04 Sep Unlock End-of-Year Giving Potential
The end of the year is a critical time for nonprofit organizations. It’s the season when donors are most inclined to give, making it essential to have a well-orchestrated campaign that reaches the right audience with the right message at the right time. Marketing Cloud Engagement can empower nonprofits to create meaningful connections with donors, drive engagement, and boost fundraising results.
Let’s explore how Children’s Cancer Research Fund (CCRF) achieved remarkable success during their 2023 + 2024 year-end giving campaigns using Marketing Cloud Engagement’s tools and strategies.
CCRF’s Inspiring Success Story
Children’s Cancer Research Fund (CCRF) leveraged Marketing Cloud Engagement to design and execute a sophisticated journey that engaged their diverse donor base. Their efforts paid off in a big way, with the organization raising an impressive $52,387.90 during the 2023 campaign period, a significant leap from the $9,310.71 raised in 2022. Employing the same techniques in 2024, CCRF again saw an increase in revenue year-over-year.
Here’s what a CCRF team member shared about the 2023 campaign:
“We were able to deliver an impactful series of year-end messages to our donors. This year we were able to raise $52,387.90, compared to $9,310.71 in 2022. We saw an increase from an average of 11% open rates to 34% between 2022 and 2023, which meant more of our messages were being seen and making an impact. I think we were all fairly impressed with how well our lapsed audience seemed to perform, given we have struggled with being able to consistently email since adopting Marketing Cloud in mid-2021. It felt really great to see some LYBUNTs [Last Year but Unfortunately Not This Year] re-engage with us during the year-end campaign.”
Following their successful 2023 year-end giving campaign, CCRF gave Offprem Technology a 4.8/5 rating on their Customer Satisfaction Survey.
Key Strategies from CCRF’s Campaign
1. Creating a Comprehensive Donor Audience
To kick off their campaign, CCRF used a query to build a comprehensive audience that encompassed all donor levels. Casting a wide net allowed them to include diverse donor segments while maintaining a personalized approach.
2. Tailored Segmentation with Decision Splits
A key component of their journey was the use of decision splits to segment their audience. Subscribers were grouped based on donor classifications, ensuring that each segment received tailored messaging and cadence. Since subscribers could belong to multiple donor categories, CCRF established a hierarchy within the decision splits. This ensured each subscriber followed the most relevant donor path, avoiding duplicate solicitations and maximizing the impact of every touchpoint.
3. Strategic Timing and Cadence
The journey spanned from early November through December 31, with messaging frequency ramping up around key dates like Giving Tuesday, Matching Gift Day, and the final day of the campaign. This strategic timing helped CCRF maintain momentum and urgency throughout the campaign period.
4. Real-Time Adjustments for Donor Actions
Another critical feature of the journey was the use of decision splits to exit subscribers once they donated. This ensured that subsequent appeals targeted open opportunities rather than duplicating efforts with those who had already contributed.
Why Marketing Cloud Engagement Made the Difference
Marketing Cloud Engagement’s robust tools empowered CCRF to execute a highly customized and data-driven campaign. Features like audience segmentation, decision splits, and real-time adjustments enabled them to:
1. Increase email open rates from 11% to 34% year-over-year.
2. Re-engage lapsed donors (LYBUNTs) who hadn’t given in years.
3. Deliver personalized messaging at scale, fostering stronger connections with their audience.
Takeaways for Nonprofits
CCRF’s story underscores the power of leveraging Marketing Cloud Engagement to maximize year-end giving campaigns. Here are actionable steps your nonprofit can take:
Segment Your Audience: Use decision splits to tailor messaging for different donor groups, ensuring relevance and personalization.
Focus on Key Dates: Ramp up messaging frequency leading up to critical giving days to create a sense of urgency.
Optimize Messaging: Exit donors from campaigns once they’ve contributed to prevent over-solicitation and maintain goodwill.
Conclusion
With the right tools and strategies, your nonprofit can achieve incredible results during the end-of-year giving season. By taking a page from CCRF’s playbook and leveraging Marketing Cloud Engagement, you can deliver impactful campaigns that not only meet but exceed your fundraising goals. The success of CCRF demonstrates the transformative potential of a well-executed, data-driven approach. Are you ready to make this year-end your most successful yet?