Taking a Chance with Your Fundraising Communications

Remaining open to new ideas and methods for engaging your donors through communications is critical. After all, you never know if something will be effective for your audience until you try it. 

Maybe you want to do something big, like try out a new messaging platform. Or maybe it’s something more minor, like trying out a new email banner. Whatever leap you’re taking, keep the following in mind to get the greatest rewards as you take new risks with your communications.

Be Accessible

If you’re trying a new platform or changing the format for your communications, you may need to take extra precautions to make sure that what you send can be read by everyone in your community. Ensure that people who use screen readers can read your digital communications. Likewise, be sure that graphic elements—such as color and contrast—meet thresholds for visibility and legibility. 

Be Inclusive

Maybe you want to add a new communication for a holiday—like Lunar New Year, LGBTQIA+ Pride, or Juneteenth—but aren’t part of the community that typically celebrates these holidays. Or maybe you just want to make sure that something you wrote lands the right way for a specific audience. Respectfully ask members of your team or broader community who belong to appropriate groups to read what you’ve prepared, and be open to changes they suggest to keep your language and tone on point.

Be Experimental

Approach new communications efforts as a scientist using A/B testing. Create segmented audiences who receive test and control messages. Then, gather comparative data on audience engagement and responses. Even if there are no (or only marginal) differences, everything you learn helps you make more informed decisions in the future.

Be Bold

Don’t go halfway if you’re trying something new. Go all in. The more you commit to testing a new idea, the greater the chance you have to engage your audience in new ways.