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Fundraising Tuesday: How to Choose Metrics for Your Nonprofit to Measure

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A guest post by Sarah Tedesco of DonorSearch

Picture this: Isabella is the executive director of Academic Stars Network, an organization dedicated to tutoring at-risk high school students in STEM subjects. She’s worked for years to deliver high-quality programming and services to local students, teachers, and parents.

One day, during a meeting with the board of directors, a discussion arises about the need for more data-backed decision-making for the organization. Isabella realizes that Academic Stars Network lacks a strategic approach to evaluating the effectiveness of its initiatives and measuring its overall impact on the community. She and her team decide that it’s time to start tracking metrics for different aspects of their operations—but they aren’t quite sure where to begin.

Many nonprofits find themselves in this same position—wanting a better way to understand just how much of a difference they’re making, but unsure of how to measure success metrics, also known as key performance indicators (KPIs).

In this short guide, we’ll help you get started with choosing metrics for your nonprofit to measure its progress, whether you’re looking to improve your website’s performance or boost your donor retention rate. Let’s begin!

Review your long- and short-term goals.

When it comes to selecting metrics, it can be tempting to simply select a few and begin to gather insights just for the sake of having insights. But this can lead to information overload, giving your team an overwhelming amount of data to organize and analyze.

Instead, start the process by reviewing your organization’s long- and short-term goals. Aligning your metrics with these goals will help ensure that your team gets the insights that it needs on the most important aspects of your organization’s operations. 

For example, say that you have a goal to increase the number of major contributions your organization receives each year by 20%. With this goal in mind, you could consider tracking metrics related to donor acquisition, average gift size, and donor engagement.

Similarly, if your organization wants to improve its Google Ad Grant results, you could start to more proactively track metrics related to your performance online, like the conversion rate on your website landing pages.

Selecting your metrics based on the goals you’re currently working toward will empower you to reach those goals faster as you track your progress and use what you learn to course-correct and improve your efforts to meet your goals.

Consider different metric focus areas.

You might be thinking, “I know what my goals are and what parts of my organization I’m hoping to improve. But what are my options for measuring my progress?”

It’s a good question. The short answer is that if it can be measured, it can be turned into a metric you track over time and use to work toward a goal. The long answer is this: There are many different metric focus areas that you can consider as you choose your own metrics to track. 

According to DonorSearch, here are some of the most popular focus areas and a few examples of metrics within those areas: 

  • General fundraising metrics: cost per dollar raised, fundraising return on investment (ROI), number of gifts secured, matching gift rate, pledge fulfillment rate
  • Donor relationship metrics: donor retention rate, donor churn rate, donor lifetime value, donor acquisition cost, demographic metrics
  • Giving level metrics: gift frequency, average gift size, average giving capacity
  • Engagement metrics: donor or prospect outreach rate, fundraising participation rate, number of asks made
  • Online performance metrics: online gift percentage, email open rate, landing page conversion rate, social media amplification rate, social media applause rate

In addition to these focus areas, you could also look at metrics related to your volunteer program, such as volunteer hours tracked or volunteer acquisition rate; or your events, such as number of event registrations, event attendance rate, and revenue raised. Or, if you’re looking to make improvements to your internal operations, you could focus on metrics like your employee retention rate.

Remember, you don’t want to try to track every metric at once—this will lead to the most important insights getting lost in a sea of information. Instead, choose one focus area to look at or a handful of metrics from a few focus areas.

Determine how you’ll measure your metrics and how often you’ll review them.

Once you’ve selected the metrics you want to track, you still have a few steps to take to set your team up for success. Prepare to get the most actionable insights possible by asking yourself these two questions:

1. What tools will we use to measure and calculate our metrics?

With the right tools, your team won’t have to calculate its metrics by hand and risk errors that could derail your insights. Choose your tracking tools based on the metrics you want to measure.

For example, if you’re tracking metrics related to your major donors and their capacity and affinity markers, you might rely on the help of a nonprofit-specific AI tool to help you gather those markers and make predictions about your prospects and donors.

2. How often will we review our metrics?

Dedicate time to reviewing your metrics on a regular basis. You may do this at the beginning of a fundraising campaign and then again at the end, or at specific times of the year, like at the beginning and end of each quarter.

