September 2023 -

Rekindling Relationships: Strategies for Engaging Inactive Donors

Posted on September 27, 2023October 10, 2024 by EmMa Matern

INTRODUCTION

Last year nonprofits saw a decline in donations for the first time in a decade according to the article by NonprofitPro.com, “Donations Decline for the First Time Since 2012, Fundraising Effectiveness Project Data Shows”. In 2022, there was a noticeable decline of 26% in the giving levels from first-time donors of 2021. This drop was primarily attributed to both new donors and those who had been retained from the previous year, collectively accounting for 81% of the decrease. This even included a 3.5% decrease in repeat donors. This challenge of donor retention extended across the board, leading to the lowest recorded donor retention rate at 42.6% in 2022.

Within the dynamic world of charitable organizations, sustaining financial stability and support from donors is a perpetual challenge. Donor engagement is a delicate dance, and even the most committed supporters can occasionally slip through the cracks. From understanding the motivations behind lapsed donors to mastering the art of data segmentation, effective communication, and a multi-channel approach, we will equip you with the strategies needed to rebuild trust and maintain long-term donor retention. Your nonprofit’s mission deserves unwavering support, and this guide is your roadmap to ensuring just that.

Key Topics
1. Why do Donors Lapse and What to do about Lapsed Donors?
2. What is Segmentation and how does it Focus Data Analysis?
3. What are Effective Communication Strategies for Nonprofits?
4. What is a Multi-Channel Approach?
5. How to Rebuild Trust and Retain Donors?

1. Why do Donors Lapse and What to do about Lapsed Donors?

Donors can become inactive for a multitude of reasons, including significant life changes that disrupt their ability or willingness to contribute, as well as a lack of effective communication from the organization. It’s essential for nonprofits to categorize their lapsed donors into different segments, such as recent lapsed and long-term lapsed, in order to tailor re-engagement strategies effectively. Seasonal factors can also play a role in donor lapses, as certain times of the year may bring about financial constraints or distractions that divert attention away from charitable giving. Additionally, life events like relocation, retirement, or major family changes can significantly impact a donor’s financial situation and capacity to contribute. Delving deeper into the importance of maintaining regular and meaningful communication with donors is critical, as poor or infrequent interactions with the organization can lead to donor attrition over time.

2. What is Segmentation and how does it Focus Data Analysis?

In the realm of re-engagement strategies, crafting personalized messages that genuinely acknowledge a donor’s history with your organization, stands as a pivotal step. These messages should not merely serve as reminders but should resonate with the individual, recognizing their past contributions and the difference they’ve made. By emphasizing the tangible impact of their support, organizations can reignite the donor’s sense of purpose and connection to the cause. These messages can be enhanced by highlighting new developments and achievements made since their last donation, showing donors that their continued involvement will contribute to ongoing progress.

To further bolster credibility and trust, organizations can incorporate testimonials or success stories from other donors who have had a meaningful experience with the cause. These stories act as powerful endorsements, reaffirming the organization’s commitment to its mission and showcasing the positive outcomes that result from donor support.

In today’s visually-oriented digital landscape, utilizing visuals such as infographics or videos can also significantly enhance the effectiveness of communication. Display materials provide a dynamic and engaging way to convey information, making the donor experience more immersive and impactful. Personalization, impact recognition, credibility building, and engaging visuals all play crucial roles in re-engagement efforts, rekindling the donor’s passion and strengthening their bond with the organization.

3. What are Effective Communication Strategies for Nonprofits?

Segmenting lapsed donors is essential when it comes to crafting effective re-engagement strategies. By harnessing the power of data analysis to scrutinize their past interactions and preferences, organizations can unlock the ability to create personalized messages that demonstrate a genuine appreciation for each donor’s individual history and contributions. This personalized approach, which can include thoughtful gestures like handwritten letters, not only showcases the organization’s commitment to its supporters but also significantly enhances the likelihood of rekindling their engagement and reigniting their passion for the cause. In essence, the art of segmentation and data-driven personalization becomes a powerful tool in the hands of nonprofits, fostering stronger connections and reinvigorating donor relationships.

4. What is a Multi-Channel Approach?

Leveraging a diverse array of communication channels, such as email, social media, and direct mail, is key in connecting with lapsed donors. This multifaceted approach allows organizations to reach donors through their preferred means of communication, maximizing the chances of reconnection. In particular, digital platforms have proven instrumental in reconnecting with younger lapsed donors who are more active on social media and responsive to online engagement. By implementing QR codes, or other interactive elements, nonprofits can seamlessly guide donors back to their mission, making it convenient for them to rekindle their support.

