The Challenge

In 2022, a national pediatric medical foundation launched a sustainer program to redefine its approach to monthly giving. In 2023, its goal was to expand the program’s reach. Specifically, the organization aimed to engage new donors and communities and cultivate them into dedicated monthly supporters.

Expanding its sustainer program would give the nonprofit a great opportunity to retain and protect its revenue. However, given the foundation’s lean team and limited staff investments and resources, it faced two main challenges: how to make the most of ask opportunities and how to optimize reach.

Keeping the year’s economic uncertainties in mind as well, the foundation needed a quick solution that would be both cost- and time-effective and ensure its fundraisers could reach their goals.

The Solution

The national pediatric medical foundation leaned on GivingDNA’s opportunity alert segment to identify donors who are likely to become sustainers. Its fundraising team used this segment list to create lookalike lists on Facebook and Instagram. The organization then launched targeted advertising campaigns aimed at those who exhibited similar characteristics and shared common interests with this core group.

This strategic approach significantly enhanced the foundation’s outreach efforts. As a result, its fundraisers had more opportunities to engage new long-term supporters for its cause.

The Results

Thanks to the segment list it pulled from GivingDNA, the foundation was able to get its appeals in front of the right people. This doubled its sustainer numbers year-over-year — and did so at a fraction of the cost of its traditional direct mail campaign.

Not only did the national pediatric medical foundation increase the number of sustainers, but it also received numerous one-time contributions from the campaign. In fact, in just the first month, the nonprofit generated $20,000 in revenue. This highlighted the exceptional effectiveness of the foundation’s overall approach.