It may also be helpful to set baselines and thresholds for certain metrics so that you know when to act on the information. For instance, if you start tracking your virtual event registration numbers and see a jump from your baseline number of attendees to your threshold for action, you could take the time to evaluate what made this positive change possible—and keep doing more of it!

As you begin tracking your chosen metrics and getting into the swing of consistently reviewing them, remember to give yourself enough time to see change. Just like waiting for a plant to grow or a pot of water to boil, time has to pass for you to notice changes in your metrics. Be patient as you start your tracking journey—it will pay off as you’re able to identify consistent patterns and trends that you and your team can act on.

Metrics empower your organization to point to specific, quantifiable measurements that illustrate your nonprofit’s progress toward a certain goal, whether it’s a goal related to fundraising or strengthening donor relationships.

Start your metric-tracking journey today by following the three steps outlined above to select the right metrics for your nonprofit and to set yourself up to see changes and trends over time that you can take action on. You’ve got this!

Sarah TedescoSarah Tedesco is the Executive Vice President of DonorSearch, a prospect research and wealth screening company that focuses on proven philanthropy. Sarah is responsible for managing the production and customer support department concerning client contract fulfillment, increasing retention rate and customer satisfaction. She collaborates with other team members on a variety of issues including sales, marketing and product development ideas.

Fundraising Tuesday: 4 Tips for Crafting an Effective Online Fundraising Campaign

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A guest post by Wayne Elsey, Funds2Orgs

Did you know that over 60% of donors prefer to give online? Online giving allows your donors to give immediately and with ease.

As a nonprofit, you want to prioritize your donor’s experience so they can give quickly, privately, and securely. To increase donor engagement, follow these actionable tips to develop a thoughtful online fundraising plan:

  1. Set a Fundraising Goal
  2. Choose an Online Fundraising Method
  3. Make it Easy to Donate
  4. Use Storytelling to Promote Your Fundraiser

Although online fundraisers do not require planning for a set fundraising event deadline, that does not mean you should view your online fundraising campaign as a “set it and forget it” strategy. Instead, think about how you can measure your progress and engage your donors every step of the way. With this in mind, let’s dive in!

1. Set an Online Fundraising Goal

Align your team with distinct goals, so you can quantify your progress and insightfully structure your fundraiser. Set clear objectives using the SMART method (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound). Sticking to this method will help your team understand what steps you’ll need to take to meet your fundraising goals and what online platform you might use to solicit donations.

Here is an example of SMART goals at work for an environmental nonprofit:

  • Specific: Raise a total amount of $50,000 in online donations to support the nonprofit’s “clean river initiative” and beautify its city’s nearby rivers.
  • Measurable: Achieve a 30% increase in donations compared to last year’s campaign total.
  • Achievable: Develop a comprehensive fundraising strategy that leverages peer-to-peer fundraising and social media advertising to spread awareness.
  • Relevant: Align all marketing materials with clear campaign objectives that explain how the funds will be used to implement prevention measures or purchase new filtration equipment.
  • Time-Bound: Achieve 50% of funding within six months and complete the funding goal within 12 months.

Discuss your SMART goals with your team to make them as specific as possible. Consult your fundraising calendar to decide the best time to implement your online fundraising plan and begin measuring your progress.

2. Choose an Online Fundraising Method

There are several online fundraising methods available. To decide which one your nonprofit should choose, consider your donors’ communication preferences and your existing resources. For example, if your supporters respond well to email appeals, you can look for fundraising platforms with email integration included.

Here are some popular online fundraising methods:

  • Peer-to-peer fundraising involves activating your existing supporters to fundraise on your behalf. Supporters create personal fundraising pages and contact their networks for support.
  • Crowdfunding involves having nonprofits create their fundraising page for supporters to donate directly to them and share with their networks.
  • Matching Gifts requires nonprofits to leverage this corporate philanthropy opportunity that matches their employee’s donations at a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio, enabling them to double their donation’s impact.
  • Text-to-Give allows donors to contribute from their cell phones by texting a specific keyword to a designated phone number that prompts them to complete the donation process.

Your organization can choose one of the above online methods or combine them to reach your fundraising goals. Consult your budget, audience data, and campaign goals to select a fundraising platform that works best for your organization.

