What could Automated Stewardship do for Your Christmas Campaigns?

As the Christmas season approaches, charities are gearing up for one of the busiest times of the year. It's a crucial period to attract donations and build lasting relationships with supporters. But how do you balance personalised engagement with the scale of these larger campaigns?

The answer: automated stewardship.

Automated stewardship allows charities to maintain consistent, thoughtful communication with donors while reducing the manual workload. By leveraging automation, you can enhance the donor experience without sacrificing personalisation. Here's how to integrate automated stewardship into your Christmas campaigns for maximum impact this year.

Why Automated Stewardship?

The festive season brings a surge of donations, making it challenging to engage with every donor manually. Automated stewardship ensures no supporter is overlooked, helping you:

1. Nurture relationships: Stay connected with supporters beyond the initial gift by setting up automated thank-yous, updates, and follow-ups.
2. Reduce drop-off rates: Keep donors engaged throughout their journey, preventing them from disengaging after their first interaction.
3. Save time and resources: Focus your team's efforts on strategic tasks while automation handles routine communication.

How to Set Up Automated Stewardship for Your Christmas Campaign

1. Map Out the Donor Journey

First, outline the key touchpoints where you'll engage with donors. These typically include:

• Thank You: Immediately after the donation is made.
• Impact Updates: A few weeks later, showing how their donation is making a difference.
• Holiday Greetings: Sending a warm, festive message to deepen the relationship.
• End-of-Year Thank You: A final thank-you note, including an opportunity for a last-minute donation.

2. Use Segmentation for Personalisation

Automation doesn't mean one-size-fits-all. Segment your donors based on factors such as:

• Donation amount: Send different messages to high-level donors vs. smaller gifts.
• First-time vs. repeat donors: Acknowledge new supporters differently from your loyal base.
• Giving preferences: If you know the donor's motivation (e.g., in memory of someone or supporting a particular program), customise your message accordingly.

By tailoring your messaging to each group, you create a more personal experience, even through automation.

3. Monitor and Adjust

Once your automated campaign is live, monitor your key metrics. Are donors engaging with your updates? Are they returning for another donation? Use this data to refine your approach for future campaigns.

Tips for Effective Automated Stewardship

• Keep it authentic: Automated messages should still feel personal. Use dynamic fields to address the donor by name and reference their specific contribution.
• Balance timing: Avoid overwhelming donors with too many emails. Space out communications to keep engagement high without being intrusive.
• Incorporate visuals: Include photos or short videos in your emails to show real-time impact. A picture of a family receiving holiday meals, for example, can leave a lasting impression.

The Power of Automation for Christmas Giving

Automated stewardship is not about replacing human connection but enhancing it. By setting up thoughtful, timely messages, you can deepen your relationship with donors during the festive season without burdening your team.

As charities face increasing service demand this year, automation will be key in scaling stewardship efforts while maintaining a personal touch. Are you ready to optimise your Christmas campaign with automated stewardship?