When sending out your fundraising appeals, you need to know how women react to your mailings.
If you are a woman, this is easier! Think of what appeals to you. But don’t stop there.
This video shows how much purchasing power women in America have.
If you’re not marketing your nonprofit differently to women, you might want to ask yourself why not. How would marketing to women look different from marketing to men, trans people and other genders?
I hope I don’t have to say this, but don’t drench everything in pink. It’s demeaning. Pink-washing is not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about surveying your female donors. What issues are most important to them?
Why do they give? Call them on the phone. Ask them what issues speak the most to them. If you’re a nonprofit that helps protect the environment, maybe one of your female donors cares about a particular region of the world. If your nonprofit works to help microfinance people in the developing world, find out if your female donors have a preference for women as recipients of microfinance loans. Check out The Girl Effect for why microfinance loans to girls matter more.
Generally, women are known for caring more for details. Can you make your envelope stand out with a different kind of paper? A handwritten envelope? Can you create a survey asking her why she gives, what would make her want to commit more, what her major concerns are right now, and why she thinks your nonprofit is or isn’t making a difference? Can you see where she fits on the Donor Personality spectrum? Can you ask her how she would prefer to be acknowledged?
When it comes to marketing to women, one size certainly does not fit all. But you can start with surveys, group women into categories based on why they give, and go from there. A group of women who are Christian Devouts, for instance, would probably be interested in a Bible quote about charity on your letter. Another group of women who are business-minded might be interested in your charts of financials and numbers of people helped. Yet another group of women might be socialites, and would want you to throw a mixer at the local trendy wine bar, where they could give and be social at the same time. Or even another group of women might be geeky SecondLife fanatics, and want you to make avatar clothing with a 100% donation of their purchase going to your nonprofit.
The point is, don’t make assumptions, know your donor, and meet women where they are.
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