3. Make it Easy to Donate Online

Once you’ve selected an online method, prioritize ease of donation. That means double-checking technical aspects like load time that could keep your donors waiting. Give your supporters every reason to donate (and keep donating) by:

  • Optimizing your donation form: To keep your donation form straightforward, only ask for necessary information, including names, donation amounts, contact information, and payment details.
  • Ensuring secure payment processing: Use a reliable payment processor that tracks your donations and protects and secures your donor information. Be transparent about how your donor’s gifts will be processed to put their minds at ease.
  • Offering recurring giving options: Maximize your donations by offering recurring giving options. Funds2Org’s guide to monthly giving recommends communicating suggested recurring amounts for donors to choose from to increase regular donation amounts.

Online donations can sometimes feel removed and strictly transactional. To avoid this, look for additional ways to personalize your online donation process. For instance, you could optimize your donation confirmation form with a heartfelt thank-you message from your nonprofit’s leadership.

4. Use Storytelling to Promote Your Fundraiser

Because online fundraising happens over a longer period, it does not always carry the urgency and hype as an in-person fundraising event. To energize your supporters, incorporate storytelling into your promotional materials to make them feel more connected to your cause.

Use the following channels to rally your donors and make your fundraising goals a reality:

  • Social media: Create Q&A reels explaining the purpose of your fundraiser and on-the-ground posts to capture the challenges and progress of your organization’s work. For example, an organization like CharityWater might post Facebook updates on their well-digging efforts and discuss how many people can now access clean water.
  • Your website: Add your online campaign information to a dedicated website page, so supporters can learn more about your cause and how they can help. Compile testimonials and impactful imagery of your team at work to show supporters how their contributions are used to further your mission.
  • Flyers: Use thoughtful and concise headlines, copy, and imagery to capture your online campaign’s relevance and inspire support. Include a QR code leading to your donation form and social media links encouraging others to join the conversation and learn more.

Kwala’s guide to fundraising flyers recommends using standout statistics to grab viewers’ attention. For example, you might say, “X million people lack access to clean water,” or “By 2050, the plastic in the ocean will outweigh all the fish in the sea.”

You’ll execute an organized online fundraising campaign by following these steps. For best results, consult your audience in each step. Ask questions like which online fundraising method would they prefer. And which social media platforms are of greater interest to them? This way, they’ll most likely engage from start to finish.

Wayne Elsey head shotWayne Elsey is the founder and CEO of Elsey Enterprises (EE) and a member of the Forbes Business Development Council. Among his various independent brands, he is also the founder and CEO of Funds2Orgs, which is a social enterprise that helps schools, churches, nonprofits, individuals and other organizations raise funds while helping to support micro-enterprise (small business) opportunities in developing nations.

Better Outreach: 3 Impactful Nonprofit Marketing Strategies

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In today’s fast-paced and digitally-driven world, effective marketing is more vital than ever. Nonprofits must compete with big-name corporations to spread the word, build strong supporter relationships, and make a meaningful impact.

Your outreach might help recruit volunteers, retain donors, secure corporate sponsorships, and promote your services to beneficiaries.

With so many marketing goals you’re trying to achieve, how do you determine the best approach for your organization? To help, this article will explore a handful of impactful strategies, including:

  • Use eCards For Personalized Donor Communications.
  • Launch An Awareness Campaign.
  • Boost Your Website With The Google Ad Grant.

Ready to discover the power of strategic marketing and digital storytelling and create a lasting impression on your audience? Let’s dive in!

Use eCards For Personalized Donor Communications

eCards bring traditional greeting cards’ classic, personal feel into the virtual space. With instant deliverability, you can send off eCards for every occasion.  They’re a cost-efficient, environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional printed cards since you don’t have to worry about printing and postage.

