Presented at the 2011 Run Walk Ride Fundraising Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Sure, you have a plan for communicating with your constituents online, but are you doing it in the most analytical way possible? Different people respond to different messages in different ways, based on their affinity to your cause and their past or current behaviors. This session will share lessons learned from segmenting online communications for some of the largest fundraising events in the country. From identifying audience segments, to targeting communications, to tracking the final results of each campaign, this session will feature strategies for increasing your marketing and fundraising results through more targeted online communication. This session will be targeted to organizations who are already utilizing basic e-mail communications methods with their constituent populations. We will give you strategies and tactics to take your communications to the next level. Session Takeaways: 1) How to segment with descriptive analysis 2) How to target with predictive analysis 3) How to analyze the impact of your segmentation & targeting strategy

1. A Scientist in Your Event Fundraising Department:
Segmenting messages
Customizing content
Delivering results

2. © Event 360 | Page 2

3. Why Am I Here?
 OBJECTIVE:
 Strengthen your effectiveness in your event fundraising
communications
 OUTCOME:
 A few good ideas to test when you get back to the office
 A business case for data-driven event communications
 AGENDA:
 How to segment with descriptive analysis
 How to target with predictive analysis
 How to analyze the impact of your segmentation & targeting strategy
 DOES THIS WORK?
© Event 360 | Page 3

4. © Event 360 | Page 4

5. © Event 360 | Page 5

6. © Event 360 | Page 6

7. Situation
 Problem: How do I use online communications effectively to
increase my event fundraising?
 Hypothesis: Personalizing event communications through
segmentation will generate results.
 Procedure: Identify groups within your event audience with
unique characteristics and talk to them based on what
motivates them.
 Results: More meaningful connections with your event
participants and more money raised for your mission.
© Event 360 | Page 7

8. PROBLEM:
How do I utilize online
communications to generate real
event fundraising results?
© Event 360 | Page 8

9. © Event 360 | Page 9

10. The first rule of fundraising is to ASK.
© Event 360 | Page 10

11. Long-time major donor, Participated in a different
milestone birthday approaching. event with siblings, lives
with parents at home.
Team captain for top
Board Member,
fundraising team,
married, no kids.
thinking about
retirement.
New volunteer with your Directly affected by your
organization, parent. cause, city-dweller.
“Likes” you on Facebook
Lapsed participant, but
because a friend
consistent donor.
participated in an event,
lives abroad.
The key is to ask in a PERSONAL way.
© Event 360 | Page 11

12. HYPOTHESIS:
Personalizing event
communications strategies and
tactics through segmentation will
increase your fundraising results.
© Event 360 | Page 12

13. What is segmentation?
 Understand what makes
your constituents tick.
o Group them together
based on similar
characteristics.
o Identify your highest
potential groups.
o Forecast future behavior
based on information.
 Speak to each group
differently.
© Event 360 | Page 13

14. What happens if I don’t segment?
 Oversaturate people
with information.
 Hit or miss on your
messaging = no
constituent action.
 Lose the opportunity to
build a meaningful
connection.
© Event 360 | Page 14

15. What happens if I do segment?
 Right message to the
right person at the right
time.
 Create a connection and
generate a response.
 Deepen relationships
with people who care
about your mission.
© Event 360 | Page 15

16. PROCEDURE:
Identify groups within your event
audience with unique
characteristics and talk to them
based on what motivates them.
© Event 360 | Page 16

17. Step 1: Collecting Data
 Keep it simple, start with WHY.
 What’s your connection to the cause?
 Why did you choose to donate?
 Use the donor information you already have:
 Address information
 Gift history (how much, how many, to what projects)
 Gender, birthdate (age)
 Group based on basic information, identify trends and adjust
communications based on trends.
 Work towards standardizing your process, your questions and
your data entry to make measurement and evaluation easier.
© Event 360 | Page 17

18. Case Study:
Komen Global Race for the Cure, Year One
 Existing database was inconsistent.
 Added a question to registration form: “What is your
connection to the cause?”
 Focused on building our understanding of who was actually
coming and why, instead of deciding we already knew.
© Event 360 | Page 18

19. Step 2: Descriptive Analysis
 Focus on donor
characteristics.
 Evaluate what they have
done in the past.
 Segment based on
characteristics and past
activity.
© Event 360 | Page 19

