Even if you're typically relaxed, easy-going and go-with-the-flow, there's a little bit of Type A in all of us. When you're walking through the store and see a jar of peanut butter facing the wrong direction, one shirt unfolded, a roll of paper towel in the soup aisle... there's a little piece of all of us that gets driven a little crazy by these inconsistencies.
When it comes to your donor management system, we're guessing it's packed full of donors, past and present, who have given to your organization, attended an event or showed some interest in being involved in your mission. Great, that's a wonderful first step! Now, let's all channel our Type A and get those donors organized. Trust us, you'll feel at least a little bit of satisfaction when you know your donors are properly segmented.
Segmenting your donors allows you to organize them in such a way that you can feel confident that, when you're doing outreach for a specific campaign or event, you're reaching the appropriate audience. If you're tracking activities and conversations in your donor management solution, this should be a fairly simple task. Segment your donors based on what they've donated to, events they've attended and the amount they have previously given.
How does this help you besides just allowing you to feel really good about your organizational skills?
When your donors are appropriately segmented, you can efficiently and accurately reach out to the right people throughout your fundraising and outreach. If you're hosting an annual golf outing and have a group of individuals who have never attended an annual golf outing, or any event, for that matter, why would you reach out to them? If you're launching a major gift campaign, would you send an ask to donors who have only given in small increments? Reaching out to the wrong donors often feels disingenuous and impersonal - like you haven't taken the time to get to know them and their interests.
Your donors have given both time and money to your organization and mission, so it's crucial that you take the time to get to know them. Segmenting them shows your donors that you know them recognize their interests and have taken the time to consider the best opportunities for them to participate in.
Curious about donor segmentation best practices? Our team of experts can give you a hand! Reach out to us at success@resultsplussoftware.com.