5 ways to drive donor engagement with AI for nonprofits

Jan 1, 2025
Ashley Montgomery
Content Marketing Manager

AI is shaking things up in the nonprofit world, making it easier for organizations to drive donor engagement and keep supporters coming back.

Perfect example: Donors using Fundraise Up keep their recurring donation plan 76% of the time (versus the industry average 61%) over 12-month periods.

It’s all about making the donation experience seamless, quick, and fun! With the right AI tool, nonprofits can boost donor engagement and build those critical relationships for sustainable fundraising. Here’s 5 ways to make it happen with AI.

Donor prospecting

1. Smart targeting

AI dives into heaps of data to pinpoint potential donors who fit your organization’s vibe. By looking at factors like web visit times and devices used, nonprofits can craft campaigns that speak directly to the right people. This kind of targeted outreach not only boosts engagement but also helps maximize those donations.

2. Predictive insights

With predictive analytics, nonprofits can get a glimpse into the future of donor behavior. By analyzing past giving patterns, organizations can figure out who’s likely to give again, how much they might contribute, and the best times to reach out. This means smarter planning for donor engagement, ensuring you hit the right notes when it counts. Example: Fundraise Up Insights.

Personalized touchpoints

3. Tailored communication

AI helps segment your donor base so you can send messages that really resonate. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, you can personalize your outreach based on individual interests and past interactions. This not only attracts new supporters but also makes existing donors feel appreciated and connected. Example: HubSpot’s Breeze.

Did you know? We love HubSpot! Our native integration makes it easy for nonprofits to sync between Fundraise Up and HubSpot. Check it out!

Data-driven strategies

4. Savvy donation requests

AI algorithms help determine the sweet spot for donation requests based on donor behavior and information. Privacy concerns? We only use non-PII for donor engagement. This way, you’re asking for amounts that make sense, increasing the chances of a positive response during your fundraising pushes. Example: Fundraise Up’s Upgrade Links.

5. Smart resource allocation

By crunching campaign performance data and donor activity, AI helps nonprofits focus their efforts where they’ll make the biggest splash. It identifies high-impact areas for fundraising, guiding organizations on where to invest time and resources for maximum return. Example: Fundraise Up’s Insights Dashboard.

Fundraise Up’s AI skillset for donor engagement

Our online donation platform is designed to maximize fundraising and donor acquisition. Here are some key features of our AI-powered platform:

  • Smart donation suggestions: Our AI analyzes hundreds data points in real-time to suggest optimal donation amounts, resulting in a 10-15% increase in overall revenue for nonprofits, which boosts both donor acquisition efforts and supports long-term donor retention.
  • Recurring donor conversion: AI-driven prompts suggest recurring donation options intelligently, leading up to 30% of one-time donors to convert into recurring donors. This feature significantly enhances long-term donor retention by building ongoing relationships with supporters.
  • Adaptive fee coverage: This feature uses AI to prompt donors about covering transaction fees at the right moment, resulting in 82% of donors agreeing to cover these costs, which improves the efficiency of both donor acquisition campaigns and overall donor retention.
  • Intelligent card retries: AI determines the best times to retry failed card transactions, significantly lowering churn rates for recurring donations and maintaining success in both donor acquisition and retention.
  • Personalized donor experience: Our AI combines historical data with real-time behavioral insights to create highly tailored experiences for each donor, enhancing both the process of acquiring new donors and efforts aimed at improving donor retention.
  • Non-PII data use: Our AI uses a unique dataset of non-personally identifiable information related to nonprofit donations, enabling more accurate predictions and recommendations for both donor acquisition strategies and enhancing donor retention efforts.
  • Flexible AI implementation: Nonprofits can gradually test and implement AI features, allowing them to experiment and adjust based on their needs related to both donor acquisition and retention.
The deep dive on Fundraise Up AI: everything you could ever want to know about our approach to artificial intelligence.

With the right AI tools in place, you’re well-prepared to offer donors a seamless giving experience. Learn how you can improve donor engagement, increase donation revenue, and boost fundraising efforts. Connect with our platform experts today for a personalized demo.

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