Putting People at the Center of Personalization

If you’re a digital fundraiser, the concept of personalization has likely been climbing its way up your priority list. With targeting becoming harder and privacy laws becoming stricter personalization is critical to capture your reader’s attention, increase engagement, and run an effective campaign. 

For many organizations, personalization comes down to two messaging tactics: salutation and segmentation. That is the ability to address someone by their (correct) first name and adjust the content they receive based on whether they are a donor, non-donor, or sustainer. Let’s be clear — this is a great start! 

Digging deeper: 

At Mal Warwick Donordigital we advocate for a more holistic approach to personalization — one that honors the intersectionality of our supporters. We encourage our clients to follow the platinum rule: treat people the way they want to be treated — and that means going further than using someone’s first name or calling out their donor status.  

In action: 

We believe meaningful personalization is most often linked to behavior and identity. Great news — you likely have a treasure trove of behavioral data hiding in your CRM. Consider how you might segment your messages differently based on the following behaviors: 

• Petitions someone has signed 
• Events they’ve attended 
• Donations to peer-to-peer fundraisers they’ve made 
• Whether they’ve used your services  
• Their first interaction and how long they’ve been involved with your work/mission 
• Campaigns/time of year they typically give 
• First-party demographic information 

Here’s a great example from World Animal Protection. We recently partnered to segment an email appeal based on recent petition-signing behavior. Folks who’d recently signed petitions received versions of the appeal featuring the animal or species that aligned with their action as well as unique copy that acknowledged their passion about the topic. More than 100 petition signers made their first gift to World Animal Protection within one month of receiving this email. 

Personalization based on identity is more complex. It requires the intentional practice of reflecting on how your supporters might see themselves — spoiler alert: it’s not as a donor or non-donor. Supporter identities are based on values, beliefs, and the world they want to create. 

Put yourself in the shoes of your supporters and push yourself to consider why they should choose you as the recipient of their generosity. What values are inspiring their action? What’s the deeper reason for their support? Call upon those values and reasons in your appeals through copy, imagery, and buttons. Asking your audience to reflect on their “why” is a great way to inspire giving.  

Just for fun: 

Need one more reason to reflect on the identity of your supporters? According to some deliverability tools, emails addressed to “Dear Friend” are a red flag for inbox providers who want to ensure they’re only delivering wanted email to their users. Try one of these more imaginative salutations in your next send. 

Dear … 
 

Justice Seeker 
Change Maker 
Hope Bringer 
Climate ChampionTrailblazer 
Ally 
Equality Advocate 
Human Rights Defender 
Community Builder 
Voice Amplifier 
Progress Promoter 
Future Shaper 
Peace Ambassador  
Storyteller 
Pet Parent 
Nature Defender 
Wildlife Guardian 
Habitat Protector 
Conservationist 
Wilderness Preserver 
Partner for Change 
Lifesaver 
Innovator 
Visionary 
Dreamer 
Progress Promoter 

Progressive non-profit leaders — just like you — are in a position to change the world thanks to your empathy, compassion, and desire to make a difference. Use that to connect with your audience and help them truly see themselves as part of your mission.