Guest Post Archives - Page 3 of 36

3 Tailored Engagement Strategies to Welcome New Members

October 28, 2024 by Dennis Fischman Leave a Comment

In 2023, 50% of individual membership organizations (IMOs) saw an increase in their membership base. This indicates stability in the membership space, which was shaken by the pandemic and economic shifts. But is your organization doing everything it can to go beyond stability and foster growth?

Whether you run an association that holds 501(c)(3) status or operate a nonprofit with a membership program, attracting new members is a key part of growing your organization. However, the work doesn’t stop when these new members enroll. In this guide, we’ll cover what you need to do to welcome them and start building deep relationships—let’s begin.

Why Personalization Is Key

Personalization is now ubiquitous in the marketing industry, and for good reason. This strategy ensures each message your potential and current members receive from your organization relates to their interests, affinities, geographic location, and more.

Fonteva’s guide to member engagement highlights the importance of tailored communications, recommending that membership organizations structure personalization around these phases in the membership lifecycle:

New members: These members fall into the recruitment and early engagement stages of the membership lifecycle. Consider using a welcome email series, onboarding webinar, and mentorship program to engage them. We’ll discuss more ways to welcome them later.
Current members: These are your current members who have passed the initial onboarding stage, and they are best engaged with options like advanced learning courses or leadership opportunities.
Members at risk of lapsing: These members are nearing their renewal period. Engage them and promote renewals by providing customized value propositions, exclusive discounts, or member benefits.

By tailoring your communications to each of these different audiences, your organization can build more personal relationships, show that it values members as individuals, and effectively engage and retain more members.

Welcome & Engage New Members

As you work to engage new members, make sure you have a powerful association management system (AMS) by your side—ideally a CRM-based AMS. A CRM will help you leverage and understand your member data so you can better personalize these efforts. After all, even though all of these members are new to your organization, they are still individuals with unique interests, preferences, and goals.

Here are some top strategies you can use to kick off deep relationships with your new members:

Promptly share welcome materials.

Welcome your new members to your organization with materials that introduce them to your leadership team, core mission and values, and the work you do. In these welcome materials, include:

A personalized welcome letter that expresses gratitude and outlines member benefits
A membership handbook containing basic information about your organization, its mission, and opportunities available to members
An upcoming events calendar
A list of member resources with links (if applicable)
Details on how to access the membership portal and any gated resources
A list of frequently asked questions
A discount or voucher for branded merchandise

Additionally, remember to include or link to relevant educational resources and provide a staff member’s contact information in case they have questions.

Share these materials using communication features included in your membership management system. This way, you can get them to members quickly or even automate the process so that the messages are triggered to send when a new member joins.

Organize a guided onboarding experience.

Onboarding new members involves many moving parts that can quickly become overwhelming. Offering a streamlined, guided experience will give members a more positive experience and help them absorb all the information they need to know about your organization.

A few ways to make your onboarding experience more organized and streamlined include:

Building custom, guided digital experiences. Depending on the technology you use, your organization may be able to build custom digital experiences without the need for extensive coding. For example, Fíonta highlights the power of Salesforce Omnistudio, which offers drag-and-drop configuration capabilities that help quickly create guided experiences.

Pairing new members with a guide. Assign a mentor or staff member to each new member to give them a personal touchpoint to help guide them through onboarding. Have these guides reach out often to check in and answer any questions they have along the way.
Offering interactive sessions. Remote onboarding can feel isolating. To engage new members, consider offering live webinars or meetings to cover the basics and troubleshoot technical issues, like struggling to access the member portal, in real time. This will also give them a chance to interact with staff, leadership, and peers.

Recommend ways to engage.

To keep these members engaged beyond onboarding, you’ll need to nudge them toward other ways to get involved. Based on what you’ve learned about them, make tailored recommendations for other ways they can engage with your organization. This may include:

Events: Promote events that are relevant to members’ interests, take place near their geographic locations, or are designed for newer members. For example, you might invite members from the southeastern U.S. to a conference in Nashville. Or, you might make them aware of your monthly virtual coffee hours used for networking.
Learning courses: Recommend learning opportunities based on members’ career paths, interests, level of experience, and affinities. Perhaps those who are interested in environmental activism would be interested in a course or session about boosting sustainability in the workplace.
Fundraisers and volunteer opportunities: Whether you run a nonprofit membership program or a professional association, you likely engage in fundraisers and volunteer opportunities. Give members the chance to give back by sharing about campaigns and causes they are likely to support.

Additionally, promote any involvement opportunities or benefits that make your association stand out to boost members’ perception of the value of their membership.

Making a strong first impression is key. When you learn about your new recruits, appeal to their interests, and refer them to the programs and opportunities they’re most interested in, you’ll significantly increase the chance that they renew in the future. This is why data is so important when you are welcoming new members—after all, your membership base isn’t a monolith but a set of individuals with unique preferences.

