Effective Email Campaigns For Fundraising

3 out of 5 websites bury their add cart CTA. Negatively impacting: - the add to cart rate - the conversion rate - the revenue (and profits) But that doesn't mean the add to cart CTA should be the first thing they see. It needs to be placed strategically. Just when your visitor is ready to buy. In this example, using Cetaphil's PDP, I've made 10 changes that help you show the add to cart button in the right place and increase the conversion rate. 1. Show the "purpose" of your product above the product name. What concern does it solve? This helps visitors quickly understand if this is for them. 2. Add a 1-2 line benefit-driven summary of the product under the product name. This gets the user interested and warms them up to read more. 3. Optimize the price area by mentioning quantity, ml, units (if this is applicable to your product). This shows them value for money and justifies the price. 4. Highlight a result the user can expect with numbers on the image. Also known as clinical studies. These should be proven by an actual study. 5. Add image thumbnails. Make sure the image gallery has all key information about the product (benefits, ingredients, how to use). 6. Add a short benefit summary in bullets before the add to cart. Keep the bullet points to 1 line on mobile. 7. Upsell in the options section. Allow the user to buy a bigger quantity. Show how much they save when they buy the bigger one. 8. Optimize the add to cart area by highlighting the delivery time and rate. 9. Show product USPs or brand USPs below the add to cart in a visual format using icons. Like free shipping, delivery time, return policy. 10. Add an cross-sell section like "Complete your routine" or "Complete your look". This increases your AOV and helps the shopper find relevant products easily. Other UX/UI and CRO changes I did: - Added an information bar with shipping info - Added a cart icon in the logo bar - Reduced the image height Found this useful? Let me know in the comments. P.S. If you want to maximize your PDP’s conversions, start by understanding your visitor's behavior and the gaps. Do this by studying click and scroll maps, find what sections they read, skip through, click on (and not). If you have questions about CRO or web design, reach out to me on DM. #conversionrateoptimization

Are your CTAs converting? If not, you're not alone. Many businesses need help with low conversion rates, often not because of a poor offer but due to poor positioning and design choices. That's where Fitts's Law comes in. 💡 Fitts's Law states that the bigger the distance to the target is, the longer it will take for the pointer to move to it. For example, if you have a preferred user action, make that option larger and more prominent than others—making it easier and faster to click on. You can use Fitts's Law to increase your CTA conversion rate in three ways: 👉🏾 Place your CTAs above the fold on all screen sizes. Users should be able to see your CTAs without having to scroll down. Very important. 👉🏾Make your CTAs large and prominent. The bigger and more visible your CTAs are, the easier they will be to click on. 👉🏾Use contrasting colors and design elements to make your CTAs stand out. It can't blend with the entire design. It needs to pop! You can also use Fitts's Law to discourage users from taking unwanted actions. 🚫 💥 For example, you can make your unsubscribe link smaller and less prominent than your other CTAs. Following these simple tips, you can use Fitts's Law to improve your CTA conversion rate and boost your bottom line. #conversionrateoptimization #apollineadiju #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #marketingstrategy

10 ways to collect data about your supporters (even if you don’t have any donors yet): 1️⃣ Public research & reports: use free sector insights (e.g. CAF Giving Report) to understand giving trends. 2️⃣ Event sign-ups: ask a few quick questions when people attend free events, workshops, or webinars. 3️⃣ Petitions & pledges: a simple “add your name” campaign builds a list of people who care. 4️⃣ Social media polls: ask a question on LinkedIn polls or Instagram stories for quick feedback. 5️⃣ Surveys: use short surveys (e.g. Google Forms, Typeform) to ask people what matters most to them. 6️⃣ Feedback forms: after events, ask attendees what they enjoyed, what could improve, and why they showed up. 7️⃣ Social media analytics: check the built-in insights on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn for audience demographics like age, gender, and location. 8️⃣ Website analytics: free tools like Google Analytics and Hotjar show you where visitors come from and what they click on. 9️⃣ Conversations: talk to volunteers, service users, and community members. What words do they use? What motivates them? 🔟 Email engagement: even a small list gives clues. Track who opens, clicks, and replies to your emails. You don’t need a big database to start building a picture of who cares about your cause. 🩷 This is Day 17 of my LinkedIn content challenge. I’m posting every day in August about how small charities can grow online and find new donors. Follow along for practical tips, strategy, and a bit of fun. #SmallCharities

