2019 Online Fundraising Trends

Tracking The Donor’s Journey FedEx Style

By Kiersten Turos | Nov 1, 2019

Whether you’re navigating the great unknown in search of the eighth world wonder or tracking your latest Amazon purchase from Bangladesh to Ohio, there is great value in every type of journey. Every journey is benchmarked by the experiences we encounter along the way. And every experience teaches and prepares us for the destination, builds trust and confidence in ourselves and others, and ultimately forms our impression of the event. When the destination you are promoting is philanthropic, the importance and value of every experience along that journey increase exponentially. This is why becoming more involved in your nonprofit’s donor journey is essential to accomplishing your fundraising goals and carrying out your mission in 2020 and beyond. My advice?

If you want to grow your support base and inspire advocacy, start thinking like FedEx.

 

Donor Journey Essentials

Be Truly Authentic. Communicate clearly and be straightforward about who you are and what you do. Just like high school math class, show your work. Find a way to give donors an unaltered view of your standard operations. Show donors the direct impact of their donations. Make it clear to your donors that you appreciate their invaluable contribution to your mission.

Be Completely Transparent. If you have something to hide–Gen Z will find it. Expose your funding processes. Communicate openly about where donations go and how they are used when they get there. Take a page from the FedEx playbook and allow donors to track the progress of their contribution from the moment they donated to the moment their support impacts the community.

Induce Action, Inspire Advocacy. People want to spread awareness about the issues that move them, so move them. Harness the power of social marketing, tell the stories that best highlight the impact your nonprofit has on the community. Create content that drives people to tell your story. Stay in front of your supporters, don’t let them forget about your cause. Create opportunities for supporters to engage their communities, let them do some of the hard work for you.

 

Pro Tips for Increasing Donor Retention:

• Stop using insider terminology or any other overly-manufactured verbiage
• Know your audience (potential supporters) and create content that is relatable
• Regularly capture and share current, validated donor impact data
• Regularly document and share community impact stories
• Regularly share behind-the-scenes moments from your team and community activities
• Create volunteer opportunities for supporters to become involved in daily operations
• Regularly provide shareable media for supporters to promote
• Provide tools for donors to track their donations
• Communicate with supporters and donors regularly
• Make it easy for donors to maintain involvement
• Provide opportunities for supporters to hold their own fundraising events

 

The value of the FedEx journey grows from their focus on the customer. Check out their positioning statement: “connecting people with possibilities”. Your donor journey must put the donor first. Take a step back, look through their eyes. How can you create value for them? How can you connect with them on a deeper level? How can you inspire them to become a part of your mission? Find the answers to these tough questions… and you will turn “them” into “us”.
 

Shift your nonprofit’s focus to intelligent donor journey models that engage supporters, build authentic relationships and nourish ongoing advocacy.

 

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