Businesses aren’t the only entities that need to promote their services and foster engagement from the general public. Many not-for-profit organisations around Australia also depend on promotional initiatives to ensure people are aware of their respective causes and how they help to make a difference.
Just like a normal marketing campaign, it’s important that not-for-profits have access to the necessary resources that allow them to hone in on a specific target audience. In these cases, direct mailing lists can remove much of the guesswork from the process and ensure organisations have the best chance of reaching the people most likely to support their cause.
With investment brokers JBWere revealing that the amount Australians donate has grown by almost 9 per cent, there’s a waiting audience for this type of content.
What’s the key to engagement?
Although there is some crossover between the way businesses and not-for-profits reach and engage their respective audiences, McCrindle Research found that potential charity supporters indicate their interest in unique ways.
36 per cent of Australians donate to charities “sporadically”.
The firm investigated the trends that encourage people to support not-for-profits around Australia and what these organisations can do to better attract support. According to McCrindle Research, the most common way Australians donate to charities is “sporadically”.
More than one-third (36 per cent) donate in this manner, edging out campaign supporters who do so consistently. In light of this information, not-for-profits may want to consider direct mailing lists to prompt these sporadic donators, especially if they are planning an important campaign in the near future.
How do people choose a not-for-profit?
McCrindle Research also discovered the events and other influential features of successful charity campaigns. According to its report, the defining factor in whether or not people donate or follow and not-for-profit organisation is the cause they represent. If Australians can find a personal connection, or deem the cause to be worthy, they’re more likely to commit.
However, the reputability of an organisation also influences how people react to direct mailing content. More than three-quarters (76 per cent) of respondents indicated this to be the case, with McCrindle research also listing the features that define a reputable organisation.
According to the survey results, people expect organisations to be transparent about their operating costs, how donations can be expected to help and the eventual results. If not-for-profits wish to arrest these concerns among their target market, it could be worth including the relevant statistics in their promotional material.
Quantity versus quality
Roy Morgan Research detailed the specifics of how people donate to charity, finding there’s both good and bad news for the affected organisations. According to the firm, the proportion of people who donate to charity dropped from 71 per cent to 65 per cent between 2010 and 2014.
Encourage donations with targeted content.
While that’s the bad news, the silver lining is that the 65 per cent who do donate are contributing more to the various causes they support around Australia. Industry Communications Director Norman Morris also stated there are positive feelings around the work these organisations complete.
“Three quarters of the population still think ‘charity organisations make long-term differences to the world’s poorest people’ and more than half believe that ‘everyday people can help to raise living standards’,” he said.
“In encouraging news for not-for-profits, however, the proportion of heavy donors has risen slightly; an indication that charities should not be shy about appealing to people’s generosity even in these uncertain economic times.”
What content attracts attention?
With online marketing lists giving these organisations a targeted audience to communicate with, it’s then up to marketing managers to tailer the content accordingly. Emails provide a notable point of difference to physical mail, as not-for-profits can add more multimedia material where they see fit.
In these cases, videos, infographics and other interesting content could mean the difference between securing a long term supporter or failing to engage viewers.
Lead Lists provides not-for-profits with direct mailing lists and email lists that are targeted to your needs. Contact the team to find out how they can help.
