A Guide to Personalising and Predicting Donations

Addressing Unpredictable Fundraising

Non-profit organisations often struggle with unpredictable fundraising cycles. This inconsistency can make strategic planning, operational stability, and achieving their mission more difficult. While traditional fundraising methods are still important, they may not provide the necessary precision and personalisation to build strong, reliable donor relationships. In this context, using technology to understand donor behaviour, personalise interactions, and predict giving patterns becomes crucial. 

Salesforce offers a range of tools to help address these challenges, enabling organisations to develop stronger donor connections and achieve more sustainable fundraising results.

This guide offers a detailed look at how Salesforce can be used to personalise donor engagement and predict donations, transforming fundraising from a reactive activity to a proactive, data-driven strategy.

Understanding the Salesforce Ecosystem for Non-Profits

Before exploring specific strategies, it's important to understand the key parts of the Salesforce ecosystem that are relevant to non-profit fundraising:

• Nonprofit Cloud: This is the central Salesforce platform for non-profits, designed to manage relationships with supporters, donations, grants, programs, and volunteers. It provides a single place to track all interactions with donors, giving a complete view of each relationship.
• Marketing Cloud: This tool allows organisations to create personalised, automated marketing campaigns across various channels, including email, social media, and mobile. It facilitates targeted communication based on how donors are segmented and how they behave.
• Einstein AI: Salesforce's artificial intelligence platform, Einstein AI, offers predictive analytics. For fundraising, Einstein AI can analyse donor data to predict giving patterns, identify potential donors, and optimise outreach.
• Experience Cloud: This platform enables organisations to create branded online portals and communities. For fundraising, it can be used to build personalised donor portals where donors can manage their information, view their giving history, and engage with the organisation.
• Data Cloud: Acting as the main hub for centralised data, Data Cloud pulls donor information from unstructured and structured data sources within Salesforce. This will help you fill in any missing data you don’t already have, for example: A donor might indicate on an email that they are interested in adopting a dog. Data Cloud will read this information and make it available in your 360 view of that donor, so you might be able to use this in your next conversation or marketing campaign about dog adoption services. 

These tools work together to provide a comprehensive solution for managing and improving the entire donor process.

Key Strategies for Personalising and Predicting Donations

Tip 1: Personalise Donor Journeys with Marketing Cloud

Personalisation is essential for building strong donor relationships. Donors are more likely to engage with organisations that understand their interests and communicate with them in a relevant way. Salesforce Marketing Cloud helps non-profits create these personalised experiences.

• Donor Segmentation: The first step in personalisation is segmentation. Marketing Cloud allows you to segment donors based on various criteria, including:
  • Giving History: How often, how much, and what type of donations.
  • Engagement Levels: Website activity, email interaction, event attendance, and volunteer hours.
  • Interests: Which programs or causes they support, and their communication preferences.
  • Demographics: Location, age, and profession.
• Automated Journeys: Once you've segmented donors, Marketing Cloud enables you to create automated donor journeys. These journeys can be triggered by specific actions or events, such as:
  • First Donation: An automated welcome series can be sent to thank the donor, provide information about the organisation's impact, and encourage further involvement.
  • Lapsed Donors: A re-engagement campaign can be triggered for donors who haven't given recently, with personalised messaging based on their past support.
  • Event Participation: Targeted communications can be sent to attendees before, during, and after events.
• Multi-Channel Communication: Marketing Cloud facilitates communication across multiple channels to ensure a consistent, personalised experience.
  • Email Marketing: Personalised email campaigns can deliver targeted messages, newsletters, and donation requests.
  • Social Media: Integration with social media platforms allows for targeted advertising and engagement.
  • Mobile Messaging: SMS and mobile push notifications can provide timely updates and alerts.
• Content Personalisation: Personalising the content itself is important, and can include:
  • Dynamic Content: Inserting the donor's name, giving history, or specific interests into emails and website content.
  • Tailored Messaging: Developing messages that resonate with specific donor groups. For example, emphasising the impact of emergency relief donations for those donors.
  • Impact Stories: Sharing personalised stories that show the effect of donations. Videos can be very effective for this.

Example Scenario:

Consider an environmental conservation non-profit. Using Marketing Cloud, they could segment donors who have previously supported rainforest preservation. They could then create an automated journey that includes:

1. A thank-you email with a video showing the impact of their donation on protecting endangered species.
2. An invitation to a webinar with a conservation expert discussing the latest research.
3. A follow-up email with a personalised appeal for a new campaign to expand protected areas.

This level of personalisation helps build a stronger connection with the donor and increases the likelihood of continued support.

Building a Complete Donor Profile with Nonprofit Cloud

To effectively personalise interactions, it's essential to have a complete understanding of each donor. Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud provides the tools to achieve this by creating a 360-degree view of the donor.

• Centralised Data Management: Nonprofit Cloud acts as a central place for all donor data, eliminating data silos and providing a single source of truth. This includes:
  • Contact Information: Basic details like name, address, and contact information.
  • Donation History: A full record of all donations, including amounts, dates, and related campaigns.
  • Interaction History: Records of all communications, including emails, phone calls, meetings, and website activity.
  • Engagement Data: Information on event attendance, volunteer hours, and participation in online communities.
• Relationship Tracking: Nonprofit Cloud helps track relationships between donors, such as family members, business connections, or shared interests. This can reveal potential new donors or opportunities for major gifts.
• Customisable Fields: Non-profits can customise Nonprofit Cloud to track specific information relevant to their organisation, such as donor interests, communication preferences, or affiliations with other groups.
• Data Analysis and Reporting: Nonprofit Cloud provides reporting and analytics tools that enable organisations to analyse donor data, identify trends, and gain insights into donor behaviour. This information can be used to improve fundraising strategies and donor retention.

