Classy Nonprofit Annual Communications Plan

Question 1

Why not only communicate with supporters when you’re doing major campaigns?

Answer 1

When you only contact supporters during your major campaigns, you miss out on opportunities
to cultivate them and deepen their connections to your cause.

Question 2

What are the 3 characteristics of the emails that you should be sending all year round to strengthen your donor relationships? Which is most important?

Answer 2

They should be:

1. Consistent
2. Personalized
3. Varied

The variety is most important

Question 3

Think of these stewardship emails as…

Answer 3

…their own campaign since it requires you to plan ahead and outline each touchpoint throughout the year.

Question 4

It costs…

Answer 4

…five times as much to acquire a new donor than it does to retain one.

Question 5

What are the 8 templates for annual emails?

Answer 5

1. Progress Updates
2. Holidays
3. Events
4. Thankyou
5. Giving Tuesday
6. Year-End Giving
7. Volunteer Opportunities
8. Organization Anniversary

Question 6

What is the major progress update, and why is it necessary (1 + 4)

Answer 6

Annual report:

1. Showcase financial transparency
2. Establish trust with supporters
3. Show appreciation for donors
4. Demonstrate your organization’s impact

Question 7

While data plays an important role in educating constituents about your progress…

In addition to sharing data throughout the year…

The emotional tie to a cause is what will…

Answer 7

…your donors essentially want to know how their donation has helped your organization make strides in your
mission

…make sure to include success stories
from the field.

…keep donors coming back and remind
them of why they’re invested in your success.

Question 8

Holiday emails should start with a neutral message like “Happy dia do São Jorge” followed by…

Answer 8

a soft ask to read a blog post, share your organization’s progress with their networks etc..

Question 9

What is a common 8-email event cadence?

Answer 9

1. Save the date (three to four months before event)
2. Tickets go on sale soon (four to six weeks before tickets are on sale)
3. Tickets are on sale (two to three months before event)
4. One month countdown to event (one month before event)
5. Last chance to buy (three days before ticket sales close)
6. Countdown to event (7 to 10 days before event)
7. Thank you (same night)
8. Post-event updates (as soon as content—photos, money raised, etc.—is available)

Question 10

What is a pro tip for event invitations?

Answer 10

Send a personalized email to last year’s attendees with a special invitation to join again.

Question 11

When might you send a general thank you email to supporters? What might it include? Why is this so effective?

Answer 11

Holidays or just a regular Tuesday.
Share a funny video or heartwarming story to express gratitude for donors and their impact on your cause. As always, it’s important to showcase the people you’ve served to stir donors’ emotions and remind them of the difference they are making.
Effective because it’s unexpected and you’re not asking anything - meaningful for community.

Question 12

What would be an example of a 4-email Giving Tuesday cadence?

Answer 12

1. Announcement email (10 days prior)
2. Countdown email (seven days prior)
3. Cyber Monday (one day prior)
4. Day-of email series

Question 13

What is an interesting statistic in terms of volunteer opportunities emails?

Answer 13

2/3 of volunteers also donate

Question 14

In your organization birthday celebration email what should you include as well as thanking donors?

Answer 14

Take a stroll down memory lane and note how

much progress your nonprofit has made in its mission since its inception.

Question 15

What are 8 pro tips for email communication?

Answer 15

1. Time your emails strategically
2. Follow a consistent cadence
3. Look at donor profiles
4. Don’t be afraid to include a donate button
5. Leverage visual assets
6. Keep your content digestible
7. Use consistent branding
8. Put beneficiaries front and center by telling their stories

Question 16

How can you time your emails strategically?

Answer 16

If you have your largest campaign or event
in June, save check-in emails that are not tied to any specific date for a time
when you don’t have as much going on. Make sure to prioritize the appeals in
your calendar.

Question 17

How can you keep a consistent cadence with your emails and why is this important?

Answer 17

Be predictable with your frequency in outreach so that supporters know what to expect and can even look forward to your updates.

Question 18

What does it mean to look at donor profiles?

Answer 18

Tailor your communications for different segments

of donors.

Question 19

How should donate buttons be incorporated?

Answer 19

The main CTA is to inform and connect with your community of donors, but always include an opportunity to
donate somewhere in your communications. Many opt to include it in an inlinelink or a donate button near the footer.

Question 20

What does it mean to leverage visual assets?

Answer 20

Remind your donors of their emotional tie to your cause

by sharing videos, photos, and other graphics that speak more than words will.

Question 21

How can you keep content digestible?

Answer 21

Length will vary depending on the purpose of
your email, but for the most part, keep it short and sweet. When you need to tell a longer story or include data points, make sure to break up blocks of text with
photos or graphics.

Question 22

How does consistent branding come into email design?

Answer 22

Make sure that recipients can immediately see the
difference between a campaign email and one of these types of stewardship emails by using a consistent layout or format. For instance, emails tied to a specific campaign would be branded with campaign-specific colors, headers,
logo, or other branding elements, whereas these general emails could use your organization’s general brand colors, logo, and header.

Question 23

How can you and why should you put beneficiaries front and center by telling their stories?

Answer 23

The emotional tie to a cause is what keeps donors coming back year after year, so use the human stories behind your cause to remind donors of why they’re invested in
your success.