More Members through Measured Marketing -By Baird Straughan - River Rally 2013, St. Louis

Truth in Advertising This workshop was misrepresented. Baird has worked with river and watershed groups since the last millenium. Confessed data-phile. Confessed social media phobe. Developed the River Network status reports. Creator of LeadGreen consulting and the WaterGrass database

Please sign in on the tablet

How many of you distinguish between members and donors?

Goals of this session Learn the marketing “funnel” concept, with its various stages Share data on the results achieved by other river and watershed groups Identify the stages you want to focus on Choose steps to improve your own marketing funnel. (One may be to simply start measuring.)

Marketing funnel model

Marketing funnel for rivers organizations

Member and Donor Attrition in a small watershed group using Excel to track donors, with over 10 years of data, two solicitations per year.

From Gift 1 to Gift 2: 45% First time members/donors: 361 gifts 2nd time members/donors: 198 gifts Attrition: From Gift 2 to 3: 33% From Gift 3 to 4: 27% From Gift 4 to 5: 60% From Gift 5 to 6: 14%

How to visualize this much attrition?

Marketing funnel for rivers organizations Repeat contributions

But what might have been ….

32 additional second donations at $85.18 donation = $3,122 in additional revenue.

Over a period of 7 solicitations, 250 additional donations for $21,330 in additional revenue.

If 40% of your donors give once and never again … … then they are your best marketing prospects.

Write down: Your renewal rate, if you know it. How many renewal reminders you send before giving up. How many newsletters per year? How many communications per year? How many appeals per year? Exercise #1: Shutting the Faucet

In your groups, share your numbers. One person: post your numbers on the flipcharts on the side. Look around at the flipcharts. What do you notice? What changes do you want to make? Note those. Exercise #1: Shutting the Faucet

Repeat contributions

Conversion

Measured Marketing at the Rock Creek Conservancy

What Makes RCC Special Affluent urban neighborhoods with many highly educated community- oriented citizens.

A capable database Image from WaterGrass A lot of work.

RCC’s Initial Recruitment Strategies 15 people first give as board members; since then, they’ve given $29,630. Board members then recruit 107 friends, who by now have given $56, people respond to direct mail membership solicitations. By now they’ve given $78, % renewal79%61%

Take-away: Donors recruited because they were on the board + Donors recruited by the board + Donors recruited by direct mail solicitations for new members gave 71% of the total non-grant income for Rock Creek Conservancy until now.

EVENTS

Events attracted fewer long-term contributors, with exceptions Total Giving by Donors Recruited by These Events

Subject: Roses are red... Roses are red Violets are blue We need your help To bid English ivy adieu Roses are red English ivy is green Help us eradicate it And keep our park clean Help us control non-native invasive vines in Rock Creek Park with a donation. Be a sweetheart, and show Rock Creek you care! Happy Valentine's Day! Beth Mullin Executive Director Rock Creek Conservancy SOLICITATIONS Beth’s appeals get as much as 1% response, which is stupendous. Most are repeat donors. The s bring in 56 new donors, but only 34% give again.

DOOR HANGERS! 9 people signed up due to these door hangers, 66% renewed, and they’ve given generously since.

VOLUNTEERS

2013 Extreme Cleanup 2013 Extreme Cleanup

TILL NOW, ONLY 2% OF PEOPLE WHO BEGAN BY VOLUNTEERING DONATE.

Another organization with more data on volunteer participation shows the same “silos.”

Write down: How many new members you got this year, if you know it? How many new member solicitations you send out? How many in-person solicitations? Other means you use to recruit members. Exercise #2: Converting More People to Become Members

In your group: Share your results and capture them on your flipcharts. Identify one strategy for member recruitment that’s new to most of you. Share in large group. Note what you’d like to change. Exercise #2: Converting More People to Become Members

Conversion

Contact

WEBSITE VISITORS (to be completed)

6 gifts. 50% gave again. Average lifetime donation till now: $406.

FACEBOOK

The kind of posts which got attention in Facebook were like this:

So far, most Facebook friends haven’t crossed over into other actions. People in the database because they’ve given, or volunteered, or signed up for s, etc.

Write down: How many contacts do you make through online methods? (If you don’ t know, how will you measure?) What online methods will you focus on now? Exercise #3: Making Contact with Potential Members

Share in your groups: What area of membership marketing will you focus on first when you return home? Exercise #3: Making Contact with Potential Members

Main Points: Measure so you can learn what works. Asking personally or by letters is still the most effective approach. Converting more volunteers to donors would improve fundraising a lot. Website donations are rising and important for the future.

What gets measured matters. Baird Straughan, Pat Munoz,