Erin Lemons, VP of Marketing at Fonteva

Erin Lemons joins Togetherwork Association Solutions with over 15 years serving as a marketing director, event producer, and project manager creating robust marketing campaigns and initiatives that focus on the growing and ever-changing technology needs of the association industry.

She leads the marketing teams and strategy at Fonteva and Protech.

Fundraising Tuesday: 3 Online Fundraising Ideas to Engage Remote Supporters

October 8, 2024 by Dennis Fischman Leave a Comment

A guest post by Steve Lausch of OneCause

Looking for new ways to inspire donors to support your cause? We’ve got you covered!

Your organization’s audience consists of diverse individuals with different preferences and characteristics, so the key to capturing everyone’s interests is to host a variety of fundraising campaigns.

As you plan your annual fundraising strategy, remember to include opportunities for those outside your local community. You want to ensure that remote supporters feel seen and appreciated just as much as if they were located near you.

There are many ways to involve remote supporters. Let’s look at three top online fundraising ideas you can incorporate to leverage the generosity of supporters near and far.

1. Online Donation Page

Engage your remote supporters by accepting online donations. This is the first step to successful fundraising! An online donation page allows you to receive a reliable stream of revenue from your nonprofit’s website.

Keep in mind the following tips when setting up your donation page:

Design: Build awareness by having your organization’s colors and logos throughout your site.

Donation options: Retain donors by providing the option of one-time or recurring donations to support your cause.

Payment options: Enhance the giving experience by accepting Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, Venmo, and other forms of digital wallet.

Accessibility: Consider adding text under images for any remote supporters using screen readers, and otherwise follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

Impact statements: Emphasize the power of donations with images, videos, examples, or a brief explanation of how they help your cause.

The best software will allow you to effortlessly personalize and create impactful donation pages to maximize your giving. Once you’ve created your donation page, make sure to embed it in your nonprofit’s website for supporters to find easily. If you don’t have a website, consider working with a web design company to start the process.

2. Online Auction

Auctions are a popular fundraising event for nonprofits, so why not take yours beyond the ballroom? Enable bidding from your remote supporters with an online auction! Hosting such an event provides various benefits for nonprofits, including:

Cost savings: Invest in flexible software so there’s no need to book a venue, catering services, or entertainment.

Increased participation: Have a link to your auction to make it simple for supporters to share your cause with their social network.

Improved accessibility: Move to an online auction to allow anyone to participate from anywhere without traveling for your event.
Better use of resources: You won’t have to worry about costs associated with in-person events, such as renting a venue, booking a caterer, or purchasing decorations.

Usually, online auctions take one of two forms:

Live auction: An auctioneer facilitates bidding on your auction items through a live stream. This event can be held either entirely virtually or in a hybrid format, where you invite major donors to the in-person auction and provide other supporters with the live stream link.

Silent auction: Supporters place bids on auction items they want through an online auction site without an auctioneer present. This type of auction relies on well-written descriptions that clearly communicate what the item is to entice the viewer to make a bid.

Regardless of which type of online auction you host, bidding usually takes place through mobile devices. Be sure to purchase auction software that streamlines online bidding and makes the process smooth and convenient for remote supporters.

3. Online Peer-to-Peer Campaign

Tap into the power of peer-to-peer fundraising with your loyal supporters. You can recruit your most committed champions to fundraise on your behalf. These individuals will create their peer-to-peer fundraising site and then use their social networks to spread the word.

There are many types of peer-to-peer campaigns, including:

Runs, walks, rides: Engage participants with physical activity, friendly competition, and social giving.
DIY supporter-driven: Empower supporters to create their own unique campaigns on behalf of your cause.

Giving and Awareness Days: Capitalize on dedicated giving and awareness days to boost the visibility of your campaigns and secure more donations.

Tributes and memorials: Offer supporters the opportunity to honor loved ones with personalized fundraising pages.

Peer-to-peer fundraising is an easy way to strengthen your existing relationship with remote supporters while expanding the possibilities of new supporters not local to your organization. Once you’ve recruited supporters to act as your peer-to-peer fundraisers, prepare them for their role with training sessions, templates for marketing materials, and more. Then, stay in contact with them throughout the process to provide them with any support they need.

Steve Lausch

Steve Lausch brings over 20 years of marketing experience to his role as the Director of Product Marketing at OneCause. He leverages his expertise in product evangelism, marketing communication, and strategic product planning to deliver innovative solutions that empower nonprofits. A storyteller at heart, Steve is energized by the opportunity to tell compelling stories that move people to action. He is dedicated to supporting nonprofits in their journey to make a positive impact on the world.

Fundraising Tuesday: 3 Event Management Tips for Nonprofit Fundraisers

October 1, 2024 by Dennis Fischman Leave a Comment

A guest post by John Killoran, Clover Leaf Solutions

Did you know that nonprofits are more likely to reach their fundraising goals when they host in-person or hybrid events? Planning a face-to-face fundraiser is a big job, but it pays off. With solid event management tips, your nonprofit can do more than reach its fundraising goals—you can inspire continuous support and secure donor loyalty for the long haul.

