories.

1. Email Marketing2. Organic Social Media Marketing3. Facebook and Instagram Ads4. Google Ad Grants5. Paid Google Ads, Youtube, and Display

Advertising6. Direct Outreach7. Peer-to-Peer Empowerment

Any Questions?

Free 1:1 Strategy Session for All AttendeesIf your nonprofit is looking to take your recurring giving program to the next level, let’s talk!