20. Case Study: Komen Global Race for the Cure
 Went beyond the standard split of fundraisers versus non-fundraisers.
 Discovered clustering of fundraising around specific levels.
o Allowed for tiered segmentation below this fundraising level and above this
level (high potential fundraisers).
o Tailored communication to each of these audiences’ fundraising behaviors and
motivations.
 Combined cause connection information with the amount actually raised
to create blended messages that spoke to very specific situations.
 Don’t forget donors!
 Created targeted asks based on the previous year’s average donation (social
norms) to encourage donors to give more.
© Event 360 | Page 20

21. Case Study: PetSmart Charities PetWalk
© Event 360 | Page 21

22. Step 3: Predictive Analysis
 Use your constituent
knowledge and
information about past
activities as indicators of
potential future activity.
 Identify a predisposition
towards a specific
action, give them
messaging and tools to
get there faster.
© Event 360 | Page 22

23. Case Study:
Komen Global Race for the Cure, Year Two
 At registration asked:
 “Do you plan on fundraising?”
 “Are you interested in incentives?”
 From 2009, knew that “Yes, I plan on fundraising” was an
indicator of someone who would be a good fundraiser.
 Combined with an interest in incentives, this was a predictor of a
strong fundraiser.
 Received different messaging based on what we expected
them to do, versus what they had already done.
© Event 360 | Page 23

24. Step 4: Building Strong Messaging
 Build a clear case for
your event.
 NEED: What problem
are you trying to solve?
 IMPACT: What
difference will you be
making?
© Event 360 | Page 24

25. Step 4: Lessons on Messaging
 Make a specific ask.
 Be simple and concise – attention
spans are short.
o Mission always front and center.
o Demonstrate a donation’s impact.
 In peer-to-peer event fundraising:
o Relationship with the participant is
the donation driver.
o Strong case for your mission at time
of donation may increase the
donation amount.
o Follow-up donor messaging is equally
important, use the opportunity to
educate.
 Say THANK YOU.
© Event 360 | Page 25

26. Case Study: Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure
Acknowledgement of
past participation.
Specific, realistic ask that is tied to event.
© Event 360 | Page 26

27. RESULTS:
More meaningful connections with
your event participants and more
money raised for your mission.
© Event 360 | Page 27

28. How do you measure results?
 Evaluate click-through and open rates.
o Compare to number of gifts and actions taken (e.g. event registration).
 After your event or campaign is complete, review the median
gift size.
o If the asks are more powerful through segmentation, there will be a
rise in the median gift size.
o Begin with measuring against year-ago to ensure change.
 Results provide important data for you to make adjustments
and changes for campaigns in following years.
o Make note of trends and adjust your strategies accordingly.
© Event 360 | Page 28

29. Case Study: Komen Global Race for the Cure
 Fundraising average per registrant up 10 %
 Fundraising average per fundraiser up 16%
 Median fundraising per fundraiser up 20%, from $100 to $120
 Median donation up 20%, from $50 to $60
 Event raised more money through fewer participants.
70 270
65 250
60 230
55 210
50 190
45 170
40 150
2009 2010 2009 2010
Average per Registrant Average per Fundraiser
© Event 360 | Page 29

30. Case Study: Komen Global Race for the Cure
 Interest in fundraising rewards was a key indicator.
 Affirmative answer to “are you interested in earning rewards”
second largest indicator of fundraising potential.
 In some cases, the group who answers “yes” is twice as likely
to fundraise as those who answer “no.”
10%
yes
21%
maybe
no
69%
© Event 360 | Page 30

31. Case Study: Komen Global Race for the Cure
 Messages about incentives were the most engaging.
 Tested messages using incentives, stats, stories and tools as
motivators.
50%
Incentives
40%
Stats
30% Stories
20% Tools
10%
0%
Open Rate Click Forward
Through Rate
Rate
© Event 360 | Page 31

32. CONCLUSION:
You have a diverse group of event participants.
Long-time major donor, Participated in a different
milestone birthday approaching. event with siblings, lives
with parents at home.
Team captain for top
fundraising team, Board Member,
thinking about married, no kids.
retirement.
New volunteer with your Directly affected by your
organization, parent. cause, city-dweller.
“Likes” you on Facebook
Lapsed participant, but
because a friend
consistent donor.
participated in an event,
lives abroad.
© Event 360 | Page 32

33. CONCLUSION:
Using your data to segment your messages will bring them
together to raise more money for your cause.
WE CARE
ABOUT
YOUR
CAUSE.
© Event 360 | Page 33

34. READY FOR RESULTS?
 Come and chat with us.
www.event360.com/RWR2011
 Download slides from today’s presentation.
 Sign up for a complimentary session with our fundraising
consultants.
© Event 360 | Page 34

35. © Event 360 | Page 35