Using an eCard creation platform, you can create digital cards for various aspects of your communications. eCardWidget’s charity eCards guide dives into a handful of common uses nonprofits take advantage of. With a bit of creativity, you can create cards to:

  • Fundraise by selling online greeting cards to donors.
    • Provide an instant give-back for every donation by offering eCards.
    • You can also enable tribute donations, allowing people to donate in a loved one’s name instead of sending a birthday or holiday gift. Then, they can send a festive eCard letting the honoree know.
  • Invite supporters to events. Create personalized invites and share registration links for upcoming nonprofit events. When you extend a personal invitation, people are more likely to attend. You can even equip supporters to send invitations to their friends and family, too!
  • Reach out during key times of the year. Let supporters know you’re thinking of them on special occasions like birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries.
  • Thank donors and volunteers. Digital greeting cards are a fantastic volunteer and donor appreciation strategy. Recognize those who make your mission possible by sending personalized thank-you cards after they donate or volunteer. You can even commemorate special milestones like the anniversary of their first gift or volunteer event.
  • Boost word-of-mouth referrals. Get supporters in on the marketing action by encouraging them to send awareness cards to their friends and family. They can send challenges to donate, follow you on social media, or take another action.

Launch An Awareness Campaign.

If you simply want to drive mission awareness, an awareness campaign might be the right marketing strategy. OneCause’s nonprofit awareness campaign guide explains you can classify any time-bound, strategic campaign aimed entirely at increasing awareness for your cause as an awareness campaign.

As you get started, leverage these tips to set your awareness campaign up for success:

  • Capitalize on existing holidays and awareness days, weeks, and months. For example, environmental organizations might leverage Earth Day, or hunger prevention organizations might coordinate their campaigns with Hunger Action Month. If there’s no dedicated cause awareness holiday associated with your cause, create your own!
  • Leverage social media for increased reach. Social media is known for its wide-scale shareability. Encourage your followers to share your posts and publish their own with your campaign’s designated hashtag. You may even attempt a viral challenge like the renowned Ice Bucket Challenge or collaborate with partner organizations to reach new audiences.
  • Use eCards to spread the word. Create a handful of designs that feature your nonprofit’s name and cause. Then, encourage supporters to send cards to friends and family to spread the word. They might challenge recipients to donate or pass the message along.

No matter your approach, know that you’ll need to attach slightly different KPIs to gauge the success of this marketing strategy. For example, common goals include audience growth and digital engagement. Specifically, you might aim to increase your social media followers or achieve a certain number of impressions.

In any case, carefully consider how a cause awareness campaign will fit into your overall nonprofit marketing strategy before starting.

Boost Your Website With The Google Ad Grant

Your website is the hub of your digital marketing strategy. It’s where existing supporters go to stay updated on your projects and new supporters go to learn about your cause. Through the Google Ad Grant program, you can use paid advertising to get your website in front of more users for free.

Eligible nonprofits receive up to $10,000 per month to spend on Google Ads. They can then use these funds to bid on cause-related keywords and promote their most important web pages at the top of Google search results. So long as you meet the Google Grants eligibility criteria and follow the compliance rules, you can promote any content that pushes your mission forward.

It’s not enough to promote your nonprofit’s homepage and call it a day, though. You’ll need to be more strategic than that. Most often, nonprofits advertise the following types of content:

  • Donation and fundraising pages to boost online donations
  • Event pages to increase registrations
  • Volunteer pages to retain volunteers and recruit new ones
  • Services pages to spread awareness among beneficiaries and prospective supporters
  • Educational content to spread cause awareness

A bit of work goes into getting started with the Ad Grant program. Once approved, you’ll need to write compelling ads that amplify important content, target relevant keywords, and inspire users to visit your website to learn more. To make the most of this nonprofit marketing strategy, hone in on your target audience, too.

For example, let’s say you’re a local youth services organization that wants to promote its mentorship program via Google Ads. Advertise your services page to parents and guardians in your service area by choosing relevant keywords like “child mentoring services” or “youth mentorship programs.” Then, select the specific geographic area you serve, specify demographics such as the target age range (e.g., 25-45), and define audience interests like parenting and family activities.

Final Thoughts on Choosing Nonprofit Marketing Strategies

Start with these tactics, and pay attention to results to learn what inspires people to engage. That way, you can adjust as you go and ensure your organization stays relevant online. In no time, you’ll connect with new supporters and inspire existing ones to stick around.

Tim Badolato head shotTim Badolato, CEO at eCardWidget

Tim Badolato is the CEO of eCardWidget.com an innovative platform for digital employee recognition, donor acknowledgment, business marketing, and nonprofit marketing. He has a passion for using technology to drive positive outcomes for mission-driven businesses and nonprofits.

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