1.
Go Monthly or Go Home!
How to transition to a “monthly first” program

2.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY…
Lesley Hostetter, VP
Lautman Maska Neill & Company
and
Dane Grams, Director of Membership
The Human Rights Campaign
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

3.
First, a little background …

4.
History of HRC’s Partners Program
• Launched in the 1990’s with 2,000 sustainers
• To really impact social change – needed a bigger army,
and more funding
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

5.
Invested Heavily in the Pipeline
• Maintain 1,000,000 supporters (activists)
and 500,000 members
• Key to scaling retention was to increase
sustainer conversion
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

6.
Investment Channel #1
Street Canvassing

7.
Canvass Program: Largest Source of Sustainers
• Pros:
• Rapid growth
• High visibility
• Cons:
• Weak retention – 33% in year 1
• Expensive
30,000 new
sustainers
this year!
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

8.
Canvass Program: How it Works
• Outside agency trained on issues
• Monthly first ask
• Focus on one issue
• Highlight being outnumbered by opposition
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

9.
Canvass Program: Transition to
Tablet Technology
• Paper forms
• manual intensive
• room for error
• Tablets
• seamless process
• immediate credit card charge
Tablet increased
average gift by x%!
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

10.
Canvass Program: What to watch for on the back-
end
• Data!
• Sync with database
• Encryption
• Cancellations/processing fails
• Retention Plans and Expectations
• High drop-off rates
• “Different” type of donor
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

11.
“How the heck do I make the case for a canvassing program?”
Start small – proof of concept
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

12.
Investment Channel #2
Website/Email

13.
Website
• Pros:
• It’s Easy!
• Cons:
• Might sacrifice
short-term revenue
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly
3-fold increase
in new Partners
at roll-out!
Toggle web form has been crucial!

14.
Lightbox
in high
traffic
moments
132 sustainers!
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

15.
Sustainer Email Campaigns
• Urgent & Timely
• Broad themes “rights on the line”
• 400-500 Partners/campaign
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

16.
Dedicated Ask on Giving Tuesday
• Not as strong — 90 new Partners
• Lots of inbox competition
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

17.
Sustainer Option in Emails
• More passive — donor in control
• Premium offers work
596 new
sustainers at
year-end!
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

18.
Investment Channel #3
Digital Advertising

19.
The election has changed everything.
Including the ROI on digital advertising.
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

20.
Sustainer Recruitment Timeline:
Threats to LGBTQ equality are major motivators
0
10
20
30
40
11/15/16 11/23/16 12/1/16 12/9/16 12/17/16 12/25/16
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

21.
HRC’s Digital Advertising Goal:
Acquire new members
Without even trying, we have acquired 1,000+
new sustainers through ads in less than 3 months.
Let’s look at the most successful ads on Facebook….
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

22.
Sustainer Recruitment at Year-End
Platform Monthly Donations Monthly Revenue
Facebook 181 $2,452.00
Google Search 143 $3,023.02
Twitter 1 $5.00
Social Sharing 11 $160.00
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

23.
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

24.
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

25.
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

26.
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

27.
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

28.
The success of ads is
due to the website:
People are choosing the
monthly option on their own.
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

29.
But What About the ROI?
• Cost/sustainer is over $100
• Will be recovered within 12 months
• And 1x donations are SO strong – if those are counted, costs are
recovered immediately
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

30.
No Money for Paid Ads? No Problem!
• Post similar ads organically in your Facebook feed
• Dedicate a small section of your website for a
rotating “ad” in high traffic moments
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

31.
Investment Channel #4
Traditional Direct Response

32.
Let’s Cut to the Chase:
Mail Getting more aggressive with sustainer asks
Telemarketing Historically strong, but falling off
These sustainer sources have
the best retention and value.
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

33.
Direct Mail: Welcome Kit
• Monthly-First mantra
from the beginning
• Goes out weekly
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

34.
Telemarketing: New Joins
• Every other month
• New donors and supporters
• Post-election seeing a 7% sustainer rate!
I’m calling to welcome you
as one of HRC’s newest
members.
We must be stronger than
our enemies – will you help
by joining the monthly
Partners program?
700
sustainers
this year
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

35.
Direct Mail:
Renewals
• Assumptive,
Monthly-First Ask
1,400
sustainers
this year
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

36.
Telemarketing: Renewals
• Smaller, highly targeted
• Timing aligned with mail
Many supporters are renewing by
becoming HRC Partners –– making
smaller automatic monthly gifts
rather than a larger annual gift …
300 sustainers
this year
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

37.
Monthly-First
Points to Ponder

38.
• Prepare for “skimming off” the best donors
• As donor file shifts, budgeting can be a challenge
• Must have communication plan for active sustainers
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

39.
How Will You
“Go Monthly” This Year?

40.
Easy Ways for Slow Growth:
• Test sustainer ask in renewal or appeal mail
• Market sustainer program in acknowledgements and online
• Experiment with online donation forms
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

41.
Bolder Ways to Grow Quickly:
• Pop-up/interrupt on donation form
• Dedicated sustainer email campaign
• Incorporate dual ask into mail and email
• Talk with canvassing (or DRTV) companies to discuss potential
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly

42.
THANK YOU!
Lesley Hostetter, VP
Lautman Maska Neill & Company
and
Dane Grams, Director of Membership
The Human Rights Campaign
@LAUTMANDC @HRC @DMANF #DCNP2017 #GoMonthly