The Challenge
The organization identified a donor segment with lifetime philanthropic giving of less than $350, even though public-domain wealth and affinity data suggested this audience had major giving potential that had never been cultivated.
The Audience
Catapult selected a targeted audience of 2,067 donors from this overlooked segment for personalized engagement, prioritizing those with the strongest indicators of connection to the organization's mission.
The Strategy
The outreach approach focused on deepening connection and demonstrating impact rather than leading with an ask:
- Identified each donor's personal reasons for being connected to the mission
- Introduced the segment to the tangible impact of the organization's work
- Provided added value to enhance each donor's experience with the mission
- Reinforced the importance of their monetary support before soliciting a gift
The Results
- 1,026 donors were engaged through the campaign
- 467 new gifts were generated from this previously overlooked segment
- Overall giving from the segment increased by 72%
- Average gift size increased between 61% and 135%, depending on segment
- The average first-time gift from non-donors within the segment was $2,390
Conclusion
By pairing donor data with a relationship-first cultivation sequence, Catapult helped the organization convert an under-engaged, low-dollar-history segment into a meaningful source of new and upgraded gifts, proving that lifetime giving totals alone don't tell the whole story of a donor's capacity or loyalty.