Improving Engagement to Increase Donor Retention

Overview

Conservation International has more than 1400 monthly donors (‘sustainers’), who donate over $300,000 each year. These donors provide a predictable and reliable source of unrestricted revenue - or funds which can be allocated by CI where needed most.

🚩 Problem

We were experiencing a decline in number of monthly donors and an increase in their email unsubscribe rates, reducing our annual revenue. A lack of data and outreach restricted our understanding of why. When a donor unsubscribes from emails, it is a strong indicator that they are very likely to stop or have already stopped donating.

🎯 Goal

Our main goals were to identify why sustainers are canceling their donations, test different email strategies to increase engagement and reduce unsubscribe rates, and ultimately boost donor retention through data-driven campaigns informed by donor insights.

Methodology and Processes

To answer our research question, I crafted a study using the Double Diamond framework.

In Discover, we analyzed existing email engagement data and conducted surveys. In Define, we synthesized insights to create problem statements and hypotheses. In Develop, we changed email tactics and designed new emails aligned with brand guidelines and best practices. In Deliver, we launched these emails, A/B tested their performance, iterated based on results, and continued producing new monthly emails to optimize engagement.

Phase 1: Understand Through Discovery Research

Business Impact

• Catalyzed long-term strategy including the launch of the new sustainer identity “The Current” and the development of new member benefits to drive deeper engagement.

• Demonstrated that monthly donors were an untapped segment with significant potential, validating the importance of investing in this audience.

I developed and deployed a survey to our 1400+ sustainers to gain insights into their giving patterns, priorities, and content engagement. The questions focused on their perceptions and knowledge of CI's work, their donor experience, and reasons for becoming sustainers.

A survey allowed us to reach our entire sustainer donor base quickly and cost effectively. A survey was also scalable for future use for continued outreach to new members.

W​e learned that a majority of donors want more information about their donation impact and stay informed about our work via email. I proposed customizing the monthly donation email receipt, which is already sent each month as required by law.

I believed that tailoring these communications could quickly strengthen our donor connection at no additional cost. These changes could allow us to increase donor engagement through their preferred method and give them the content they desired.

To test our hypothesis of increased engagement, I developed a new email for the donation receipt. We ran A/B tests for two months where 50% of sustainers received the current email (below, left) and 50% received the new interim email (below, right).

Tools:

1. EveryAction for email deployment, segmentation, and open rates

2. Email on Acid for time measurements

Results: Readers spent an average of 8 seconds reading the new email, a 2 second increase from the current email.

Current Email & Challenges

• No details on donor contribution impact

• Strayed from brand guidelines, missing the logo and featuring dark imagery

• Focus is on an additional CTA social share ask, instead of focusing on thanking the donor

Interim Email Changes

Accomplishing a Skimmable Email

The interim changes showed small but promising results, giving us reason to continue pursuing new approaches.

I developed an email highlighting one of CI’s initiatives and its progress for donors, utilizing the survey insight for their desire for more impact information.

Knowing the time constraint of 8 seconds, I aimed to provide these insights into skimmable emails.

1. Featuring positive visuals to maintain brand cohesiveness, spark curiosity and encourage engagement

2. Using a bulleted list for project highlights to enhance scannability and shorten text

3. Adding a clear button leading to the specific project page for donors to explore the featured initiative further

4. Providing a direct link to the donor portal to reduce cognitive load and streamline access

5. Simplifying the social share CTA to reduce text while keeping the option available

I facilitated efficient skimming by implementing these tactics:

Results: A 4% increase in unique clicks for the month it ran. Average email reading times remained between 8-10 seconds.

We knew we could achieve more.

Utilizing Survey Insights: Donor Priorities

Confirming our hypothesis of increased interaction, we worked to highlight programs which correlated with the priority sustainers were most excited about: Stabilizing our climate by protecting and restoring nature.

We featured stories from programs such as the Global Mangrove Alliance which works to conserve and restore natural forests to remove carbon dioxide from the air, and created a year-in-review email to provide big-picture insights into our donor’s impact.

Further Design Changes

• New subject line to enhance inbox visibility

• Refined button text to drive engagement and clicks

My personal favorite: Amazonia Indigenous Women’s Fellowship Program, which connects Indigenous women to the tools, training and funding needed to implement their initiatives, manage their territories, and promote the overall conservation of the Amazon.

Results

In the first four months we achieved a significant boost in email performance, confirming the success of our initiative.

• 30.85% average increase in unique clicks

• 50.2% average drop in unsubscribes

• 14.25% open rate, surpassing the overall email open average of 10.2% for the digital fundraising communications

• 2 second increase in average reading time, for a total of 10 seconds (4 seconds up from our starting point)

Searching for New Forms of Recognition: Competitive Analysis

With 58% of survey respondents noting they also donate to other causes, I conducted a competitive analysis to explore what other nonprofits offered their sustainers and to identify strategies for improving engagement and expressing gratitude to our own.

Our team planned to create a branded name for our sustainer group and hoped to provide merchandise such as t-shirts and water bottles as thanks for their support.

Where They Are Headed

Before leaving for graduate school in August 2023, a Donor Communications and Experience team was brought on. I collaborated with the new team to develop additional touchpoints.

We continued to pr0vide more opportunities for donor feedback in ways of surveys and written testimonials.

Opportunities for sustainers to create customizable and sharable graphics were developed for further engagement and social sharing opportunities.

Though I couldn’t stay to witness major changes go into effect, I was confident the team was headed towards a new standard in recognizing our sustainers.

I am now a monthly donor myself and look forward to watching the program grow.