If you haven’t already looked at your results from your 4th quarter fundraising, plan a time to do so. Early in the year is a great time to review them because things are fresher in your mind, and it will help you plan for next year’s campaigns.
But what do you look at?
More importantly, what should you look for?
There may not be a foolproof way to sift through everything from last year. But this is how our team reviews Oneicity clients’ campaigns.
First, group them by campaign. If you did multiple impacts in your Christmas series, look at how that entire series did—even comparing to that series last year. We treat campaigns like a baseball manager does a lineup. One may not have “hit” as well as last year, but if the overall “team” scored well and got a win, that’s a good thing.
Then, look at each individual “hitter” in the campaign. Did it do better than last year? Why or why not? In our opinion, the best way to examine the two is by laying them out side by side on the table. Compare headlines, lede sentences, all the creative elements. Be careful, though. Not every difference drives or hurts response. Ask yourself, “Did the difference play a part in a donor’s decision to give?”
Last, don’t forget the data! Did last year’s get mailed to more donors? Different segments of donors? Were the ask levels different?
Once you know why you think something did better or worse, what will you do with that information on this coming year’s impact? Can you use that headline again? Start looking for a story with similar elements?
If you’re not sure what your results are telling you or what you should do next, be sure to reach out to us! We can help you see what worked and what didn’t, and most importantly, how you make next year even better. You can email us at: howdy@oneicity.com or reach us on Twitter at @oneicity
