How to Build a Sustainable Donor Pipeline

Building a sustainable donor pipeline requires a full-funnel marketing approach that includes upper, middle, and lower funnel tactics. A full-funnel approach, with a strong layer of upper funnel tactics, continuously brings new prospects into the conversion process by building brand awareness and nurturing potential donors. This strategy helps retain existing donors and re-engage those who may have lapsed. 

Top-of-Funnel Tactics 

Top-of-funnel is where you build awareness and educate people about your nonprofit. It’s broad by nature, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to better target it. Start by implementing some top-of-funnel tactics using innovative channels. Programmatic advertising should be a key focus when you use these channels, as it's an incredibly powerful tool. At its core, programmatic advertising is automated digital ad buying using algorithms and machine learning to purchase ads in real-time.  

In simple terms, it's about buying digital ad placements based on specific targeting criteria. You can target by behavior, intent, interest, context, and various types of data. The range of ad placements is vast: there's interactive HTML5, video, CTV, native, audio streaming, and even out-of-home ads.  

Here's the kicker: you're probably already using programmatic without realizing it. If you're buying display ads on Google Display Network or on the Microsoft Audience Network, you are using programmatic advertising. There’s no need to be intimidated; just consider it another tool in your direct response toolkit to navigate the digital landscape with precision and efficiency. 

Mid-Funnel Tactics 

The mid-funnel is where you nurture relationships with potential donors who already know about your nonprofit but need more information and engagement before converting to donors. Fortunately, there are many cost-effective ways to use mid-funnel tactics to engage this group, including retargeting campaigns for website visitors who interacted with your top-of-funnel ads but didn’t convert. Use display ads or social media retargeting to remind them of your mission and encourage them to take the next step. 

You can also send emails to deliver personalized educational content and impact stories based on their interactions with your nonprofit. If applicable, you could highlight volunteer opportunities and upcoming events to engage them further if they are not able to donate financially. 

Lower Funnel Tactics 

The most effective lower funnel tactics drive donations and conversions with direct, urgent, and actionable messaging. These campaigns are for the donors with whom you already have a relationship. If you want to build a sustainable donor pipeline, cultivating stronger relationships with this group is equally important in converting new prospects into donors. 

Members of this part of your pipeline are prime targets for encouraging sustainer relationships. They’re more likely to sign up for recurring giving opportunities because they already know and support your nonprofit. They have shown their interest through past donations.  

Benefits of a Full-Funnel Approach 

Instead of putting complete focus on the lower funnel, a full-funnel approach with a strong layer of upper funnel tactics and messaging will continuously bring new prospects into your conversion efforts by building brand awareness and nurturing those potential donors. You're setting the foundation for your conversion phase to thrive.  

Remember that even those who have already become loyal donors can drift away, so continued remarketing and re-messaging are the key to keeping them engaged and ensuring they reenter the funnel. This approach helps you to retain existing donors and bring back those that may have lapsed. 

Using Innovative Media Channels 

Sticking with the same old tactics won't make your nonprofit stand out. Almost everyone is using paid social and paid search, but newer, innovative media channels are underused by many nonprofits, often due to the fear of the unknown or budget concerns.  

That said, jumping in headfirst isn't the solution either. These channels work best when layered with more traditional methods. They're the key to increasing donor engagement, expanding your reach, and attracting new supporters. 

Many nonprofits make the mistake of focusing solely on the lower funnel media channels in their direct response efforts. They think direct response means conversions, but in reality, what you're doing is just picking the low-hanging fruit. These donors are already poised to give without much persuasion. These are the prospects who already know you; you're simply stepping in to finalize their donation. While lower funnel focus is crucial for direct response, the upper funnel is about continuously optimizing your return on ad spend. If you rely solely on the lower funnel, the pipeline of potential donors will dry up, and over time, you'll start to see diminishing returns. 

How TrueSense Can Help 

TrueSense Marketing helps nonprofits transform their programmatic digital buys into a personalized donor journey, guiding audiences through every stage of engagement. We can chart the donor experience from the moment they first hear about your nonprofit, see your ads, engage with your website, and eventually become a donor.  

We can also use this approach to convert one-time donors into loyal monthly supporters or turn leads into active donors. There are many ways we can map out customized experiences for potential donors, ensuring they stay on the right course.  

Learn more about new media channels for nonprofits in our Quick Byte webinar How Forward-Thinking Nonprofits Maximize Today’s Newest Media Channels with Taryn Myers, TrueSense Marketing’s Vice President of Digital Media, and Melqui Pires, our SEM Manager.