This document discusses best practices for utilizing telemarketing in nonprofit fundraising. It provides an overview of the ASPCA's telemarketing programs, including Sustainer Invite and Reactivation campaigns that ask previous donors to join their monthly giving program, Sustainer Recapture campaigns that ask lapsed monthly donors to restart their donations, and Sustainer Upgrade campaigns that ask existing monthly donors to increase their gifts. The document discusses audience selection, messaging strategies, and how to evaluate the success of telemarketing campaigns based on metrics like additional revenue and impact on other fundraising channels.

1. Best Practices in Telemarketing
Jennifer Minogue
Director, Monthly Donor Cultivation and
Retention, Membership
ASPCA
jennifer.minogue@aspca.org
Caroline Mendez
Vice President of Client Services
SD&A Teleservices
cmendez@sdatel.com

2. About SD&A
Since 1983, SD&A has proudly
served the nonprofit community
across many sectors. From
representing the performing arts
sector with our subscription sales
and marketing teams to raising
millions making hundreds of
thousands of calls via our national
call center, SD&A has a proven
track record of putting their clients
first. Innovation, service and
results drives our philosophy.

3. About the ASPCA
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA, American Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, is the oldest humane
organization in America and one of the largest in the
world. Our mission is to provide effective means for the
prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United
States.
Last year, the ASPCA was supported by 1.5 million
donors and we currently have over 550,000 active
monthly sustainers with close to 95% contributing
monthly with an automatic contribution via EFT or
Charge Card.

4. About the ASPCA
The ASPCA acquires donors through a variety of sources and
each source drives growth in our recurring donor base. We
don’t just focus on acquiring new donors but improving their
long-term value through multi-channel retention efforts.
The ASPCA emphasizes consistent sustainer messaging across
multiple channels to create brand awareness and highlight the
benefits of monthly giving. We aren’t just reaching people who
have yet to be committed supporters, but also those who
already are regular contributors and it’s important to not
alienate them from the work they make possible.
One of the channels that allow us to do this most effectively
is telemarketing.

5. Why Should You
Utilize
Telemarketing?
Compared to other fundraising efforts (DRTV,
Digital Acquisition, Canvassing),
telemarketing is generally cheaper and
provides relatively similar results, particularly
if a gift is secured via credit card or EFT
Comparative
Cost
Unlike other channels where costs to acquire
might shift, pricing exists for you to project
based on stable costs (CPC). Additionally,
telemarketing firms will be able to help with
projections based on other clients to help
determine revenue goals
Easy To
Budget
Telemarketing allows your organization to
touch base with donors on a one-to-one
basis. Having a conversation with your donor
allows them to feel connected with the work
your organization is doing
Personal
Connection

6. Why Should You
Utilize
Telemarketing?
If something isn’t working with your script or if
there’s a flaw in your data, you’ll know quickly.
Donors aren’t shy about letting you know if their
information is wrong. Additionally, if a donor’s
contact info has changed, you immediately get
that and can update your database of record.
Instantaneous
Feedback
Unlike the mail, telemarketing scripts can be
updated with short notice. If your organization is
responding to an emergency or has breaking
news pertinent to your donors, telemarketing is
the fastest way to start getting the message out
Agile Channel
Telemarketing has proven to increase average gift,
participation and retention across the mail and
digital when part of a multi-channel effort
Boosts Other
Channels

7. Why Should You Utilize Telemarketing?
Challenges
Misunderstood
Reputation
Difference between a pushy sales telemarketer and a telefundraising call.
Assuming We
are the Donor
“I wouldn’t want to get a call” is feedback that you may hear from your colleagues. While telemarketing may not work for everyone,
it has proven effective with many donors. The profile of your donors may not match that of the people working at your organization.
Don’t assume that just because you don’t want to be called, no one else does. We probably wouldn’t say we’d want junk mail or
email solicitations, but we accept that those forms of fundraising work.
Unfulfilled
Pledges
If you are taking gifts via check, it is important to remember that not everyone who pledges will send in their contribution. Adjust
expectations based on payment method.
Striking the
Right Tone
It’s important to remember that the people you are calling are supporters and they need to feel appreciated for their gift. Make
sure there’s a balance between expressing gratitude and asking for a gift. While we want to get a gift, we don’t want to at the price
of losing a donor.
Agent
misinformation
In order to be successful, your agents need to be knowledgeable about your organization. If script adherence is key, make sure that
your agents are trained on the work of your organization and that they don’t editorialize to secure a donation.

8. You Tell Us

9. ASPCA TM Overview
THREE TYPES OF TM CAMPAIGNS IN A
YEAR – SUSTAINER INVITE &
REACTIVATION, SUSTAINER
RECAPTURE AND SUSTAINER
UPGRADE.
THE FOCUS IS THE ASPCA GUARDIAN
PROGRAM, THE ASPCA’S RELIABLE
SOURCE OF FUNDS THROUGH
MONTHLY DONATIONS THAT ENABLE
THE ASPCA’S LIFESAVING WORK.

