44 • F I L M/ T V F U N D RAISIN G
LET’S GET ENGAGED
No matter how well you first inspire someone to support you, there’s a tendency to under-invest in the ongoing nurturing of supporters. DTV’s Peter Muffett caught up with Tobin Aldrich to discuss effective donor engagement. PM: So, Tobin, I work in DRTV where we often see high levels of supporter retention. What can you tell me about other channels? TA: Retention can vary enormously subject to the cause, the channel, and ongoing communications. According to the US Association of Fundraising Professionals, only 26% of donors making a single gift give again. Retention of monthly committed givers is better, but not by much. The best figures for face-to-face donors indicate that fewer than 40% of people signing a monthly direct debit
are still giving after 12 months. That’s a hell of a lot of churn. Even small improvements in donor retention rates have a huge impact. A 10% improvement in year-on-year retention can double donor lifetime values.
appropriately. But we shouldn’t see a donor retention strategy as only about customer service. It needs to be an engagement strategy. There are tried and tested approaches which successful charities have been following for a long time that drive successful engagement.
PM: That’s a potentially huge impact in helping charities achieve their mission. Where should fundraisers start? TA: We can’t change a donor’s beliefs or values. But if we understand them, and why they support us, we can treat donors more
PM: Change often needs a new mindset, then a new strategy. Where’s the best place to start? TA: Above all, it’s about organisational focus and resources, not a quick fix. If fundraisers are judged on this month’s income or how
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many donors are brought in this year, then engagement strategies aren’t prioritised. Who is responsible for the quality of the donor experience in your organisation? How senior are they? Are the trustees involved? Is the CEO? Is your senior management engaged in your engagement strategy? How much are you spending on the supporter experience? Is enhancing it in people’s job descriptions? You need a strategy, not merely a wish list. PM: What does that mean for supporter recruitment? TA: Recruitment sets the expectations for the future relationship between donor and charity. The channels and the messages you deploy are crucial. Problems happen when there is a mismatch between the expectations of the supporters and how they are subsequently treated. You need to understand the audience, what do they respond to, what do they expect? Making sure that recruitment and donor development strategies are really joined up is vital. Take a look at how you thank people. Every supporter should understand the difference they have made, but this is often neglected. PM: In practice, how can fundraisers thank people more effectively? TA: I’d start with four relatively simple steps. Review the processes, the rules: Does everyone get thanked? If not, why not? How long does it take? Cut response times. Every donor should be thanked the day a donation is received. If you can’t do that, outsource thanking to a company that can. Assess every piece of thank you communication. What does it say, how does it make people feel? Is it simple, warm, personal and truly relevant to the recipient? Then exceed donor expectations! This may mean anything from handwritten thank you notes to a charity-wide donor thanking day. Also continue that early engagement. Signing up to a direct debit or writing a cheque doesn’t make someone a supporter, neither does signing a petition or clicking on an email. What happens next will determine whether that relationship develops. A proper thank you is one
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part of what needs to happen, but supported by communications that engage and ask for feedback. That means asking and listening, not bombarding new supporters with more ways they can support! PM: I hope you’ve noticed that I’m asking questions and listening here! TA: Exactly, well done! PM: Thank you! Now, where does this basic human relationship stuff go wrong? TA: Good causes are proud of their work and rightly so. But that means they sometimes show off: “Look at me...our lovely magazine...our stunning annual review!” Just ask people how they feel, why they support, and what they’d like (you’ll need their permission for future communications anyway). But not a 20-page survey, just the relevant snippets. Then you’ll be able to send them something that is interesting, simple, warm, personal and relevant. Then repeat. Move from broadcast mode to dialogue mode. It’s transformational. PM: Can you expand on that for me? What about channel mix for example? TA: Channel mix is important. Remember the early days of face-to-face fundraising? Newly signed up, young, regular givers were sent forests-worth of direct mail appeals, which they of course ignored. Some supporters recruited through particular channels may only read or interact with your communications in that channel, although it is more likely they will look at messages across a range of channels. Understanding which and how is therefore key. By mapping donor preferences and behaviours you can develop a truly integrated approach. All media matters. Social media is now of major importance. Not all supporters use social media, or use it to look at charity messages, but an increasing number do. This granular detail matters. Many causes struggle with a multi-channel approach. Internal silos don’t help! Breaking them down is essential. PM: This is all making sense, but what about passive supporters? Isn’t it a mistake to try to actively engage everyone? TA: Absolutely. An engagement strategy means
doing what’s right for the supporter. Not all donors want to be engaged. Some just want to be left in peace. We now have the technology to talk to each supporter, effectively and individually. Yet often, we don’t. Systems and processes need rethinking, re-engineering. If Amazon speaks to me in a tailored, personal way, why can’t my favourite charity? While tailoring is important, pretty much all donors want to know the difference they have made. Good reporting isn’t just an annual review. It’s specific, relevant feedback on what impact the charity made with your money. A shining example is Charity:Water. As a donor, you know what they did with your money, what it achieved, or, from time to time, didn’t! They talk about challenges as well as successes. And they do this succinctly, personally and accessibly. PM: As a final question, I want to play devil’s advocate. What would you say to a fundraiser who thinks that engagement is all fluffy nonsense, and that we really just need to ask more effectively? TA: I’d say this is all about asking more effectively. Engagement with no outcome is just entertainment. Even engaged people won’t give unless you ask them. Engagement doesn’t reduce the importance of asking. It’s about asking for the right things in the right way at the right time. And then always test and learn. PM: As a direct marketer, that’s music to my ears, thank you!
Tobin Aldrich & Peter Muffett
Tobin has been Fundraising & Communications Director for major UK and international charities, raising over $750 million and recruiting well over one million new donors. He has developed fundraising strategies for organisations all over the world. Peter is a founder of the DTV Group and helps good causes recruit support through DRTV campaigns in over 30 countries.
Then drop a line to plain talking, fluent in fundraising DTV. Email info@dtvgroup.asia to speak with Alex, Lauren, Kerri, Derek or Peter. Or find out more at www.dtvgroup.asia