by Danielle Gentry-Barth and Lauran McHaffie
3-Minute Read
Your stories are amazing. Your mission changes lives. You do great work- day in and day out. But is that enough to pull in individual and corporate donors? In a matter of seconds our brains decide if we should click, read or scroll on by. In a world of competition and message overload, it is imperative that stories, data, and impact stand out.
The Case for Simplifying Segmentation
According to the book, Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less, each person consumes 15.5 hours of content a day. We have 17 milliseconds to capture someone’s attention. On average we spend 26 seconds reading a piece of content. The good news is that if we can categorize our supporters in one of two general categories- heart or mind- we can communicate in a way that is unforgettable even in an overstimulated world where information is coming at us at the speed of light.
In our years of working in the fundraising sector, we found that donors fall into two general categories- 1) those who make giving decisions with their hearts, and 2) those who make giving decisions with their minds. Throughout our careers, this simple segmentation has provided a solid donor structure for initiatives focused on attracting, engaging, and stewarding donors.
Everyone who has ever worked in an advancement office knows the feeling of being overwhelmed and with limited resources. There is never enough time, money, or staffing to get all the work done. Just add in all of the demands of the job. Have you heard yourself say, “Now you want me to segment our year-end mailing. What?” Segmentation according to heart and mind is simple- it helps to lighten the workload. Best of all – it works!
What’s Heart and Mind Got to Do with It?
We all know donors who make philanthropic giving decisions based on facts. They think about return on investment. They want to know the number of people served. They want to see financial data. They want to know and understand KPIs. They want to know performance data. They even want to see your budget and know how dollars are spent. For them, share all of this information. Show them how investments are spent. Highlight pieces of your budget. Use infographics to convey data.
We also know donors who love a strong mission moment. They want to know the people served and supported. They often get emotional or cry when they think of the impact and the lives touched. These are the donors who make philanthropic decisions from the heart. For them, share videos that tell stories. Invite them to come for a tour to see the mission in action. Ask them to volunteer. Send them handwritten notes from your clients.
This simple segmentation can be used for individual, corporate and foundation supporters as well as prospects. It can and should be used in all types of fundraising campaigns and initiatives including annual giving, special events, major giving, capital and comprehensive campaigns.
Try This Segmenting Exercise
Certainly, there are thousands of ways to segment- age, mission interest, zip code, and the list goes on. If you have the time and the resources to do that, you should, but we’d still recommend beginning here. This is a great place to begin if you are new to a team and getting to know your donors. If resources are limited, begin here. And most importantly, if you work in major gifts, analyze your portfolio, categorize your donors, and use this as your guide for communications.
Grab your notebook! Here are three easy ways to implement this simple segmentation into your organization.
- Take 30 minutes to outline the top characteristics of your donors and categorize them into heart and mind
- Schedule an hour to write down the story elements needed to capture the attention of both
- Bring your team together to be part of the story writing process.
What’s Next for Your Storytelling?
Many donors will fall into both categories, sometimes almost equally. However, our experience and the science of connection shows that the majority of people lean either heart or mind, when making giving decisions. At the end of the day, people make the decision to fund your organization or not, and it is our responsibility to know what motivates our donors. Need guidance getting to the heart and mind of your campaign? Reach out to Danielle at MASON Consulting Group at [email protected]