Imagine building a donor engagement program from scratch to retain more donors and grow their giving. We did it! The stewardship team for Medical & Healthcare Advancement at Dartmouth Health and the Geisel School of Medicine used an evidence-based approach to image, design, and launch our first ever comprehensive donor-engagement program. The aim of the program is to (1) understand our donor behavior; (2) develop data-informed strategies; (3) identify groups that have the highest potential for continued and increased giving; and (4) establish a metric baseline to measure success. Using data modeling, we analyzed our database to look at where, how, and when donors gave, while also looking at donor behaviors and giving trends. We developed donor profiles that told the story of who our donors are, how they engaged with our institutions, and what motivated them to give. Using these profiles, we determined priority areas to invest resources in, so we could develop strategic programs with the highest potential for return on investment. We garnered buy-in from leadership and recommended the launch of phase one of our donor engagement program. Phase one included a program for first-time donors, one for tribute donors, and one for consecutive donors; these programs match our donors' needs and behaviors and offer multiple entry points. Our first-time donor program was launched in 2023, and we have already seen growth in the retention of first-time donors. Tribute and consecutive donor programs will launch in 2024.
From the Judges
We appreciate the thought and strategy behind this and the data-driven decision-making. The program's design and implementation are great (especially from scratch). We would love to see results after another year.
