Lead Generation for Charities and Nonprofits

Part 4 of The Ultimate Guide to Digital Fundraising for Nonprofits

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Nonprofit lead generation engages a potential supporter in a meaningful, non-financial action – like a survey, petition or brochure download – while collecting their contact details for further engagement, relationship building and donor conversion.

The meaningful nature of nonprofit lead generation presents fundraisers with powerful opportunity. When someone signs a pledge or handraiser about poverty, conservation or childhood education, they’re signaling a real values and emotional alignment with your cause. This is a fantastic entry point into a long-term relationship of increasing engagement and commitment – provided you maintain a frequent, quality dialogue with them.

On this (translated) page, ParkinsonFonds (Parkinson's Foundation Netherlands) presents a "value exchange" – offering a brochure with valuable information for people facing Parkinson's in exchange for a chance to continue the conversation.

There are many different types of lead generation campaign, for example: 

• Value exchanges like brochure downloads

• Surveys

• Handraisers

• Petitions

• Polls

• Behavioural pledges

• Games

• … and many more.

This 2022 Greenpeace UK petition tapped into several major narratives – the cost-of-living crisis, the war in Ukraine and climate change – to maximise relevance and response.

Need help developing your lead generation campaign or program? I can help. Book me for a free 30 minute call now.

There are solutions for lead generation for every nonprofit, you just need to explore all the territory and test numerous possibilities to understand what works best for your cause.

How does lead generation benefit fundraising?

Lead generation can deliver great benefit to fundraisers both in the short and long term.

Focusing first on the short term, the model is often incorporated into a “2 step campaign” strategy, which involves:

• Step 1: A lead generation campaign action, then

• Step 2: A supporter journey through to donor conversion, which may last for four to six weeks.

In terms of channels, 2 step (or multi-step) campaigns often employ a mix of:

1. Social advertising – to cold audiences for lead generation, then retargeting of lead gen campaign engagers for donor conversion

2. Phone calling

3. Automated email journey, and of course

4. Optimised, campaign-specific donation landing pages and forms.

Here’s an example 2 step campaign user and channel flow diagram:

Through strategies like this, nonprofits often run 2 step campaigns to recruit monthly/regular donors. 2 step strategies can also work for developing legacy programs as well as other types of giving. 

Other multi-step campaigns following the same principle are also possible, for example 3 step campaigns aiming for: 

1. Lead generation, then

2. A one-time gift, then

3. Monthly/regular gift conversion.
   

This Soi Dog campaign was a great example of well-aligned asks. First, sign the petition to save dogs. Then, buy a billboard that also helps save dogs, working from another angle. Then, help us with the ongoing care for all the dogs you helped save with a monthly donation.

Beyond the kinds of initial 2 step conversion journey illustrated above, lead generation also offers nonprofit organisations longer term benefits through growing community growth. People who take the time to sign your handraiser or take your survey are inherently aligned with your cause and well-qualified as supporters. Some may be ready to donate immediately, but it’s important that you considered those that aren't as future donors who will donate to you in their own time and for their own reasons. 

I’ve done long-term studies with numerous nonprofits that prove this longer tail of conversion of supporters that come in via lead generation. But as aforementioned, there’s an important condition on this: you MUST maintain a frequent, quality dialogue with your supporters, offering variety, compelling stories and opportunities for input. 

Your email program plays a primary role in such a dialogue, as do your organic social channels.

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<< Part 1 | < Part 3 | Part 5 >

Full Contents: The Ultimate Guide to Digital Fundraising for Nonprofits

1. Introduction to the Ultimate Guide

2. How to Build Your Digital Fundraising Program in Eight Steps

3. Email marketing for nonprofits

4. Lead generation for nonprofits (you're here now)

5. Peer-to-peer and community fundraising for nonprofits

6. Emergency response fundraising campaigns for nonprofits

7. Giving days for nonprofits