Benefits of a 360-Degree View:

• Improved Personalisation: A complete view of the donor allows for more personalised communication and outreach.
• Enhanced Donor Retention: Understanding donor preferences and needs leads to more meaningful interactions and stronger relationships, increasing donor loyalty.
• Increased Fundraising Effectiveness: Data-driven insights help organisations target the right donors with the right message at the right time, maximising fundraising ROI.
• Streamlined Operations: Centralised data management reduces redundant data entry and improves efficiency across departments.

Predictive Fundraising with Einstein AI

Salesforce Einstein AI enables non-profits to move from reacting to fundraising to predicting it. By analysing past donor data, Einstein AI can identify patterns and predict future giving behaviour.

• Donor Scoring: Einstein AI can score donors based on their likelihood to give, helping organisations prioritise outreach and focus on the most promising prospects.
• Donation Amount Prediction: Einstein AI can predict potential donation amounts from individual donors, assisting organisations in setting realistic fundraising goals and forecasting revenue.
• Churn Prediction: Einstein AI can identify donors who are likely to stop giving, allowing for proactive efforts to retain their support. Because retaining existing donors is generally more cost-effective than acquiring new ones, this is highly valuable.
• Campaign Optimisation: Einstein AI can analyse campaign performance and provide insights into the most effective strategies, helping organisations optimise their fundraising activities.

Example Applications:

• Major Gift Identification: Einstein AI can analyse donor data to identify individuals with the capacity and inclination to make major gifts, enabling development officers to focus on cultivating these relationships.
• Targeted Appeals: Einstein AI can help segment donors for specific campaigns based on their likelihood to give to those causes, increasing the effectiveness of appeals.
• Proactive Retention: Einstein AI can alert development staff to donors showing signs of reduced engagement, such as decreased email interaction or website activity, allowing for proactive re-engagement efforts.

Empowering Donors with Personalised Portals via Experience Cloud

Creating a positive donor experience is crucial for building long-term relationships. Salesforce Experience Cloud enables non-profits to create personalised donor portals that enhance engagement and empower donors.

• Self-Service Capabilities: Donor portals provide donors with convenient access to their information and allow them to perform self-service tasks, such as:
  • Updating Contact Information: Ensuring accurate and current records.
  • Viewing Giving History: Providing transparency and enabling donors to track their contributions.
  • Managing Communication Preferences: Giving donors control over how they receive communications from the organisation.
• Personalised Content Delivery: Portals can deliver personalised content based on donor interests and giving history, including:
  • Impact Reports: Demonstrating the results of donor contributions.
  • Event Invitations: Promoting relevant events and opportunities for engagement.
  • Personalised Thank-You Messages: Expressing gratitude for donor support.
• Community Building: Experience Cloud can also be used to create online communities where donors can connect with each other and with the organisation, fostering a sense of belonging and shared purpose.
• Two-Way Communication: Portals facilitate two-way communication between donors and the organisation, allowing donors to ask questions, provide feedback, and engage in dialogue.

Benefits of Donor Portals:

• Increased Donor Engagement: Providing a personalised, interactive experience strengthens the connection between donors and the organisation.
• Improved Donor Retention: Empowering donors and providing excellent service increases donor satisfaction and loyalty.
• Reduced Administrative Costs: Self-service capabilities decrease the administrative work involved in handling routine inquiries and updates.
• Enhanced Transparency: Providing donors with access to their giving history and information about the organisation's impact builds trust and accountability.

Best Practices for Implementing Salesforce for Fundraising

Implementing Salesforce effectively requires careful planning and execution. Here are some best practices:

• Develop a Clear Strategy: Define your fundraising goals and objectives before implementing Salesforce. Identify the main challenges and how Salesforce can help address them.
• Data Migration and Integration: Ensure a smooth transfer of data from existing systems to Salesforce. Integrate Salesforce with other relevant tools, such as payment processors and email marketing platforms.
• Training and Adoption: Provide comprehensive training to staff to ensure they can use Salesforce effectively. Encourage adoption across all departments involved in fundraising.
• Data Quality Management: Establish processes to maintain data quality, ensuring accuracy and completeness. Regularly clean and update donor records.
• Ongoing Optimisation: Continuously monitor and analyse fundraising performance in Salesforce. Identify areas for improvement and adjust strategies accordingly.
• Leverage Salesforce Expertise: Consider working with a Salesforce consulting partner experienced in non-profit fundraising to ensure a successful implementation and ongoing optimisation.

Conclusion: Transforming Fundraising with Salesforce

Salesforce offers a powerful platform for non-profit organisations to transform their fundraising efforts. Using tools like Nonprofit Cloud, Marketing Cloud, Einstein AI, and Experience Cloud, organisations can:

• Personalise donor interactions at every point of contact.
• Gain a complete understanding of their donors.
• Predict giving patterns and optimise outreach strategies.
• Empower donors through personalised online experiences.

Ultimately, Salesforce helps non-profits build stronger, more meaningful relationships with their donors, leading to more effective fundraising, greater sustainability, and a greater impact on the communities they serve. The key is to use a data-driven approach, prioritise personalisation, and continuously improve strategies based on insights from the Salesforce platform.