Valentine’s Day fundraising campaigns — and those for other ‘Hallmark Holidays,’ such as Mother’s Day or Father’s Day — are not usually the largest drives of the year for most organizations.
But these lesser holidays offer opportunities to reach donors during quiet periods when you are not competing with as many different causes and organizations.
Experts say nonprofits should consider taking advantage of these minor holidays — to speak with donors, thank them, or send them solicitations.
“It’s something that’s an easy, inexpensive experiment.” says Nancy Schwartz, a nonprofit communications consultant.
And the effort can pay off. For example, since it started its Valentine’s drive in 2013, the animal-welfare group Farm Sanctuary, has seen its online revenue in February jump each year — ranging from 8 percent to 16 percent.
Here’s some expert advice on how to add a holiday campaign to your nonprofit’s fundraising cycle.
Groups should start planning such campaigns several weeks out. For Valentine’s Day drives, for example, planning should probably start in early January, says Kerri Karvetski, a fundraising consultant who has helped several charities with their holiday drives. That will ensure you have plenty of time to craft effective appeals and decide how big the campaign will be.
Karvetski and Schwartz advise fundraisers to answer the following questions while planning:
1. Which donors should get the appeals? All or just a segment of them?
2. Which channels are we going to use to disseminate appeals: email? social media? Most organizations don’t use direct mail for Valentine’s Day appeals because it is costly, Schwartz notes.
3. How many messages are we going to send through the channels we select?
4. What are our goals? Do we want to attract new donors, get supporters to give again, or just thank them?
Schwartz recommends sending holiday messages to a specific group of donors rather than all of them — a practice called segmenting.
Segmenting makes it easier to create campaign messaging and pick your method of digital delivery, she says.
For instance, a children’s hospital might target mothers for Valentine’s Day and thus draw up appeals with a “motherly love” theme. If an organization targets a general audience, the messages wouldn’t be as focused, Schwartz says. Segmenting, she adds, “gives you an opportunity to make Valentine’s Day messaging much more relevant” to a specific audience.
At the same time, you can also select a good blend of social-media and email appeals based on the preferences of that group of donors, she says. For instance, younger donors might respond better to social-media ads than email.
Find “look-a-like” donors.
In its past Valentine’s campaigns, Oxfam America used new Facebook tools to find donors who seem to have similar characteristics to those who participate in its ‘Oxfam Gifts’ program, Josh Silva, digital fundraising manager, says.
Oxfam made big gains through its Valentine’s Day drive last year: From February 1 to February 14, fundraising revenue rose 26 percent over the same period in the previous year, while the number of donations rose 30 percent. And the number of new donors shot up 236 percent over that period over the previous year.
The big growth was in part because of President Trump’s announcement of a ban on visitors from six Muslim-majority countries, which spurred activism and record donations to civil-rights groups and organizations that work with refugees, like Oxfam.
But Silva also attributes it to the Valentine’s Day campaign — which grew in popularity over several years — and Oxfam’s sophistication in targeting look-a-like donors.
Check Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for inspiration.
Not sure what your content should look like? Get on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, and search for holiday appeals that nonprofits have used in the past, Ms. Karvetski suggests.
Check your email inbox, too. People often receive appeals for lesser holidays and forget about them, she says.
Also, look beyond nonprofits: See what retailers and other companies do with seasonal celebrations, she advises.
Karvetski recommends doing something like asking people to take a fun quiz or share a love story online for Valentine’s Day. After they’ve done so, immediately ask for a gift. “They are very pumped at that moment,” she says, making it more likely they’ll open their wallets.
Events can be a good way to get donors engaged. Farm Sanctuary held its Valentine’s Day-related event this year on February 11 at its shelter in Acton, Calif. The ticketed event — $20 for adults, $10 for kids ages 4 to 12 — featured a photo booth, a make-your-own-Valentine station, and a chance to spend time with the rescued animals that live there.
Farm Sanctuary hopes some people who attended will also become sponsors of some of the animals that the organization has rescued from factory farms and other perilous settings, says Jennifer Maines, development manager for membership and monthly giving. Farm Sanctuary also sent two appeal emails to all donors — one in late January and another a few days before Valentine’s Day. The drive was mentioned in the group’s e-newsletter and is featured at the top of its home page, too. It’s also posted messages about the campaign on Facebook.
Its first email used the theme “Better Together.” The email featured three pairs of animals that have been rescued by the organization from factory farms, including Reggie and Lola — two pigs that appeared to be kissing. “For a one-time donation of $30, you can symbolically adopt one of our three featured valentine pairs,” the email says, adding that all donors will also receive a card to give to their “favorite human.”
“With a $30 price point, the campaign is a good acquisition tool to get a first-time donor in the door without necessarily having to commit more substantially,” Maines said in an email.
Farm Sanctuary’s appeals demonstrate how cute and zany some Valentine’s Day appeals can be. But the messages can an also be heartfelt: Some children’s hospitals encourage donors to send Valentine’s Day cards to sick children, for instance.
The approach an organization takes has got to feel authentic. “You’ve got to play with what you’ve got,” says Karvetski. “If you don’t have cute and fuzzy, you can’t do that. Maybe it’s just playing on the theme of love and appreciation.”
Don’t try to force it, Schwartz warns. For instance, as Congress holds bitter debates on immigration policy, groups that work with migrants might steer clear of Valentine’s Day. The gravity of the political situation doesn’t lend itself to playful communications — and it might be hard to tie in the holiday with somber appeals. “You never want to radically change your messaging,” Schwartz says.
And remember: Campaigns tied to minor holidays don’t always have to be about money but can simply be used to thank donors. That approach would likely be well received for Valentine’s Day, for example, Schwartz says: “It’s a wonderful message: ‘This is what love is, and we love you.’ ”
