ANTHEA IVA
The Director of Redstone Marketing asks three nonprofit executives
for their perspectives
Phillip Jones
Marketing & Fundraising Team Leader, Bush Heritage Australia
At Bush Heritage Australia there is a special connection to so many loyal supporters, some of whom have been with us on our journey to preserve and restore habitat around the country for over 30 years.
As fundraisers we are in a fortunate moment – we have the power of donor insights informed by data, strong relationships with our donors, and we can share compelling narratives of our impact to inspire them.
When I think about segmentation, I come to it with a personalisation lens. We’ve just acquired an AI tool that provides additional insights into our database and we’ll start testing difference audiences, including lapsed donors. They’ve already engaged with us in the past and circumstances change – I think we can make a persuasive case to bring them back with a tailored approach. After testing we plan to introduce a regular engagement series throughout the year, led by the data, to discrete donor types.
Given the scientific nature of our work, we have a dedicated data team to provide detailed reports, build donor lists, and note exclusions and preferences for recipients. They ensure our records are always up to date with excellent data integrity. A live dashboard showing results, plus our social media team monitoring engagement in real time, means we can refine campaigns along the way, not just hope for the best!
This investment in systems, external expertise and in-house talent means we create impactful appeals knowing the use of precious resources is targeted, relevant to our audiences, and drives strong fundraising results. Alongside several appeals per year, targeted acquisition and reactivation programs and a giving day, there is also personalised stewardship of our major donors. As we are always in market, I’m mindful of the tempo and type of our engagement and adjust in response to what our data insights tell us.
Each person is motivated differently to make a gift. Our messaging is always hopeful and grounded with science, so there is both a rational and emotive element to ensure it resonates with the audience. This reinforces our connection to the donor and invites them to be part of our journey.
Kaci Sykes
Individual Giving Manager, Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand
Donor segmentation has been a journey for us, with plenty of lessons along the way. At Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand, we’ve always been strong in Peer-to-Peer events. That’s where so many of our amazing supporters first connect with us. Over the past five years, we’ve been working to diversify income and grow our Regular Giving and Single Giving programs. Segmentation has been key to making that shift.
Our first step was figuring out how to communicate with our P2P donors and participants about giving in other ways. At first, we cast the net wide, looking back at the past 10 years of donor and participant records in a telemarketing conversion campaign. Through testing, we learned some useful things – our best timing for a follow-up ask was about six months after an event, and engagement was strongest from donors supporting participants receiving treatment. Over time, we’ve been able to refine the campaign and engage with the people most likely to respond.
Like many charities, we do not have a big team and our capacity is limited. We have ambitious goals to grow engagement and create better donor journeys, but we can’t do everything at once. That’s partly why we are now investing in supporter surveys. It’s about gathering insights early so, as our capacity grows, we already have a better understanding of what drives our donors and what matters most to them.
I don’t think we’ll ever have a perfect system, and that’s okay. For now, it’s about taking small steps, listening closely and adjusting as we go. Every insight helps Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand connect a little more personally with our supporters, and every little step feels like progress.
Josh Lawlor
When it comes to segmenting donors for maximum engagement, my go-to approach is to start with a values-first mindset rather than just demographics or gift size. Our donors range from individuals running small community fundraisers to large corporate partners, and each group has very different motivations and expectations.
I typically segment donors along three key dimensions:
1. Engagement level Are they first-time donors, repeat givers or long-term loyal supporters? The way you acknowledge a new donor is very different to how you nurture someone who has been giving for 10-plus years.
2. Motivation and connection to cause Some supporters are personally impacted by breast cancer, while others are community-minded businesses wanting to give back locally. Knowing this shapes whether you lean into storytelling, impact data or recognition opportunities.
3. Channel preference While digital has grown enormously (a 66% uplift in online engagement over the past two years), many of our donors still respond strongly to phone calls, face-to-face recognition or even traditional mail. Meeting donors where they are is critical.
From there, we use personalisation at scale. For example, digital platforms allow us to automate thank-you journeys that still feel personal, while corporate donors receive bespoke reporting on the impact of their contributions. Importantly, segmentation isn’t static and we regularly review data and feedback to refine how supporters are grouped and how communications are delivered.
Ultimately, our goal at Hunter Breast Cancer Foundation is to make every donor feel seen and valued, regardless of their gift size. By aligning segmentation with donor motivation and behaviour, not just capacity, we’ve been able to increase retention, deepen relationships and grow fundraising income by more than 40% in just two years.
