Nonprofit 911:A Scientist in Your Communications Department: Segmenting Messages, Customizing Content and 

Delivering ResultsWith Jeff Shuck, event360

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Today’s Speaker: 

Jeff Shuckevent360 

Jeff Shuck, President and CEO

A Scientist in Your Communications Department:Segmenting Messages, Customizing Content andDelivering Results

Jeff Shuck, Event 360October 3 2011

Agenda

Introduction to Segmentation What Is It? Why Bother?

Basic Approaches for Event Fundraising Linkage Fundraising Activity Demographics

A Few Words on Messaging

Final Thoughts

Q & A

What is segmentation?

1. Understanding your constituents and how they impact your program

2. Grouping them together based on similarcharacteristics

3. Speaking to each group differently

4. Forecasting and then influencing future behavior

Wait! If something works, why not do it with everyone?

How do you feel when you look at something

that doesn’t apply to you?Do you even read it?

Irrelevant communications…

Oversaturate people with information

Reduce the likelihood they will take impactful action

Miss an opportunity to build a meaningful connection

Instruct people not to read your messages!

The first rule of fundraising is to ASK.

Directly affected by your cause, city‐dweller.

New volunteer with your organization, parent.

“Likes” you on Facebook because a friend participated in an event,  lives abroad.

Participated in an event with siblings, lives with 

parents at home.

Long‐time major donor, milestone birthday approaching.

Board Member, married, no kids.

Team captain for top fundraising team, thinking 

about retirement.

Lapsed participant, but consistent donor.

The key is toask in a personal way.

Most of the money raised in your event fundraising program 

comes from a very small percentage of participants. 

Agenda

Introduction to Segmentation What Is It? Why Bother?

Basic Approaches for Event Fundraising Linkage Fundraising Activity Demographics

A Few Words on Messaging

Final Thoughts

Q & A

Collecting Data

Collecting data is one of the largest obstacles

Use the information you already have Address information Gift history  Gender, birthdate

Ask the most important question: Why? What’s your connection to the cause?  Why did you choose to donate? 

Do not be afraid to ask for additional information Your participants want to get involved Whether or not someone answers a question is also important data!

Linkage Cause: Are they connected to your mission? How? Event: Are they connected to your event? How?

Fundraising Activity Promises: What have they committed to? Performance: What have they done?

Demographics Age Gender Parent

General Segmentation Approaches

Takeaway Tips for Making an Impact

In general: The tighter the mission connection, the more likely someone is to be a fundraising constituent Look for cause or mission connection Speak differently based on that connection Sometimes, “friends of” will raise more than those directly affected

The tighter and longer someone is connected to the eventitself, the more likely they are to be a fundraising constituent Repeat participants and team captains should both raise more No one is to blame but you for repeat zero‐balance participants; have you established that fundraising is the goal?

Jeff Shuck, Event 360October 3, 2011

Cause Motivation is Key – and Often Surprising

Event History is Critical

Repeaters raise more than first‐year 

participants; multi‐year repeaters raise more 

than repeaters.

Repeaters who do not pay a registration fee are 

much less likely to fundraise.

Takeaway Tips About Fundraising Activities

In general:

It is easier to get someone who is already fundraising to raise more than it is to get someone at zero to fundraise

These are two different segments!

Activity in the online system – early registration, changing goal, sending emails – is predictive of fundraising performance

Segmenting around fundraising tiers can be incredibly effective

Remember donors! You can realize huge gains from changing the ask you present to donors

Jeff Shuck, Event 360October 3, 2011

Example of Tiered Segmentation

Segment Number Tier TotalContributed

Approach

Attendees 31,902 $0 $0 Education and contact

Beginningfundraisers 11,268 $1 ‐ $249 $793,000 Intense encouragement

High performers 2,393 $250 ‐ $1,999 $1,380,000 Affirmation and thanks

Ultra performers 82 $2,000 +  $393,000 High personal touch

Team captains 2,000 “Every walker a fundraiser.”