That’s where this guide comes in! Let’s review three event management tips to help your nonprofit’s next event exceed expectations.

1. Create an event-planning calendar.

Most event management activities happen before the event even starts. To host a successful fundraiser, your team must have plenty of time to plan it.

This means you’ll need to create a timeline for when each event-planning task will take place. For example, let’s say your nonprofit is hosting a silent auction. Your calendar may look something like this:

10 months before the event

- - Define the purpose and goals of your event
  - Create an event plan, including logistics like event date and venue
  - Establish an event budget
  - Choose fundraising software
  - Set up a procurement committee to acquire auction items
  - Create an auction marketing plan

Six months before the event

- - Choose auction items for your item catalog
  - Reach out to potential event sponsors
  - Plan volunteer roles and schedules
  - Start promoting the event on social media
  - Order any custom printing service items, like event signage

Two months before the event

- - Open event registration
  - Recruit volunteers
  - Plan your follow-up materials to thank donors and volunteers
  - Test event technology
  - Finalize catering

Two weeks before the event

- Close registration and finalize attendance headcount
- Finalize your timeline for the day of the event, including set-up and breakdown
- Organize day-of supplies
- Train volunteers on event procedures
- Make a final event promotion push on social media

Remember, this calendar is dedicated to all your pre-event tasks. Create a separate calendar for day-of activities to keep your to-do list organized.

2. Engage with your audience.

When it comes to generating excitement about your event, you’ll have to do more than just tell people it’s happening. Your communication strategy should get donors excited about your fundraiser!

To do this, use a variety of outreach types, including:

Direct outreach. Many nonprofits focus their marketing efforts on general swaths of donors, volunteers, or potential supporters. While this audience is important, don’t forget the individuals already in your corner! Personally reaching out to stakeholders already invested in your nonprofit’s success, like existing donors, volunteers, board members, and corporate partners, makes them more likely to attend.
Personalized outreach. Custom outreach hones in on why specific audiences should be interested in your event, making them more likely to attend. Use what you know about individual donors to create personalized messaging that appeals to them. For example, tell a college-aged supporter about the dorm decorations you’re auctioning off at your fundraiser.
Broad outreach. Use communication channels that target entirely new audiences. For example, social media posts can appear in front of users who don’t follow your nonprofit’s account. Also, internet searchers can stumble upon your nonprofit’s website if you market it correctly. As NXUnite explains, search tools increase your nonprofit’s visibility online. By driving more traffic to your website, you can engage a bigger audience than ever before.

Beyond spreading the word about your event, you can also use these strategies to follow up after the fundraiser. For example, broad outreach might include sharing photos and fundraising results on your social media channels. Save your personalized outreach to thank attendees individually.

3. Use fundraising software.

There’s plenty for your team to do when planning your fundraiser. But the right tools can make the difference between simply executing your plans and improving overall efficiency.

Fundraising software can handle everything from event registration to payment processing and donor communications. How do you choose the right tool to manage your event? It depends on what type of event you’re hosting.

Let’s think back to our example of an auction fundraiser. Snowball’s auction software guide recommends following these three steps:

Determine your nonprofit’s needs. Think about how you’ll make your fundraiser happen. For example, what tools do you need to run it? What features would help you engage donors? Answering these questions can narrow your search for a tool that meets your nonprofit’s specific needs.
Set a budget. The amount your nonprofit spends on fundraising software depends on the features it offers—but you should still spend wisely. If you purchase all-in-one software, you can use the same tool to host different fundraisers. In other words, you’ll get more bang for your buck.
Compare products. Gather a list of potential software providers and choose the one that stands out the most. To ensure you make the right choice, schedule a demo and meetings with product experts first to see your favorite tools in action.

For the best results, choose fundraising software with multiple capabilities. A solution that can manage auctions, mobile giving campaigns, and a host of other fundraisers will have more than enough features to run a successful event. This way, your nonprofit can diversify its funding streams and raise more overall.

Author: John Killoran

John Killoran is an inventor, entrepreneur, and the Chairman of Clover Leaf Solutions, a national lab services company. He currently leads Clover Leaf’s investment in Snowball Fundraising, an online fundraising platform for nonprofit organizations.

Snowball was one of John’s first public innovations; it’s a fundraising platform that offers text-to-give, online giving, events, and peer-to-peer fundraising tools for nonprofits. By making giving simple, Snowball increases the donations that these organizations can raise online. The Snowball effect is real! John founded Snowball in 2011. Now, it serves over 7,000 nonprofits and is the #1 nonprofit fundraising platform.

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3 Tailored Engagement Strategies to Welcome New Members

Why Personalization Is Key