10. Sustainer Invite & Reactivation
This campaign focuses on asking one-time donors and previous monthly donors to either join or rejoin
the ASPCA’s monthly sustainer program known as ASPCA Guardians
We run four campaigns a year – one in each quarter and calling last approximately 8 weeks for each
campaign
Each campaign is budgeted for about 40K contacts but flexibility is built in to adjust based on
performance
Invite is one of our smallest sustainer acquisition channels, with approx. 5% of our Guardians incepted
through Invite TM
In comparison to other inception channels, Invite TM is one of the most cost-effective, but most
difficult to scale (limited number of eligible donors)

11. Sustainer Recapture
Sustainer Recapture asks recently lapsed monthly donors to rejoin the Guardian program by
updating their billing information
We run this campaign monthly, totaling 12 campaigns in a year. Each campaign last about 4
weeks
The volume fluctuates based on monthly decline rates, but each campaign has approx. 8K
records and we reach about 25% of those
Sustainer Recapture via telemarketing is part of a multi-channel effort. We also ask donors to
update via email and SMS
A donor can be in our recapture campaign as many times as they lapse, but we suppress them
from receiving two recapture calls in consecutive months

12. Sustainer Upgrade
Sustainer Upgrade asks active monthly donors to increase their current monthly pledge
If a donor is currently giving their recurring gift via check, the first ask is a conversion ask, encouraging the donor to
set up automatic monthly contributions via EFT or credit card
We run six campaigns a year – one every 2 months and calling last approximately 5 weeks for each campaign
Each campaign is currently budgeted for about 20K contacts each round or 10% of our eligible donors
Sustainer Upgrade telemarketing is part of a multi-channel effort to encourage donors to increase their monthly gift.
We also ask donors to upgrade via email and SMS
The ASPCA limits the number of upgrade asks in a year. Donors who either accepted or refused an upgrade will only
get an upgrade ask every third campaign (approx. every 6 months)

13. Audience
Select
Your targeted donors should not be
set in stone.
Your select should be flexible based
on prior success and how your
acquisition programs have evolved.

14. Audience
Select
Sustainer Invite
• The ASPCA included donors that hadn’t given in over 24
months and saw little return from this group
• Old Plan: Include one-time donors who have given in the last
four years
• Current Plan: Only include one-time donors and prior
sustainers who have given a gift in the last 2 years and
additionally segment on prior sustainer giving, TM
responsiveness, MRC, HPC and CC or EFT on file
Sustainer Recapture
• The ASPCA noticed a low fulfillment rate from lapsed monthly
donors who had been giving by check
• Old Plan: Target all recently lapsed monthly donors who were
giving via EFT, credit card, or check
• Current Plan: Focus on recently lapsed monthly donors who
were giving via EFT or credit card to increase fulfillment rates
to almost 100% and more effectively budget

15. Audience
Select
Sustainer Upgrade
• Since the ASPCA has increased investment in
channels such as canvassing, the donor profile of
monthly givers has shifted. With donors more
interested in “setting it and forgetting it”, we
needed to rethink solicitation cadence as part of
the donor journey
• Old Plan: Ask all active monthly donors who
joined the sustainer program 3+ months ago to
upgrade/convert
• Current Plan: Extend date of first upgrade ask for
canvass and incentivized digital acquisition from
3 months to 1 year to discern factors that may
be impacting attrition

16. Audience
Select
TM
Responsive
Sustainer
Responsive
Never
Contacted

17. The Importance of a Valuable Telemarketing Partner
Communication
Does your telemarketing partner update you on donor feedback or trends?
Can you receive regular performance reports?
Trust
Is your partner capable of delivering on promises? Are they willing to talk
through goals and set realistic expectations? Can you rely on them to be honest
about a campaign’s performance?
Flexibility
What is their capacity to update scripts during an active campaign or run
tests on messaging or segmentation? How quickly can they take on
additional volume or an unexpected fundraising effort?

18. The Importance of a Valuable Telemarketing Partner
Quality
Have you listened to call samples? Are the agents skilled in soft
skills (i.e. do they have a polite tone and exercise gratitude and
active listening)?
Innovation
How are they tackling call-filtering apps that may mark
incoming calls as spam? Does the telemarketing firm use both
your data and their own to improve calling efficiency?

19. Things to
Consider
when
Setting Up a
TM Vendor
Data Flows Make sure you determine the templates for data delivery to your
telemarketing partner. You will want to make sure they have all the
necessary information so they can filter records based on factors to improve
response rates
Confirm the flow of data back to your organization. Will you get data back
daily or weekly? What information would you like an End of Campaign file?
Are there results reports that you will want to track daily to determine the
success of an active campaign?
Reply
Device/Set-
ups Review
Review any pledge or thank you letters. If a reply device is included, be sure
to loop in your Direct Mail Processing vendor. Provide samples and confirm
scanlines
Make sure pledge letters and reminder notices are sent out in a timely
fashion
Payment
Processing
Choose a telemarketing vendor who can take live payments. Doing so will
result in better fulfillment.
Make sure you test out the flow of billing information from your
telemarketing vendor to your payment processor. You want to make sure
test transactions go through properly before starting a new telemarketing
effort