In an increasingly digital world, sending physical re-engagement materials can offer distinct advantages. It enables organizations to stand out from the clutter of digital communication, providing a tangible reminder of their mission. This personal touch not only captures the attention of lapsed donors but also conveys a sense of value and effort put into re-establishing the connection. Physical materials can evoke a sense of nostalgia and authenticity, resonating with donors on a deeper emotional level and potentially rekindling their commitment to the cause. Thus, a strategic blend of digital and physical communication channels ensures a comprehensive re-engagement approach that accommodates the preferences and sensibilities of diverse donor segments.

5. How to Rebuild Trust and Retain Donors?

To successfully re-engage lapsed donors, it’s crucial for organizations to address any issues or concerns that led to their lapse in the first place. This entails actively listening to donor feedback, addressing grievances, and implementing necessary improvements to ensure a more positive and satisfying donor experience. Demonstrating transparency regarding how their previous contributions were utilized is key, as it helps rebuild trust.

Beyond resolving past issues, organizations should also implement ongoing engagement plans aimed at preventing future lapses. By employing effective stewardship practices, nonprofits can continuously nurture their donor relationships, making supporters feel valued and engaged with the cause on a deeper level. Nonprofits can bolster this approach by regularly providing impact reports that showcase measurable results and illustrate precisely how funds were used in the past. These reports not only instill confidence but also serve as a powerful reminder of the meaningful difference donors can make, reigniting their passion for the organization’s mission and ensuring a more sustained commitment.

Wrap It Up

In the intricate realm of nonprofit organizations, this comprehensive exploration has shed light on the multifaceted challenge of donor retention and revival. We covered, understanding lapsed donors, data segmentation, robust communication strategies, applying omni-channel approaches to mailpieces, and rebuilding trust for retention. The crucial importance of rebuilding trust and maintaining donor retention has been underscored as the linchpin to a sustainable and thriving donor base.

Safeguarding Data: 10 Critical Steps for MSPs and Marketing Agencies

Posted on September 6, 2023January 5, 2025 by EmMa Matern

INTRODUCTION

There are few trends in the direct mail marketing world, and the marketing-communications (marcom) world that are growing faster than the renewed focus on data security. As increased granularity of data allows for greater personalization, and the power of data to drive results in marketing grows exponentially, the importance of safeguarding that data is top of mind for any mail service provider.

With thousands of cyber attacks per day, constant phishing attempts, and ransomware attacks on organizations large and small having become a ubiquitous part of working in the digital age, it’s crucial that anyone who is working with data have a plan to keep that data secure.

At Postalgia we work with MSPs (those are Mail Service Providers), as well as marketing agencies, who need to worry about securing not just their own internal data, but also the data of their clients.

Key Topics
1. How to Maintain Employee Training and Awareness?
2. Why Perform Regular Security Audits and Assessments?
3. How Does Data Encryption Secure Data?
4. How to Ensure Software Patch Management?
5. Why you Need an Incident Response Plan?
6. Why a Data Backup and Recovery Solution is Critical?
7. Why Implement Email Filtering and Anti-Phishing Measures?
8. What are the Relevant Regulations for Mail Service Providers?
9. Why is Regular Security Awareness Training Important?
10. Why are Data Retention and Disposal Policies Needed?

1. How to Maintain Employee Training and Awareness?

There is no defense against cyber attacks more important that a well-trained and vigilant staff. That’s because most cyber attacks rely on at least some level of human intervention – a staff member giving up a password, or sending an unsecure email.

It’s important that your staff know what they’re looking for – that means making them aware of the latest methods of hackers.

Similarly, any tool that you’re looking to employ is only as good as the staff operating it. Your training and education should be regular, it should be clear, and it should come with some kind of testing or auditing to ensure that staff have internalized the information that you’ve communicated to them.

It’s always a good idea to use a 3rd party cybersecurity consultant or expert to provide regular training to your entire team.

2. Why Perform Regular Security Audits and Assessments?

You don’t know what you don’t know, and so sometimes to stop a thief, you need to think like a thief. That means that in addition to regular training, you should be doing regular testing, audits, and cybersecurity assessments.

From penetration testing (having a cybersecurity expert attempt to break through your defenses on your behalf to illuminate your weaknesses) to vulnerability scans, as well as holistic physical and digital cybersecurity audits, your organization, your mail service providers, and any other company that touches your data, should be employing cybersecurity experts to regular test their defenses by trying to break through them.

3. How Does Data Encryption Secure Data?

Encryption essentially ensures that your data won’t be readable if it falls into the wrong hands. There are two types of encryption: encryption at rest, and encryption in transit.

Encryption at rest is how you encrypt your data when it is sitting on your computer, your servers, or otherwise proverbially “at rest” (ie: not moving).

Encryption in transit makes sure that your file will be likewise unreadable by the wrong eyes (anyone without the decryption code or password) when it’s being sent from one location to another.

