How to Create Donor Personas & Increase Fundraising Impact
Donor personas are fictional lifestyle profiles that represent ideal donors. These profiles are based on real data about current and potential donors – including demographics, behavior patterns, goals, interests, and concerns.
Developing personas is all about better understanding the donor - who they are, how they differ, how to reach them, and how to engage. Persona development can help organizations personify their donor audiences and create strategies and content that speak more directly to their behaviors and interests, which will improve resonance and results.
HOW TO GET STARTED
Compile & Analyze Donor & Industry Data
Use your CRM system or donor database, website analytics, social media insights, existing research, competitive benchmarking, and other available data sources to identify common donor characteristics, market positioning, key themes, and potential opportunities.
Conduct Stakeholder Interviews & Surveys
Next, organize interviews, focus groups, and/or online surveys with select donors and stakeholders to gain a deeper level of understanding. Consider asking questions in the following categories.
Organizational/mission awareness and connection
Motivations to give
Media usage and consumption habits
Goals and challenges
Analyze Data & Identify Patterns
Using the information collected, identify patterns and similarities across your data set to begin developing primary personas.
Include the following details in your profile:
Reference name (ex: Donor Derrick)
Demographic details
Lifestyle and background identifiers
Donation habits
Motivations and inspirations
Media consumption & behavior
Real quotes from interviews
Refine & Polish
Reminder: just because your personas are complete, doesn’t mean they are final. Continue to refine based on new donor data and the results of your marketing efforts.
Better understanding your audience will allow your communication strategies to become more segmented, personalized, and effective. Looking for opportunities to dial up your organization’s marketing and fundraising efforts? Persona development will deliver dividends.