In great fundraising, the donor is the heart and hero of our story. They aren't just supporters; they're the driving force. Here's how we can elevate their role: > Craft your mailings to reflect the donor's impact. When they see the tangible difference they make, they become deeply invested narrators of the cause. > Equip donors with stories that highlight their role. Their connection deepens when they recognize how vital they are to the mission. > Consider launching a 'share your story' campaign. Let donors tell their unique tales of support and the change they've witnessed. > Keep donors informed. Show them the direct results of their contributions and how they're leading the change. > A genuine 'thank you' can do wonders. Celebrate their heroism, acknowledging that every step forward is due to their generosity. In direct mail, it's our privilege to tell stories. But remember, it's the donor who always plays the lead role. How do you make your donors the heroes in your narratives?

Stop sending your donors newsletters. Start sending them evidence. Your donors don't want updates about your organization. They want proof their investment is working. Your quarterly newsletter is filled with staff announcements, upcoming events, and organizational milestones. What's missing? Clear evidence that donors' money is creating real change. The organizations with the highest donor retention don't send better newsletters. They send better evidence. Pull out your last donor newsletter. Count how many articles focus on: Your organization's activities versus actual outcomes. Your staff updates versus lives changed. Your upcoming events versus problems solved. Your organizational news versus donor impact. If your newsletter reads more like a company update than an impact report, you've found a problem. The most successful fundraising programs I work with have transformed their donor communications: They replace activity updates with specific outcome stories. They substitute staff profiles with beneficiary transformations. They swap event announcements with problem-solution evidence. They trade organizational milestones for donor impact milestones. Your donors didn't invest in your organization to get updates. They invested to make a difference. Stop telling them about your work. Start showing them their impact. Evidence of change matters more than evidence of effort.

3/4 of my closest friends have left social media (specifically, IG/FB & Tik Tok) completely. The reason why is for another post, TL;DR: people realize the impact social media has on their mental health and are choosing to protect their peace. Here's why this matters for your nonprofit. 👇🏼👇🏼 You don't own your audience on social media, you are on rented land. If people are following your work on social, and then leave, can you still connect with them? I'm not saying you shouldn't focus on social, because there's so much opportunity there, especially for acquisition of new supporters. I'm saying that email list building needs to be your PRIORITY. Find a way to get people from social to email. Quick action steps: 1. Make email signup prominent on your website 2. Offer valuable lead magnets (i.e. petition, recipe book, quiz) 3. Collect emails at every touchpoint - think about your events, direct mail envelopes, virtual events. 4. Create compelling welcome sequences 5. Focus on relationship-building content Why email works: ✅ Direct connection with supporters ✅ You own your list (unlike social followers) ✅ Higher engagement rates ✅ More reliable for fundraising ✅ Not algorithm-dependent ✅ Meets supporters where they are Don't risk losing connection with supporters who care about your cause. Build that email list like your mission depends on it - because it does.