Both are crucial for any organization that is serious about protecting their sensitive data.

4. How to Ensure Software Patch Management?

Software providers are regularly offering patches (fixes or updates that solve new or newly discovered bugs) that can be used to keep software up-to-date and prevent vulnerabilities from being exploited.

Any organization dealing with sensitive data must have a strategy for regularly updating all software that they depend on.

5. Why you Need an Incident Response Plan?

Even the most well-prepared organizations can fall victim to cyber attacks, so it’s crucial that any company, MSP, agency, or mail house that you work with has an incident response plan to prevent them having to scramble during a time when every minute counts.

The plan should identify key individuals and their responsibilities for responding to incidents (whether their job is identification of problems, shoring up of defenses, mitigating fallout, or communicating with stakeholders).

The plan should include ways to contain and mitigate data leaks, address the source of the attack or leak, communicate with key individuals affected by the leak, recover from the leak to get systems back online and operations up and running as before, and learn and communicate lessons from the incident.

6. Why a Data Backup and Recovery Solution is Critical?

It’s important that any organization that has data is backing them up – because as bad as a cyber attack can be, the intentional or accidental loss of data can be just as bad.

Key considerations include how often you’re backing up your data, where it’s being stored, whether it’s being backed up automatically or manually, and whether you’re able to easily recover lost data.

The last consideration needs to be tested regularly, to ensure that it works when you need it.

7. Why Implement Email Filtering and Anti-Phishing Measures?

Phishing is one of the most common methods for hackers and scammers to improperly access data that don’t belong to them.

One of the easiest ways to access data that are encrypted is to simply get someone to give you their password. That often means misrepresenting intentions or pretending to be someone that they’re not.

In addition to education and training, there are myriad anti-phishing tools available, many of them native to different email providers.

Similarly, robust policies can prevent phishing. For example, a policy that prevents employees from giving out passwords without the approval of two different managers, or a waiting period of 24 hours.

8. What are the Relevant Regulations for Mail Service Providers?

Staying in alignment with pertinent regulations like GDPR or HIPAA, is essential. Not only is a good idea to pick a mail service provider that is familiar with cybersecurity standards, but it’s also important to pick one that is familiar with the laws governing your industry. For example, if you’re an American hospital or healthcare provider with access to patient data, you’re likely subject to HIPAA.

Safeguarding data can be an arduous and expensive process. Picking a mail service provider that can help you manage the transfer and use of your data can save you a lot of time and money. Non-compliance can lead to severe consequences, including substantial fines and reputational damage.

9. Why is Regular Security Awareness Training Important?

As important as knowing how to backup data, it’s equally if not more important to know when and how to dispose of data.

Automatic data disposal is an important part of any cybersecurity plan.

Key considerations include: Which data should be disposed of, how long after use, and should this happen automatically or manually?

10. Why are Data Retention and Disposal Policies Needed?

To ensure robust data security, organizations must begin by establishing well-defined data retention and disposal policies. These policies serve as guidelines for how long different types of data should be retained and when they should be safely disposed of. By having clear policies in place, companies create a structured framework that governs the lifecycle of their data, from its creation to its eventual removal.

Regularly reviewing and securely disposing of data that is no longer necessary is a fundamental step in maintaining data security. As information accumulates over time, retaining data that is no longer needed increases the risk of a potential data breach. The principle of data minimization becomes pivotal here – organizations should retain only the data that serves a legitimate purpose and dispose of the rest. By doing so, the potential impact of a data breach is significantly reduced, as there’s less sensitive information at risk of exposure.

CONCLUSION

Data breaches and cyber threats have become commonplace, the responsibility of safeguarding sensitive information has never been more critical for MSPs and Marketing Agencies. By meticulously implementing the ten steps outlined in this post, these entities can create a formidable defense against potential vulnerabilities. From educating staff and clients to adopting advanced security technologies, the path to robust data security demands constant vigilance, proactive measures, and a commitment to staying ahead of the evolving threat landscape. As companies embrace these strategies, they not only protect their own reputation and business continuity but also foster trust among clients, positioning themselves as defenders of digital security. Ultimately, by prioritizing data security, these entities pave the way for sustainable success in an increasingly interconnected and risk-prone digital world.

At Postalgia, we prioritize data security above all else. We recognize the sensitive nature and importance of your data, and we go beyond standard measures to ensure its complete protection. Our security protocols involve robust strategies aimed at preventing unauthorized access and data breaches, ensuring the highest levels of confidentiality and integrity throughout every step of the process.

In a time where the consequences of data breaches can be far-reaching, our dedication to data security goes beyond mere policy; it stands as a commitment to safeguarding your interests. We comprehend that the faith you entrust in us forms the foundation of our relationship. It’s this very trust that drives us to cultivate an environment where your data is housed with the utmost security.