SPURspectives

Good data about your donors can help you develop a “donor taxonomy” specific to your organization - a classification scheme that will help you customize each donor’s experience and give you powerful insights into your base.

When your nonprofit is determining the kind of data you need about your donors to engage in 1:1 marketing that supports you mission, be sure that behavioral data is part of the mix. Too often, this kind of data isn’t captured in a systematic way (even though someone in the organization is probably tracking it). Behavioral information needs to be systemized and added to your database because it reveals patterns and preferences that can help you deepen donor relationships.

Behavioral data includes things like:

• Event attendance (frequency & type)
• Volunteer activity (frequency & type - e.g., do they volunteer at events, or do they volunteer to support a specific program?)
• Referrals (new donors, new volunteers)
• Advocacy/Outreach activities (e.g., willingness to make calls on your behalf, or host small gatherings, write letters, etc.)
• Social media activity (e.g., follower/fan, group leader, community “node”)
• Donation RFM (Recency, Frequency, and Monetary value)

Using behavior to gauge engagement

One way to combine behavioral data is to create an engagement index for your donors. Engagement really comes down to this: how tied into the organization are your donors? Once you determine the types of behavioral data you want to track, you can develop a point system based on those behavioral factors, which can be as simple as a 5-point scale.

You want to keep your donors engaged by providing information and opportunities appropriate to their current level of engagement. An engagement index allows you to shape messages that reflect each donor’s level of engagement. This can be particularly powerful as part of the donor-recognition cycle, allowing you to thank donors in ways that reflect their level of engagement and that reinforce their ties to your organization.

For instance, you could target “level 3″ donors for behind-the-scenes tours. You might invite donors at “level 4″ to participate in a strategic planning session with your staff or board that will give them an inside view of your organization’s mission and vision. You can also create opportunities for highly engaged donors to connect with less engaged donors who appear to have a similar engagement trajectory. Do some matchmaking and ask a “level 4″ donor to have lunch with a couple of “level 2″ donors who share behavioral commonalities. Ask a “level 5″ donor to write a guest post for your blog (or, if they aren’t up for writing, do a Q&A where they can talk about why they are so committed to your cause). Invite “level 1″ and “level 2″ donors with modest RFM behaviors for a low-key social event that will get them talking to each other and feeling more connected to your organization - without the social pressure and expectations that might keep them away from a high-dollar fundraising event.

Developing an engagement index based on behavioral data will help you move donors along a continuum of engagement. In addition, behavioral data patterns will allow you to fine-tune your organization’s donor taxonomy. Over time, you can start predicting the behavior of like-minded donors, learn how to find more donors like your best donors, and develop a deeper understanding what motivates your donors.

Tags: donor, fundraising, nonprofit