How Investing in Acquisition and Reactivation After Years of Donor Decline Helped a Nonprofit Reverse Downward Trends and Create Sustainable Donor Growth

Challenge

A regional location of a national nonprofit experienced significant declines year over year (YOY) after underinvesting in acquisition, leading to a decline in donor acquisition and revenue.

Solution

TrueSense Marketing recommended increasing acquisition investment and a full rollout of a five-year testing plan to improve performance through list selection, retail optimization, creative, remit format, gift ask, and email retargeting. We used our file-health report to assess new donors acquired through direct mail and leveraged AI-driven donor selection to prioritize prospective donors with the highest giving potential. We also prioritized reengaging lapsed donors.

Results

This strategy delivered significant YOY improvements, including a 161% increase in new donors acquired, a 107% increase in revenue, a 51% decrease in the cost to acquire a donor, and a 132% increase in five-year net revenue. The campaign has an expected 208% increase in five-year net revenue.