20. The Importance of
Data Hygiene
• Run frequent NCOAs
• Ensure your database is refreshed
of all do not call requests,
deceased, wrong numbers
• Utilize more than the basic phone
append
• Line ID Appends
• Wireless Appends
• Reverse Email Appends

21. Strategy
Musts!
Plan, plan, plan
Just because TM is agile and
immediate doesn’t mean it
shouldn’t be part of a larger
multi-channel strategy
Work in Texting Meet your donors where they
are, glued to their cell phones
Email Fulfillment
Talk to your TM partner about
using email fulfillment to get a
boost on credit card gifts from
your pledged mail gifts
Wireless Phones can
be called!
Gather consent wherever you
can regardless
Ask for phone numbers
anywhere you can

22. Strategy
Musts!
• Interacting with the Call Center
• Briefings
• Visits
• Sending premiums, posters
• Create an environment of support
• Build the best message possible

23. Messaging
Rapport Building First and
Foremost, Even if the Gift
Is Left Behind
Delicate Balance of
Rapport Building, Brand
Adherence and Converting
Assertive Push to Convert,
High Pledge Rate,
Transactional

24. Messaging
Preach
Highlight the impact
of your organization
•Take the opportunity
to remind the donor
why they care about
your organization and
the work you are
doing
•Provide specific stats
to paint a fuller
picture
Justify
Justify your ask
•If you’re asking a
donor to make a
recurring gift, explain
to them the benefits
of the program
•Describe how the
donation will directly
benefit your cause
Current
Be timely
•Don’t wait for your
next campaign to
update your script. If
there’s breaking
news, take the
opportunity to
highlight that
information
Thank You
Express gratitude
•Even a call that ends
in a refusal should be
reframed as a thank
you call
• Even if a donor
doesn’t give that gift
today, a positive
experience can turn
into revenue
tomorrow
Structure
Be consistent AND
flexible
•All scripts will have
key components
(introduction,
purpose statement,
asks, gift
confirmation,
objection responses,
and closing) and
script adherence is
necessary for
consistent messaging,
but allow the agents
to build rapport
• A donor should feel
like they are talking
to a real person at
the other end of the
phone
Test
Experiment
•Test different themes
and messaging to
determine what
resonates with your
donor
•Talk about the issues
you are highlighting
in other channels
(website, mail, email)
to lift overall
response across
multiple sources
Maximize
Use the opportunity to
the fullest
•If you are asking a
donor to become a
sustainer or upgrade
their monthly pledge,
don’t shy away from
an additional one-
time ask
•Take the opportunity
to make up for any
missed monthly gifts
during a sustainer
recapture call

25. What’s Next?

26. Text Strategy
• Send a text confirmation after every call interaction
• We can text peer to peer alongside a campaign, as a pre-approach, thank you for a gift, or a
reminder
• Sending automated texts to cell phones is regulated. An actual person texting to your donors is
not regulated. With peer to peer texting, you can text all cell phones
• 97% of texts are opened! This makes texting an extremely valuable and visible channel
• Text open rates are high among every age group
• Texting donors that rarely answer the phone can help to further penetrate your file and identify
more donors that are particularly partial to texting
• Sustainer pre-text calls have shown a 3% increase in pledge rate

27. Planned Giving
• A 2019 report by Giving USA states that 4% of donors always tell organizations about
their planned gift while 38.7% “sometimes” do
• More Than 50% of donors who made a planned gift were donors for 20+ years
• Use TM to mine not just your obvious leads for planned giving but most importantly,
those larger pools of consistent givers under $250 donors

28. How Do We
Determine
Success?
THE FEEDBACK

29. How Do We Determine Success?
o You WILL receive NEGATIVE
feedback
o Not all negative feedback IS
ACTUALLY NEGATIVE
o Donors generally DON’T
FOLLOW UP with POSITIVE
feedback
o Use your DATA as a GAUGE

30. How Do We
Determine
Success?
THE IMPACT

31. How Do We Determine Success?
o Make sure your telefundraising campaigns elevate your other marketing efforts by remaining
cost-effect and leading to improved LTV
 Is there an increase in cancelations following a sustainer upgrade call? If so, is there
additional segmentation that should be performed to keep the effort viable? Is any uptick
offset by improved monthly revenue per donor?
o Consider telemarketing as a one aspect of a multi-faceted fundraising strategy and evaluate
success in comparison the key metrics like CPMD
 How does a sustainer invite call compare to other acquisition and reactivation efforts?
How soon will sustainers converted through telemarketing break-even?

32. How Do We Determine
Success?
 The Numbers
o Sustainer Recapture
 4,500 sustainers recaptured
yearly
 $60,000 in additional one-time
revenue each year
o Sustainer Upgrade
 2,500 sustainers upgraded
each month
 $14,500 in additional sustainer
revenue monthly
o Sustainer Invite
 1,600 overall sustainers
acquired quarterly
 1,350 sustainers via EFT or
Credit Card each quarter

33. Another Round of Breakouts!
Check the Bridge App or
Session Locator for the next round
Of education!
Don’t forget the AMPLIFY LABS!