Our features during July 2023 will focus on what nonprofits should be doing to raise awareness about what they do in their communities. Visit our website to find a list of resources to support your marketing initiatives. |
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Tips for segmenting donors and tailoring your outreach — to raise more |
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by Lisa Schohl, contributor to The Chronicle for Philanthropy
Fundraising messages and appeals work best when they reflect donors’ individual interests, respect their communications preferences, and feel personal. To achieve that with limited time and resources, savvy nonprofits organize supporters into segments based on shared traits or behavior and then tailor messages to each group.
Getting this right takes good donor data, a smart strategy, and time. But the most important thing is to try, experts say.
The biggest mistake fundraisers make when it comes to donor segmentation is not doing anything at all, often because they think they don’t have time, says Naimah Bilal, chief development officer at the Children’s Literacy Initiative, an educational and social-justice nonprofit in Philadelphia.
“That is an option, and it’s an option that will leave the fields of your fundraising shop and efforts fallow,” Bilal says. “Segmenting your donors is understanding what nutrients are needed for specific crops that are going to yield an abundant harvest — not today, not tomorrow, but maybe next year.”
If you don’t know how to approach this work, hire an expert or seek a consultant who can help you on a contract basis, she suggests. If you want to start or improve, here are a few key steps.
Create a Plan. Too often, fundraisers fail to create a strategy for donor segmentation, says Floyd Jones, director of community and partnerships at Givebutter, an online fundraising platform. To make the most of these efforts, build a year-long strategy, he suggests, or at least look at a quarterly or six-month timeline.
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Giving USA: Total U.S. charitable giving declined in 2022 to $499.33 billion following two years of record generosity |
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Stock market drop and economic uncertainty accompanied decrease after giving surpassed half-trillion-dollar milestone during pandemic era |
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by IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
Key findings from Giving USA 2023: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2022 report that individuals, bequests, foundations, and corporations gave an estimated $499.33 billion to U.S. charities in 2022.
Total giving decreased in 2022, a relatively rare occurrence usually seen during years with difficult or unusual economic conditions. Giving was influenced by stock market volatility and economic uncertainty. Total giving declined 3.4 percent in current dollars — down 10.5 percent after adjusting for inflation — from a revised total of $516.65 billion in 2021.
The 2022 results follow the two best years on record for charitable giving, including 2021 when giving surpassed $500 billion for the first time.
Why this matters
- Total charitable giving has fallen only three other times in the last 40 years in current dollars: in 1987, 2008 and 2009.
- Giving had been especially strong in 2020 and 2021 as donors rallied to help address increasing needs amid a global pandemic and economic crisis and recovery, and supported efforts to advance racial justice.
- Decreases in giving can affect the ability of nonprofit organizations to meet needs and fulfill their missions.
“Drops in the stock market and high inflation caused many households to make tough decisions about their charitable giving for the year,” said Josh Birkholz, Chair of Giving USA Foundation and CEO of BWF. “But despite uncertain economic times, Americans demonstrated how essential they view the nonprofit sector and its ability to solve big problems — by still giving nearly half a trillion dollars in 2022.”
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Cancer Support Community Indiana has named Dr. Terry Whitt Bailey president and CEO. Bailey previously was the vice president and chief program officer at The Center for Leadership Development. (Search conducted by Charitable Advisors)
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Meridian Health Services has named Seth Warren as president and CEO. Warren previously was president and CEO of Riverview Health. |
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The Indiana State Fairgrounds and Event Center has hired LeRoy Lewis III as director of community and media engagement. LeRoy formerly was the community relations liaison at Eskenazi Health. |
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Foster Success has promoted Adam Datema to manager of database management. Datema previously was the organization’s database coordinator. |
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Glick Philanthropies has awarded a total of $2.18 million to 114 Hoosier not-for-profits to increase the local youth’s access to the arts, equitable education, economic mobility, health resources, and various services to meet basic needs. See the list of recipients
Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, the first school dedicated to the study and teaching of philanthropy, has expanded its offerings to include a professional doctorate degree in Philanthropic Leadership (PhilD). Learn more
Girls Inc. of Greater Indianapolis has been selected as one of 100 #LowesHometowns project recipients. As part of Lowe’s The Intentional Space program, the local nonprofit’s historic office building will undergo repairs, improvements, and overall rejuvenation. Read more
Barnes Dennig is accepting nominations for its annual Outreach Day. As part of the program, the company’s employees will commit a day to volunteering for selected nonprofits projects. Submit nominations by Aug. 4.
If you are a nonprofit staff member or leader, please complete Charitable Advisors’ How are you doing? survey — a follow-up to our 2021 survey. Now that the pandemic has subsided, we want to know how employees across all nonprofits in central Indiana are feeling about their jobs and their organizations. What’s different since 2021? Survey results will be published in the fall. Please take the survey
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The Indiana Local News Initiative is hosting community listening sessions on July 19 from 6-7:30 p.m. and July 20 from 12-1:30 p.m. at the Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center. Participants are invited to share their feedback on the local news landscape in Indiana and connect with opportunities to get involved. Register
Advancing equity in grantmaking series on Aug 1. Grantmakers for Effective Organizations is conducting a multi-session learning series designed to advance inclusivity and equity in grantmaking practices. Participants will explore internal and external practices that ensure all identities and communities benefit from grantmaking efforts. Presented by Indiana Philanthropy Alliance. Cost: $175. Register
Frame the Problem workshop on Aug. 3 from 9-11 a.m. Learn simple techniques for designing meaningful questions that produce clear and actionable answers. Presented by SAVI. Cost: Free. Register
Emerging social media trends for nonprofits webinar on Aug. 9 at 1 p.m. Presented by Nonprofit Tech for Good. Cost: $20. Register
Strategic planning for nonprofits webinar replay. Learn when and how to create an effective plan to guide your organization. Presented by the Indianapolis Public Library. Cost: Free. Watch
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Keep Indianapolis Beautiful needs volunteers for clean areas on the Near Eastside on July 27 at 9 a.m. Register
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Typical capacity building focuses on fixing nonprofits' weaknesses. Instead, it should start with the premise that every organization has core strengths on which it can build.
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Navigating social media can be overwhelming due to trends, algorithms, new platforms and long-standing myths. Focus on creating exceptional content tailored to your audience.
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Our sponsor marketplace serves to further connect our readers with our advertisers who are focused on serving nonprofits. To learn about each sponsor's nonprofit services, click on its logo.
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FUND DEVELOPMENT
STRATEGIC PLANNING
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BANKING/
ASSET MANAGEMENT
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Nonprofit office space in great location (Butler University area)
Indiana Interchurch Center, which is centrally located in Indianapolis at 1100 W. 42nd St., has available office spaces ranging from 200 to 1,600 square feet for 501(c)3 organizations. Free parking, utilities, high-speed internet, and shared meeting rooms are included. The facility is home to a diverse group of nonprofit and church organizations that are making an impact in the community. Contact Kris Keys or call (317) 923-3617. |
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Looking for a different work environment?: Micro-offices available
Nexus has two furnished micro-offices available and a premium suite available for month-to-month leases. The rental spaces come with free meeting room credits, access to high-speed internet, printing, and coffee. The offices are in a co-working space designed for small business owners and nonprofits that care about making a positive difference. Small micro-office rates start at $393/month.
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Executive Leadership (CEO/ED/COO)
Fund Development/Marketing/PR/Advocacy
Admin Support/Clerical
Finance/Accounting/HR/IT/Facility
Programs/Program Support
Internships/AmeriCorps/VISTAs
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