Goal Levels Matter

2008 2009 2010

Suggested Goal $250 $125 $125

Participants Raising $125 10% 12% 13%

Participants Raising $250 6.2% 6.4% 7.1%

Minimum Levels Matter Too

2010 2011

Minimum $250 $250

High Fundraising Level $1,000 $1,250

Participants at High Level 995 (12%) 833 (10%)

Income From High Level $2.14 Million $2.33 Million

Participants Raising $1,000 995 1,088

Income From Over $1,000 $2.14 Million $2.6 Million

Takeaway Tips for Understanding Demographics

In general:

Median income, net worth, home ownership, and the other traits used in the traditional development world are not as useful in event fundraising

We are looking for propensity to ask rather than propensity to give

That said, age, gender, and parental status are all worth exploring

Jeff Shuck, Event 360October 3, 2011

What Not to Do

One organization classified donors by the size of their gift: “Mass market” donor: $50 “Mid‐market” donor: $250 “Major” donor: $500 and above

But a study of the demographics of the donor base found that net worth and income had little relationship with the gift size Almost as many high net worth individuals gave $50 as low net worth individuals

Be careful of confusing the activity characteristics with the donor’s background; the two are very different

Registration time increases the likelihood of being a high fundraiser.

Registration time increases the likelihood of being a high fundraiser.

Cause motivation raises the likelihood significantly.Cause motivation raises the likelihood significantly.

Age raises the likelihood significantly.Age raises the likelihood significantly.

Multiple Traits

Agenda

Introduction to Segmentation What Is It? Why Bother?

Basic Approaches for Event Fundraising Linkage Fundraising Activity Demographics

A Few Words on Messaging

Final Thoughts

Q & A

None of this works unless you speak to each segment differently!

Communications need to be powerful and direct

Need: What problem are you trying to solve?

Impact: What difference are you making?

Make a specific ask

Say thank you. A lot.

Messaging Matters

Agenda

Introduction to Segmentation What Is It? Why Bother?

Basic Approaches for Event Fundraising Linkage Fundraising Activity Demographics

A Few Words on Messaging

Final Thoughts

Q & A

Possible SegmentsTenure Usually a strong predictor of fundraising performance.

New We need to engage them right away with an ask to fundraise.

Returning Repeaters usually fundraise at a higher level, but need to be specifically targeted.

Loyalist The lifeblood of the event, the few who repeat year over year. Vitally important. 

Team Membership The bread and butter of peer programs.

Leaders Higher fundraisers, but also a key leverage point.

Members Higher fundraisers – if they know to fundraise.

Individuals Tend to be motivated – and isolated.

Performance Who is actually raising money?

None Don’t talk about fundraising, impact, or mission – create a tangible, tactical, practical ask. 

Modest Encouragement and thanks. 

Impactful The high fundraisers – but will they repeat? They will if we specifically thank and then ask.

Cause Connection The link between performance and mission.

Generalist They’re here because someone told them to be. A weak group. Can we create cause connections?

Concerned They have friends and are socially engaged. Get them to articulate a story.

In the Family Often the most impactful group. They are motivated by the ultimate driver: Love. 

It’s Personal They fought – or are still fighting. They are motivated, but need a different kind of recognition.

Volunteers Often overlooked, volunteers have strong passion and need to be specifically asked.

Donors The audience we really need  – we have few touch points, so we need to make them count. 

Strategic Events, like participants, are not created equal. Are resources going to the right place?

Final Takeaway Tips

Ask WHY people are supporting your organization’s mission

GROUP people based on their interests

PERSONALIZE your messages based on what you know about people’s motivations

Illustrate your NEED and the IMPACT a donation will make.

TEST and MEASURE the response to different messages

THANK your participants

Jeff Shuck, Event 360October 3 2011

Q&A

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