Targeted Marketing: Asking Appropriately

Research shows that the two main reasons that potential donors don’t give are:

1. They haven’t been asked.
2. They don’t support the mission of the organization.

There’s a third reason: Potential donors who do support the mission may say no because “the ask” was not appropriate to their circumstances (such as soliciting an unrestricted gift from younger donors who tend to be more interested in specific impact and accountability). One way to ensure appropriateness is with targeted marketing pieces—and this is relatively easy for universities because they already have two key
pieces of targeting information: degree earned and years since graduation (which identifies the generational cohort).

Research clearly shows that those who are retired give more to charity, and that charitable giving goes up with educational level. In addition to those two demographic identifiers that universities have had on file since graduation day, the alumni office may have additional helpful information that affects giving, such as advanced degrees, profession, and marital status.

It makes sense to focus materials differently to diverse audiences. Pentera helps a number of clients create targeted materials based on the number of years since graduation, with marketing pieces that may focus on different types of gifts. For example, those still working may be more interested in deferred gift annuities that
begin making payments at retirement, while those already retired may be looking for the increased cash flow of an immediate gift annuity.

The more you know about the target, the more likely you are to hit the bulls-eye.