This 2-minute donor update hack will build trust and keep them loyal for years: Donors aren’t just writing checks and forgetting about it, they’re expecting a return. Not necessarily a financial ROI (although some may), but a return in impact. They want to know their dollars aren’t disappearing into the void. They want metrics, transparency, and proof that their contribution is creating change. Nonprofits can learn a LOT from startups when it comes to donor retention. Startups live and die by how well they report back to investors. They’ve mastered the art of building trust and loyalty through data-backed updates. Why aren’t nonprofits doing the same? Borrow These 3 Investor Reporting Practices to Build Donor Trust: 1. Impact Dashboards Just like startups track revenue growth, nonprofits should track key metrics that matter to their donors (e.g., meals served, trees planted, lives impacted). Example: Charity: Water built an online dashboard showing exactly where every donation goes, right down to the GPS coordinates of the wells they’ve funded. 2. Regular Updates, Not Just Asks Startups send quarterly updates to their investors. Why not send the same to donors? Share wins, challenges, and lessons learned. Example: Instead of a generic “thank you” email, send a monthly email breaking down how donations have directly contributed to your mission. 3. Case Studies Startups use case studies to show investors how their money fuels growth. Nonprofits can do the same to showcase success stories. Example: Share a before-and-after story. How someone’s $100 donation changed a life. Include real numbers and outcomes. This leads to: Donors who feel confident in your organization. Donors who trust that their money is making a difference. Donors who stick around for the long haul. Nonprofits that treat their donors like investors grow rapidly. With purpose and impact, Mario

Most donor retention advice focuses on tactics. Send a thank-you. Make a phone call. Share an impact story. All good. But not enough. Here’s what really keeps donors: 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆. Donors don’t keep giving because of what you do. They keep giving because of 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦. A protector. A provider. A person who shows up when others don’t. Here’s how to reinforce that identity: 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 “You’re the kind of person who…” “You stepped in when others hesitated.” 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝘀 Not “you supported programming.” But “you gave a child a safe place to sleep.” 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿 Don’t just thank them. Invite them into a community of people like them. 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 Remind them who they are—every time they hear from you. The best retention strategy isn’t clever. It’s 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘧: “You’re the kind of person who changes things.” Tactics matter. But identity is what sticks. How are you helping donors see themselves in your story?

If I were leading a fundraising team right now and retention was sliding, here’s exactly how I’d turn it around 👇 Retention doesn’t improve with luck. It improves with clarity. 🔹 Step 1: Define your at-risk group Pull a list of donors who gave last year but not this year. That’s your highest-ROI audience. 🔹 Step 2: Segment by relationship Who has personal ties to staff or board? Who’s been a loyal advocate for 5+ years? Those relationships are warm. Start there. 🔹 Step 3: Reach out like a human Not “Dear Friend” emails. Actual conversations. A check-in call. A quick video message. A handwritten note. Donors remember when you show up in personal ways. 🔹 Step 4: Track reasons, not just renewals Why did they stop giving? Why did they come back? If you don’t capture the why, you’ll repeat the same mistakes. 🔹 Step 5: Celebrate the second gift It’s the most important one. The second gift is what transforms a casual donor into someone who sticks. Treat it like a milestone. 🔹 Step 6: Build it into your system Don’t make this a one-off campaign. Bake lapsed-donor reactivation into your monthly workflows and use tools that surface who’s slipping away before it’s too late. Do this with discipline and you’ll stop bleeding donors and start building lifelong ones.

Donors Leave Silently—Here’s What You Never Hear Them Say Raising money is hard. But keeping a donor? Even harder. Most NGOs don’t have a donor retention problem. They have a donor neglect problem. The moment the cheque clears, the follow-up vanishes. And funders feel it. Here’s how good NGOs lose great donors: ❌ They send updates only when asked ❌ They share impact reports, not actual impact ❌ They go quiet for 6–8 months ❌ They only reconnect during renewal time Raising funds gets you a donor. Stewardship builds a partner. Here’s what smart NGOs are doing differently: ✔ Monthly micro-updates → 1-pagers with visuals, not essays ✔ Bi-annual check-in calls → not just for reporting, but listening ✔ Anecdotes tied to metrics → numbers + narratives = trust ✔ Inviting funders to milestones → show, don’t just tell ==Donor retention isn’t about reporting. It’s about relationship design. ===And in 2025, renewals will come faster to those who stay in touch.