American Jewish World Service Uses Segmentation to Reactivate Lapsed Donors

Media coverage of a humanitarian crisis – such as the Myanmar cyclone – drives a surge of new donors to development and relief organizations. However, reengaging these new donors once the crisis is off the front page can be a struggle.

American Jewish World Service successfully converted many lapsed list members last December, by sending targeted messages connected to their original reason for joining.

For its year-end 2007 fundraising campaign, AJWS sent tailored content to two segments with a high number of lapsed donors and activists: 1) supporters who had given to the 2004 tsunami relief effort, but not since, and 2) supporters who had given or taken action on the 2006 Darfur campaign, but not since. Lapsed tsunami donors received an appeal thanking them for their tsunami gifts and then talked about “silent tsunamis” that receive less media attention and less financial assistance. Lapsed Darfur supporters received a message thanking them for their support of AJWS’ work to end genocide in Darfur, and updated them on the current situation in the region.

Each message then asked supporters to donate to the specific AJWS program dealing with the issue. Despite donation lapses of up to three years, these appeals reconnected supporters with AJWS’ work, generating 25% of the organization’s year-end email revenue.

courtesy of Donordigital