Monthly Donation Subscription Email
The Gist of It
Subscription giving is a great strategy to improve donor retention.
The email should explain the value proposition and share the exclusive nature of the subscription.
Don’t muddle the message by giving supporters too many options. Keep the email and call to action simple and direct.
Transcript
Move aside “one-time purchases” and say hello to the subscription model.
Everyone is getting into the subscription service game. You can subscribe to movies, murder mysteries, or moss. That’s right, the plant that grows on trees and rocks is delivered to your door once a month.
Nonprofits have jumped aboard, too, encouraging supporters to sign-up. One organization promises a subscription better than Netflix. Let’s check out the hype.
Don’t worry there’s no need to subscribe to watch Behind the Campaign
Introduction
Welcome to Behind the Campaign.
A showcase of the best nonprofit campaigns. Here you will get ideas, tips, and strategies to create successful campaigns for your organization.
Today, we will look at a donation subscription email from Feed the Children.
A Look at the Organization
Feed the Children envisions a world where no child goes to bed hungry. In the U.S. They provide food and other essential items. Around the world, they have programs to reduce hunger and malnutrition. They teach about health and promote self-reliance.
In 2021, Feed the Children and their partnerships have helped more than 10 million people across the globe. They have distributed 91.5 million pounds of food and essentials to children and families.
Donor Retention
Before looking at the email, let’s talk about why nonprofits should have a subscription service.
Most organizations would agree that donor retention is a big concern. In 2020, the donor retention rate was 43% according to AFP. It dropped by 4% from the previous year.
Donor retention is vital to an organization’s success. Higher rates mean more accurate budgeting which allows for better campaign planning. Engagement of regular donors can also benefit future major giving.
One strategy to improve donor retention is, you guessed it, through a subscription.
Subscription-as-a-service has worked for for-profit companies. They have anywhere between a 70-90% retention rate. Which retention rate would you rather have? This is why more nonprofits have begun to offer it.
And one of the best ways to ask donors is through email.
Now, let’s look at an email from Feed the Children that encourages supporters to become monthly donors.
Inbox Preview
What a bold subject line, “A subscription better than Netflix??” This caught my attention. Plus, it has a little mystery to it.
Don’t downplay using a question in the subject line. In one test, having a subject line with a question had a 10% higher open rate.
Feed the Children also adds a unique preheader. “You can empower people across the globe.” This gives you a little more context about the email, but it still doesn’t answer the question. To find out the answer, I guess we have to open the email.
Monthly Donor Subscription Email
We get our answer to the question. The headline says a little more, “A subscription that sparks hope.” Then we get into the description, a community of like-minded givers committed to help. When you join you become part of an exclusive group, who share the same passion.
Feed the Children named the group, The Table. The name is simple and creative. Having a group name makes membership easier to define and reinforces the value.
The email has a link to find out more about The Table.
The landing page has great information about The Table.
Plus, it has a video, map of community members, and social proof.
The contents of the landing page contribute to people knowing The Table is an exclusive group of like-minded individuals.
Now back to the email.
Under the image, Feed the Children tells us the value proposition in bold.
What does joining this group mean and why does it matter? “This level of commitment“ allows people to receive food and essential items to alleviate the hunger crisis during the pandemic.
Then the invitation and a little more of the exclusive factor, “join an amazing family that stretches across the globe.”
Feed the Children tells you what to expect, “only takes a moment.” And the gift amount is your choice.
I also like this disclaimer they add, “Feel free to change or cancel your gift at any time.” A nice touch. I hear bad stories of organizations wanting to get people to sign-up for monthly gifts, so they will forget and the organization can continue to charge them.
This is the wrong attitude and intent behind monthly giving. So, when Feed the Children adds this sentence it makes me feel better and more confident to sign-up.
This button text, so often overlooked, is well-written. Feed the Children could have said “Give Now” or “Donate.” Instead they used more impactful text, “Create My Monthly Gift.” This provides a better experience for the supporters. They know exactly what to do.
Will fewer people click on the button because it is so specific? My guess is yes. But once they got to the landing page to sign-up they would have left anyway. The purpose of the email is to encourage supporters to become monthly donors. Feed the Children doesn’t water down or confuse the message by having generic text, even with the button.
The donation landing page is simple. Feed the Children first says thank you and the form is easy to fill out
Conclusion
More and more organizations provide a subscription giving option. This is a great way to improve donor retention, but only if it is done right.
You must build trust with the supporter and explain the benefits for them. Giving them exclusive content helps sweeten the deal.
Only then, will a person take the plunge and subscribe.
Feed the Children does this every step of the way, from the email to the different landing pages.
So to Feed the Children, for providing a subscription-worthy email experience.
Bravo!
