What Nonprofits Can Learn From Our Work With the Sickle Cell Disease Foundation

Words by Louise Gappa , Director of Advanced Analytics and Melissa Babcock , Manager of Human Insights at Known

When we began working with our first pro bono client, the Sickle Cell Disease Foundation (SCDF), we quickly realized that the marketing and strategic research we were doing to help them accelerate their fundraising efforts could easily apply to many other nonprofits and mission-driven organizations.?

And while this kind of work is what we do daily for brands in the Known portfolio––help brands get their message out there and make sure it’s connecting with the right audience––unfortunately, charitable groups often don’t have the budget to fund marketing support, even if it’s exactly what they need to further their mission. With this audience and set of challenges in mind, we wanted to share some of what we learned working with SCDF.?

Some context…SCDF, in particular, wanted help updating their marketing, messaging, and overall fundraising strategy to attract a more dynamic donor base. To approach this, we conducted an online survey to gather insights on how Known could empower them to hit these goals.

Here are three key takeaways that every nonprofit should keep in mind:

#1 - Learn How Young Donors Think

Millennials are quickly catching up to Baby Boomers in the size of monetary donations.

Baby Boomers are still the largest donors, but Millennials are not far behind. Not surprisingly, being younger and with lighter wallets, Gen Z donates even less. However, Millennials and Gen Z are about to age into higher median incomes and may receive generational inheritance windfalls, making them critical audiences to engage.?

Younger generations are more open to supporting organizations they know less about if they think their money will have an impact.

Contrary to Gen X & Baby Boomers, younger generations don’t need long tenured relationships with nonprofits to feel strong enough to donate their time or money.?

41% of Gen Z & 27% of Millennials have known about the organizations they’ve recently donated to for 6 months or less, compared to 13% and 5% of Gen X & Baby Boomers saying the same, respectively.

Less loyalty to specific charities opens up opportunities for broader engagement among Millennials & Gen Z.

56% of Gen Z & 50% of Millennials prefer to donate to a variety of organizations, compared to 40% & 33% of Gen X & Baby Boomers saying the same, respectively.

Younger generations are drawn to support causes dealing with education, mental health, and gender & racial equality.

This is in contrast to Baby Boomers & Gen X, who are more likely to support human services and religious organizations.

#2 - Prioritize Social Media Strategy

It’s no surprise that nonprofits need to engage with the next generation of donors on social media. But one thing we discovered in our work with SCDF is that many nonprofits struggle with how to show up online. These key takeaways can help any charity develop an authentic social presence:

• Lean into impact: Social media is a great way to showcase how an organization is making a difference. Our research found that the top reason people donate to nonprofit organizations is because the nonprofit aligns with their values. Ensuring that the mission and impact are readily apparent on any social media post allows scrollers to easily evaluate whether they have the same values as the organization.
• Find the right way to share your story: People prefer donating to organizations that they have researched on their own. And social media can be a low friction channel for potential donors to feel ownership over discovery and research, and more importantly, to have them feel invested in your organization. For example, a photo with a small caption may be effective at providing an update, while reels can document a deeper impact story that creates engagement.
• Audit your channels. How does your donor base talk about you and your cause? Social listening can provide invaluable feedback on how to craft messaging that people instantly connect with so you can expand your audience. It is a good practice to review all the different ways you show up online, from Instagram to Twitter to TikTok, and dig into how people talk about your organization or even your cause in general.
• Tailor your message. Nonprofits are often talking to many different segments of their community at once. This can lead to confused messaging and calls to action. Let’s take our client, SCDF, as an example.

For SCDF, their audience includes those diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), deeply invested family members and loved ones, but also other donors and community groups who feel connected to the overall mission without a personal connection to it. Each of these groups represent a “micro-segment” of their donor base. And, at times, they need to speak to them individually.?

For the foundation, this means that in one post they may want to talk to people who live with SCD. Here, they could feature a person living with SCD who speaks directly to others diagnosed and the people who love them to build that authentic connection. In another post, they may have their leader discuss SCD to grow awareness that it is a severe genetic disorder that has a disproportionate impact on black and brown communities, with a call to action to donate or visit their website to learn more.

This kind of segmentation of audience, message, and channel is important to tailoring your efforts so they’re authentic, thoughtful, deliberate, and impactful.?

#3 - Innovate with the Use of Modern Marketing Tools

Without a strong marketing strategy, all brands run the risk of jumbled, ineffective messaging. And without a clear voice, it can be hard for like-minded people to find you. While we often leverage sophisticated tools to develop marketing strategies that are steeped in science and strategy for all our clients, these do’s and don’ts are particularly useful for nonprofits just starting to recalibrate their marketing to shifting donor profiles.?

DO:

• Know your brand story: Make sure everyone working or volunteering for your organization talks about your mission in the same way.
• Elevate your website: Social media is important to reach a wider audience, but 74% of donors still say an organization’s website would be their first stop to getting more information.
• Find your “sticky” statistic: A simple, compelling statistic that piques people’s interest about your cause is more likely to resonate and stick in people’s minds.
• Use home court advantage: If your work impacts your local community, don’t be shy about sharing it––a whopping 75% of potential donors say they would rather donate on a local level.?
• Connect your offline and online strategies: Your offline efforts, like direct mail or live events, should be connected to your online fundraising campaigns, so you’re spending efficiently while targeting more of the right people who are aligned with your mission.

?DON’T:

• Have only one means of participation: Don’t just focus on funding. Some people may be more willing to volunteer their time which can be invaluable to create engagement and augment if you’re operating with a lean staff.?
• Ignore smaller donors: There is a reason that “$5 Fridays” has been a lucrative strategy for many nonprofit organizations! Small donations add up in a big way, and are easier to come by (the average donation is between $25-$50, afterall).
• Assume all your donors are the same: Calculate the “lifetime value” of your donors to see if any patterns emerge among those who are repeat givers. Understanding how often they give, when, and, most importantly, why, can be valuable information when you’re ready to retarget them for future fundraising initiatives.?

Bottom line: If you work for a nonprofit looking to increase exposure and, ultimately, funding, you can’t put your marketing plan on the back-burner. Invest in it now, and you’ll be prepared to engage with the next generation of donors who want to support your cause.?

To donate to the Sickle Cell Disease Foundation, visit www.scdfc.org.