Take Your Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Program from Good to Great!
1. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 1
Take Your Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
Program from Good to Great!
DONNA WILKINS, CHARITY DYNAMICS
DAVID MCSHEA& SHANA MASTERSON, AMERICAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION
CARRIE CORK, AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION
MERI-MARGARET DEOUDES, NATIONAL WILDLIFE FUND
JULIE BALFOUR, EASTER SEALS
#BBCon #GreatP2P
7. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 7
Team Captains
Bringing Focus
24 Hour Challenge
Nationwide Team Expansion
Results
14,077 (5.3% increase vs. 2011)
Corporate Teams
$1,707 Fundraising Average (+$40 vs. 2011) and
7.2% increase in total Team $
8. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 8
Champions to Stop Diabetes
Bringing Focus
Nat./Local Recognition & Support
Kay Jewelers & DOE Shirt
Results
2,517 (11.8% increase vs. 2011)
$5,917,018 (7.9% increase vs. 2011)
47% of total participant funds
9. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 9
Red Striders
Bringing Focus
National Acquisition Campaign
Expanded Tools
Results
12,107 (5% increase over 2011)
$2,560,943 (-$15,000 vs. 2011)
$354 average (-$5 vs. 2011)
19. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 19
FURTHER TEAM RAISER TCR FOCUS
• Conditionalized content
- Autoresponders and other emails
- Website and Participant Center
• Segmented emails
- Ask TCs to fwd email
- Ask Red Striders to invite others with diabetes
- Celebrate champions
• Social media updates
• Separate Facebook ads, text messages, etc.
20. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 20
The Honeymoon is over, but…
Across all 3 groups; segmentation,
tailored e-templates, staff training,
coaching focus, and more.
T: Down 3.5% - National Team Impact
C: 782 to date, 53% retention, $1.6mill
R: Acquisition – 9% increase !!
29. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 29
Mission:
Inspire Americans to protect wildlife for
our children’s future
Areas of Focus:
• Solutions to climate change
• Wildlife and habitat
• Connect kids to nature
Organizational Structure:
• Headquarters in Reston, VA
• 8 Regional Offices
• 47 State Affiliates
Inspirational Goal:
10 million kids outside at least 90 minutes
per week (currently less than
10 minutes per day)
NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION
30. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 30
• Create new revenue stream for NWF
• Develop scalable, mass marketing, fundraising
events with P2P approach
• Cultivate long-term relationships with
participants to broaden NWF volunteer, donor,
corporate and participant base
• Build NWF brand awareness and value
• Support Be Out There goals
SPECIAL EVENTS GOALS
31. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 31
Event Concept:
• Started in 2004 as an engagement
opportunity
• An annual, virtual event with
sponsorship and P2P fundraising
components
• Over 191,000 participants in 2013
• NWF provides online tools, activities,
and resources to organize a GABC
GREAT AMERICAN BACKYARD CAMPOUT
(GABC)
32. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 32
Over 214 million readers, viewers and listeners in 2013
THE GOOD - GABC MARKETING & MEDIA
33. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 33
Bad:
• Branding
• Head count
• Email capture
• Free content or paid?
Ugly:
• Fundraising
• Net revenue
• Support from other departments
Lessons:
• Continue sponsorship
• Reach and engagement vs. sponsorship
• Innovate and iterate
• Top of the funnel for relationships
LESSONS LEARNED FROM GABC
34. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 34
• Cross between a nature hike
and scavenger hunt
• Target audience is families
with children ages 3-10
• Interactive Stop & Study
stations
• Live animals, naturalists,
games, crafts, and snacks
• Flat registration fee layered
with an incentive-based
fundraising program
HIKE & SEEK BACKGROUND
35. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 35
HIKE & SEEK SITES
SEATTLE
DENVER
CHICAGO
ATLANTA
BALTIMORE & WASHINGTON DC
NYC & BERNARDSVILLE NJ
LOS ANGELES
MINNEAPOLIS
HOUSTON
GOALS:
• 5,000 participants
• $60,000 in registration and fundraising
• $225,000 in sponsorship
37. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 37
Testing 1,2,3…300
• Creating an urgent and emotional appeal
• Time intensive site scouting and permitting
• Systems, software and accounting
• Cultivation vs. transactions
• We are fundraisers, not party planners
Not a Fleeting Romance
• 3 year commitment from organization
• Buy-in from other departments
• Significant investment for R&D and developing the model
• AMAZING staff
Not an Event, but an Experience
• Interactive, leverage sponsors, wildlife displays
• Less words, more pictures
• Multi-layered communications
LESSONS LEARNED FROM A START-UP
38. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 38
Don't Fight the Machine...
