Personalizing the donor experience: how 3 environmental nonprofits found Earth Day success
Earth Day, or Earth Month, is an opportunity to engage new donors, re-energize existing supporters, and create lasting change. In this article, we’re spotlighting three environmental nonprofit organizations that ran exceptional Earth Day campaigns.
They’ll share:
- What made their best Earth Day campaign successful
- How they turned one-time donors into repeat supporters
- How nonprofits (even those outside of the environmental sector) can take action on Earth Day
The best of the best: Earth Day campaign wins
1% for the Planet, Ocean Wise, and Trees for the Future work year-round to address some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges:
- 1% for the Planet connects businesses and individuals with high-impact environmental nonprofits, encouraging them to commit 1% of their annual sales to sustainability initiatives. Their work ensures that funding flows directly to organizations on the frontlines of climate action, conservation, and environmental advocacy.
- Ocean Wise is dedicated to protecting and restoring the world’s oceans through conservation, research, and education. From reducing plastic pollution to advocating for sustainable seafood, their initiatives help safeguard marine ecosystems for future generations.
- Trees for the Future is on a mission to combat deforestation, restore degraded land, and improve livelihoods through regenerative agriculture. By planting trees and training farming families in sustainable land management, they create lasting environmental and economic change.
1% for the Planet: an integrated approach for Earth Month
In 2022, 1% for the Planet’s multi-faceted approach led to their most successful Earth Month campaign yet, driving an increase of over 400% in donations compared to the previous year and securing several planned gifts.
Rather than relying on a single fundraising push, 1% for the Planet provided their network with branded social media assets to amplify the messaging, sent personalized donor appeals, and shared impact-driven stewardship materials to showcase donor contributions over time.
In addition to digital engagement, 1% for the Planet prioritized community-building through their Global Social Hour, a virtual event that brought together different stakeholders in their network.
Hear more about 1% for the Planet’s Earth Month strategy
Ocean Wise’s A/B testing win for Earth Day
For Earth Day 2024, Ocean Wise leveraged A/B testing to refine its email appeals and maximize donor engagement. By analyzing response rates, they discovered that the first email in their appeal series performed the best, generating a 20% higher response rate than other messages. This insight helped them optimize their messaging for maximum impact.
The results were impressive: Ocean Wise successfully met its $15,000 fundraising goal, and, even more exciting, secured a high-value monthly donor.
Hear more about Ocean Wise’s Earth Day strategy
Trees for the Future’s timely Earth Day message and match
Each year, Trees for the Future uses this global day of action to mobilize donors, raise awareness, and drive meaningful change. Their 2024 campaign, Stand for What You Stand On, was an urgent call to protect the planet, rallying supporters at every level to take action.
A key factor in their Earth Day success was a strong, cohesive marketing campaign that aligned brand messaging and resonated with their audience. The campaign was made even stronger by a timely donation match, which created urgency and motivation to give on Earth Day.
Hear more about Trees for the Future’s Earth Day strategy
Turning Earth Day donors into repeat donors
The most successful Earth Day campaigns can be defined by building lasting donor relationships. Organizations like 1% for the Planet, Ocean Wise, and Trees for the Future have all found that ongoing engagement is key to turning one-time Earth Day donors into recurring supporters.
But how do you scale that kind of engagement? The answer: smart technology.
With Fundraise Up, nonprofits can deliver personalized donor experiences at scale. Here’s how our platform helps turn awareness day momentum into sustained support:
- Upsell opportunities: Offers donors the opportunity to make an even bigger impact by upgrading their one-time gift into recurring support.
- Frictionless upgrades: Donors can increase their monthly support with a single click.
- Self-serve Donor Portal: Donors can update their payment information, download receipts, or upgrade gifts any time.
Ways you can take action for Earth Day
There are countless ways to integrate sustainability into your mission and show support for Earth Day or Earth Month, even if your organization does not have an environmental focus.
How Fundraise Up can help you personalize the donor experience
Fundraise Up helps nonprofits maximize movements like Earth Day with smarter technology that personalizes the giving experience at scale. With features like intelligent donation suggestions, frictionless payment options, recurring giving upsells, and more, Fundraise Up turns moments like Earth Day generosity into lasting donor relationships.