Collateral Repair Project
Director of Grants and Communications.
Project Overview
At Collateral Repair Project, I relied on email campaigns for monthly newsletters as well as a critical component of our online fundraising campaigns.
Problem Statement
Collateral Repair Project is a grassroots nonprofit. As a 501(c)3 US NGO, their work is exclusively in Amman, Jordan, but their donors are all outside of Jordan, mainly in the U.S. Reaching them online is imperative. I used email to keep donors and other interested parties up to date on fundraising goals as well as the regular goings on at the center.
Process
During my tenure, I tried out many different formats in Mailchimp. I used different formats for different purposes. I also segmented audiences, sending different emails to monthly donors, new donors, former volunteers, and more. One key point was to temporarily take individuals off our email list after they had donated during a campaign. This cut down on unsubscribe rates.
Sometimes I wanted the email to feel like an official newsletter, highlighting news from the center. At other times, I wanted it to feel like a personal email from CRP’s Executive Director.
Results
By segmenting audiences, I was able to track the most effective messaging and most engaged subscribers. During campaigns, open rates were as high as 50%.
Relying heavily on high-quality email had a direct effect on fundraising results. I doubled end-of year giving.
It also played a key role in launching new media. When I sent out an email announcing our new podcast, we saw immediate downloads of episode one.