• Corporate teams, vendor
sponsorship, media partners,
sponsorships
Stick to the Plan
• Regional offices, iterations, new
ideas
Mission and Passion
• Internal and external
Relationships
• Committees
• Top fundraisers
THE GOOD…TO GREAT!
“Innovation…is not only about re-thinking products, but also
re-thinking the nature of relationships.” -Howard Schultz
39. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 39
• Set lofty goals
• Work the plan. Update the plan.
Iterate the plan. Revise the plan.
Work the plan. Repeat.
• Be strategic and deliberate
• Build your tribe
• NEVER, NEVER, NEVER give up
LESSONS LEARNED
“Our job is to make change. Our job is to connect to people, to interact
with them in a way that leaves them better than we found them, more
able to get where they’d like to go. Every time we waste that
opportunity, every page or sentence that doesn’t do enough to advance
the cause is waste.” – Seth Godin, Tribes
41. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 41
Easter Seals, Inc.
Easter Seals’ Journey From Online Personas to
Responsive Design
“Understanding our constituents and making smarter
choices for emails, online content and design”.
PRESENTED BY JULIE BALFOUR
42. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 42
• Understanding your constituents through online personas -
sending smarter emails for events and other campaigns
• Aligning your website content to your personas – optimizing
outcomes by meeting the needs of your constituents – talking to
them in meaningful and relevant ways
• Multi-Channel Approach – telling your story across many
channels using the knowledge about your constituents
• Responsive Design – delivering an optimal online experience
that meets the needs of your constituents – allowing them to
connect with you…HOW they want to connect with you
KEY POINTS
43. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 43
Easter Seals’ in the fall of 2012
• Over 100 outdated sites- including our easterseals.com property,
over 60 affiliate sites in addition to 50 event sites
• Very little understanding of “who” the constituents are that we serve
online and their digital needs
• Constrained by older technology
• Constrained by the limits of the technology to maintain a design with
high accessibility standards
• No dynamic content and minimum storytelling
• Not sending smart emails
EASTER SEALS’ JOURNEY
44. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 44
Easter Seals’ in the fall of 2013
• Launched our newly designed easterseals.com responsive web
property and currently launching 4 newly designed affiliate sites
a week
• Very thorough understanding of who the constituents are that we
serve online (our personas) and their digital needs
• New, responsive design and flexible technology with CMS
Luminate
• High accessibility standards
• Dynamic content and wonderful opportunities for storytelling
• Sending smarter emails
EASTER SEALS’ JOURNEY
45. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 45
FIRST STEP…DEFINING THE “WHO”
Personas
per·so·na /pərˈsōnə/ Noun
Identifies the motivations, expectations and goals of our
constituents and site visitors and brings them to life by giving
them each a name, personality and a photo. At Easter Seals,
our new site design and architecture was influenced by:
Site metrics
Audience needs
Best practices
Interviews and survey
We are using this information to help us segment our email
outreach and look for ways to integrate messaging across
channels.
46. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 46
PERSONAS – HELP US DO EVERYTHING
SMARTER
We used all of what we learned to develop personas.
A persona is created to represent a member of each
of our key target audiences.
Five main buckets of personas:
• Existing clients & prospective clients
• Family & Caregivers
• Donors
• Engaged Supporters
• Information Seekers
47. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 47
ONLINE PERSONAS – EIGHT PROFILES
• Daniel – Existing Client – an adult with cerebral palsy
• Lindsay – Prospective Client - an adult recently diagnosed
with a disability (veteran paraplegic)
• Samantha and Danielle – Family/Caregiver – a parent of a
young child with a disability (e.g., Down Syndrome and Autism)
• Deb (and Diane) – Family/Caregiver – Older parent of an
adult child with cognitive and physical disabilities
48. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 48
ONLINE PERSONAS – EIGHT PROFILES
• Cynthia – Donor/Fundraiser - Longtime donor to Easter Seals
(direct mail and recent online donor)
• Paul – Engaged Supporter – Easter Seals consultant,
advocate, Walk With Me volunteer
• Roberto – Information Seeker – Motivated media savvy
professional
• Janet – Major Funder/Sponsorship Partner – self identifies
as a strong supporter of philanthropy
49. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 49
EXAMPLES OF PERSONAS
Daniel
Who is Daniel?
