Four Cornerstones of a Successful Email Fundraising Campaign
By Nat Philp, Content and Account Manager
January 26, 2022
No matter when you’re reading this, there’s likely a fundraising campaign right around the corner. As we write this in January 2022, our team is already ramping up for Doctor’s Day in March. Are you prepared for your next campaign?
In our years of experience helping non-profit hospitals raise money, we’ve made countless changes and optimizations to the way we strategize and implement our campaigns. No matter the changes, we consistently return to what we see as the four cornerstones of successful email fundraising. Keep these in mind as you prepare for your next campaign:
1. Steward your donors throughout the year, not just at campaign time.
Your relationship with your donors, just like any relationship, needs cultivation and hard work. Donors don’t only want to hear from you when you’re asking for money. Be sure to steward them throughout the year and keep them up-to-date on what’s going on within your organization. They’ll be more likely to give at campaign time, and will appreciate hearing what’s new in your hospital. After all, they likely helped pay for it!
Pro-Tip: Build regular stewardship communications into your communications calendar ahead of time.
2. Set a campaign goal or get a matching gift (or both!)
These goals don’t have to be a dollar amount. They can be a number of donations, a number of new donors, or anything else creative! What matters is setting a goal that you and your donors can aspire to. And if you can secure a matching gift from a generous individual or business, it helps create buy-in from the rest of your community. They see that others are supporting you, and they want to join.
3. Drive urgency in your messaging
You know when your campaign ends. Make sure that your donors know that, too. Using your goal or matching gift is a great way to drive urgency. Explain to your donors why it’s important that they donate now, not tomorrow or next month.
4. Provide tangible funding priorities
It’s perfectly fine to raise money for your organization’s area of greatest need. But be sure to tell your donors exactly what that’s funding. If your hospital needs new medical equipment, or you’re funding a nursing education scholarship, make that clear! Donors are significantly more likely to give if there are tangible priorities that they can help you achieve.
Pro-Tip: Use clinical staff to your advantage here. Hearing from a physician or a nurse why a new piece of equipment or a facility upgrade matters to them can be very impactful.
We are here to support!
No matter what your next campaign is, best of luck! And remember that our team is here to help. We love working with non-profit hospitals to optimize digital fundraising and communications. If you want to learn more, we want to hear from you! Connect with a member of our team today.
