Look beyond wealth to identify major gift fundraising opportunities.
In my role as a data analyst here at JGA, I have learned that identifying potential major donors is crucial to every nonprofit’s fundraising. It is the top topic on the mind of every JGA partner when they work with us to explore their data. It is exciting to see how this search for top prospects has changed over time.
Traditionally, wealth and giving capacity have been the primary indicators to determine individuals likely to make substantial contributions. This has transformed in recent years to include an analysis of a prospect’s capacity, affinity, and philanthropic giving indicators, using billions of data points from hundreds of sources.
Incorporating engagement variables—factors that measure a donor’s connection and involvement with your organization—can also significantly enhance the effectiveness of your fundraising efforts. This takes prospect identification from “descriptive” to truly “predictive,” and can significantly amplify your effectiveness. Here’s how that works.
Engagement is a primary major donor identification tool.
Engagement variables can include:
- event attendance and ticket buying (especially for arts organizations)
- volunteer participation (from one-time volunteering to boards and committees)
- donation frequency (to your and other organizations)
- interactions with the organization’s emails, newsletters, and video content (clicks, opens, watches)
- meetings with staff and donor response to emails and texts
Few organizations store all this engagement data in one place. We learned that this doesn’t need to be a barrier, however, because data can be combined from multiple places in a cost-effective way to do an analysis, which is refreshed every six months. That is how we do it for JGA partners looking to find the best donors. A regular and refreshed understanding of your best prospects results in regular portfolio updates and opportunities for your staff to engage with individuals. The result is less stress for your team and true responsiveness, which leads to a better donor experience.
Transforming the donor experience
Advantages of incorporating engagement data in your donor identification include:
- Stronger Relationships: Donors who feel a personal connection to a mission are more likely to be actively engaged. These individuals are not just giving out of surplus wealth; they are giving because they care deeply about the cause and how this organization can make a positive difference. This emotional investment often leads to more significant and more sustained (“sticky”) contributions over time.
- Higher Conversion Rates: When engagement variables are considered, the likelihood of a successful major gift solicitation increases. Engaged donors are more receptive to outreach and are often more willing to commit to significant contributions.
- Long-Term Loyalty: Engaged donors are not just one-time givers; they are more likely to become repeat donors and advocates for the organization. This strengthens the donor base, enabling gift officer teams to allocate resources more effectively.
- Tailored Messaging: Understanding a donor’s level of engagement allows for more personalized and meaningful communication. Rather than sending generic requests, fundraisers can craft messages and customize outreaches that resonate with a donor’s specific interests and involvement. Personalized messaging greatly increases the chance of a positive response.
The winning combination in fundraising predictive analytics
In the competitive landscape of nonprofit fundraising, nonprofits that look beyond wealth and consider the full picture of donor engagement are likely to see better results and build a more sustainable future for their organizations. This is why JGA partnered with DonorSearch AI to create Acuity® Insights, a unique predictive analytics solution designed to assist nonprofits in identifying donors and streamlining prospect management.
As your nonprofit continues to refine its strategies, integrating wealth, philanthropic, and affinity screening with predictive engagement variables should become a standard practice, ensuring that the best donors are identified and cultivated in a way that maximizes their potential impact.
If you’re ready to engage top donor prospects smarter, in a way that’s efficient and amplifies the joy of giving, drop us a line here at JGA. We’re ready to help.