An existing client and adult with cerebral
Palsy.
• Longtime Easter Seals client
• 60-75 year old adult with cerebral palsy
• Uses Easter Seals’ assistive technology resources
• Uses accessibility tools such as iPad due to limited dexterity
• Passionate about being a member of the Easter Seals family
• Attends weekly occupational & physical therapy sessions at his
affiliate’s provider facility
50. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 50
WHAT ARE DANIEL’S NEEDS AND
CHALLENGES?
• Stay up-to-date on cerebral palsy research
• Find local facilities that provide
occupational therapies
• Read general disability news and
legislation
• Be as self-sufficient as possible using
assistive resources
• Learn more about becoming an Easter Seals volunteer
51. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 51
EXAMPLES OF PERSONAS
Lindsay
Who is Lindsay?
Prospective Client
• Recently diagnosed with a disability
• Recently paralyzed female veteran
• Age 20-30
• Faced with a life-altering new perspective, she has to relearn how
to go about daily life and regain her independence
• Had no prior connection to Easter Seals
• Is considering Easter Seals services, but also inundated with
other information from organizations that provide veteran
support too
• Overwhelmed by her situation and looking for support
52. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 52
EXAMPLES OF PERSONAS
Lindsay
What are Lindsay’s needs
and challenges?
• Wants to understand her options for ongoing physical therapy
• Locate nearby medical rehabilitation services
• Find assistive technologies that can help her maintain
independence
• To not feel limited by her disability and find opportunities to
increase her self-sufficiency
• Find a new career path given her physical limitations
53. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 53
EXAMPLES OF PERSONAS
Samantha
Who is Samantha?
Family/Caregiver
Mother with a 6 year old daughter with autism and
other disabilities (Down syndrome)
•Female, age 28-40
•Upon her daughter’s diagnosis at the age of 2,
Samantha was scared, desperate and overwhelmed
•Using a Google search on “autism,” Samantha found
Easter Seals online
•Daughter participated in early intervention as a toddler,
but prior to that, she had no prior connection with
Easter Seals
54. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 54
WHAT ARE THEIR NEEDS AND
CHALLENGES?
• Keep up to date on info and therapy for children
with autism and other disabilities
• Ongoing enrollment in therapy and special
needs classes
• Information about her daughter’s participation
in the Easter Seals summer camps
• Wants to connect with other parents and
caregivers who have children with similar
disabilities
• Wants to read success stories of other Easter
Seals clients
55. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 55
EXAMPLES OF PERSONAS
WHAT ARE WE MISSING?Deb
Family/Caregiver
Who is Deb?
• Deb was married for 25 years, until her husband’s
passing and has one child who is now an adult
• Female, age 55-70
• Deb’s daughter, Diane was born with a cognitive
and physical disability
• Throughout her daughter’s childhood, Diane was
enrolled in specialized care and camp programs
offered by Bay Area Easter Seals
• Her daughter is now 30 years old and is considering
moving to Southern California to live in Easter
Seals Residential Programs
• Daughter has also benefitted from Easter Seals
vocational assessment and job placement services
56. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 56
WHAT ARE HER NEEDS AND
CHALLENGES?
• Wants her daughter to be able to fulfill her goal of
living independently in an Easter Seal Residence
• Hopes Diane will continue to thrive in her job and
social life
• Her local affiliate doesn’t offer residential programs,
so Diane will be moving quite a distance away
• Searching online vocational assessment, job training
and job placement services for people with
disabilities
• Searches the site to find transitional services that
help Diane move from youth-oriented services to
adult programs
57. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 57
EXAMPLES OF PERSONAS
CYNTHIA
DONOR/FUNDRAISER
Who is Cynthia?
• Stay at home mom; now “retired”
• Has a son who is now an adult
• 3 grandchildren – one of which has a
disability
• Female, age 55 - 75
• Passionate about helping her family
manage living with disability
• Wants to make sure her disabled
grandchild is able to live a happy, fulfilling
life
• Looking to learn more about opportunities
for children & young adults with disabilities
• Is interested in participating in Walk With
Me and other fundraising events
58. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 58
WHAT ARE HER NEEDS AND
CHALLENGES
• Keeping up to date on research and info about
children with disabilities
• Finding ways to help her grandchild (and her family)
live with minimal limitations
• Find out more information that they haven’t
received from doctor
• Understanding how her donation is making an
impact
• Scared of “what the future may hold” for her
grandchild
• Finding local resources that can help her son and
daughter in law raise their child
• Looking on the website for updated research and
local resources
• Providers of high-quality child care and
personalized learning opportunities
• Reading stories of hope
• Opportunities to advocate to protect the rights of
the disabled
59. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 59
EXAMPLES OF PERSONAS
ROBERTO
SAVVY MEDIA PROFESSIONAL
WHO IS ROBERTO?
• Specializes in media and communications
• Journalist
• Covers family health news and references Easter
Seals as an authoritative resource
• Online expertise in research and
communications
• Male, age 30 – 55
• Knowledgeable in the field of general health,
children, parenting, and overall wellbeing.
• References sources like Easter Seals in relation
to his articles about disability, autism and
specialized children’s services/programs.
60. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 60
WHAT ARE HIS NEEDS AND
CHALLENGES?
• Showcase innovative children’s services and award
winning programs that support families
• Write compelling articles that incorporate personal
testimonials from Easter Seals staff, clients, families,
etc.
• Be confident that he’s referencing current and factual
data
• Finding personal stories to reference
• Knowing where to look on the website for specific
information
• Finding and connecting with media contacts
• Using the website as an authoritative resource and
world-class service provider
• Keep website up to date with research news and info
• Share Stories of Hope on website
• Provide a forum for sharing stories on social media
61. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 61
EXAMPLES OF PERSONAS
JANET
MAJOR FUNDRAISER/SPONSORSHIP
PARTNER
Who is Janet?
• Freelance consultant – expert in
development/fundraising
• Has worked with Easter Seals Headquarters
Office
• Female, age 35 – 45
• Works remotely from home office
• Passionate about the Easter Seals’ mission
• Does not have a family member or loved one
who is a client of Easter Seals
• Most interested in children’s services and
stories of hope
• Takes action in response to Easter Seals
advocacy alerts
62. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 62
• Providing Easter Seals with solid
recommendations on how to showcase their
mission
• Helping Easter Seals raise more revenue to
support their services and programs
• Helping advance autism and disability legislation
in Washington
• Understanding how her advocacy actions make an
impact
• Keeping up to date with the wide variety of
programs that Easter Seals provides
• Knowing where to look on the website for existing
content and how to update it efficiently
• Keep website updated with research and local
resources
• Provide staff with access to the intranet for
internal communications
• Allow her to consult with affiliate staff as needed
WHAT ARE HER NEEDS AND
CHALLENGES?
63. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 63
PERSONAS - SENDING SMARTER EMAILS
Who do we want to send emails to?
Who are our constituents?
What are their needs?
What segmentation is possible in
what channels?
64. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 64
PERSONAS - SENDING SMARTER EMAILS
Why are we sending this email?
• Raise money
• Educate the constituent about our organization,
programs and why our fundraising matters
• Connection – touch point to constituents
• Create a sense of urgency
• Invitation to join us in peer-to-peer events
• Other
How are we messaging? What level of direct response
marketing integration is possible (e.g., direct mail, social media,
mobile, website content, etc.).
65. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 65
UNDERSTANDING YOUR CONSTITUENTS
EMPOWERS YOU AS A MARKETER
EXAMPLE
SIBLINGS MATTER
• Powerful story
• Partner with Corporate Sponsor (Mass Mutual)
• Used in monthly enewsletter – with link to site
• Powerful image on Homepage Marquee
• Social Media Campaign
• Email Campaign – with link to site
• Direct Mail
• Blog article
• Independence Newsletter article
67. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 67
EASTERSEALS.COM
NEW RESPONSIVE DESIGN WEBSITE
INCREASE IN SITE TRAFFIC
HIGHER FUNDRAISING LEVELS
REDUCTION IN CONSTITUENT COMPLAINTS
LONGER TIME ON PAGES
LOWER BOUNCE RATES
INCREASE IN VIEWING ON MOBILE AND TABLETS
