Do you agree that people are your nonprofit’s most valuable resource?

If so, then you know how much your staff and volunteers do to carry out your mission. With only so many hours in the day, are you focusing on tasks that could be left to automation?

Many nonprofits may worry automation is impersonal. However, automation will help you convey more meaningful messages and improve personalization, all while freeing up staff and volunteers for the important work they do best.

DonorSnap’s CRM has a built in Automated Task Manager (ATM) feature that schedules and runs your routine tasks on a daily basis. Simply set up triggers for reminders to go out based on what you need and leave the rest to DonorSnap to keep you and your supporters in the loop.

There are a number of ways automation can improve communications with supporters, refine processes, and ultimately save time and money for your organization. Below are the top four ways automation can help your nonprofit succeeded.

1. Automation allows you to compile thoughtful messages in a consistent voice.

Connecting with constituents on a personal level is so important to a nonprofit. Automation allows you to craft messages that align with your mission. Take the time up front to create a thoughtful series of welcome emails and thank you letters. Add mail merge fields to those messages to make them even more personal. These steps ensure your constituents will get the exact message you are hoping to convey. Rushing through letters is prone to man-made mistakes and errors. When you take the time to set up letters in DonorSnap’s automated task manager you can assure your messages are clear and free of errors.

2. Automation will help nurture new donors.

Orienting new members to your organization is a valuable process that will help them feel more connected to your mission. A welcome series of emails is a wonderful way to share more about your organization. It could introduce them to other parts of your organization or encourage them to engage in other ways as well like volunteer opportunities or sharing your cause with a friend. Sending information all at once can feel overwhelming, but breaking it up into smaller more digestible emails will be easier for new members to consume. You will stay at the top of their mind when you enter their inbox periodically over the course of a few months.

3. Automation will enable you to get more personal.

Receiving a happy birthday message from your organization is a sure way to make a supporter feel special. Without automation this task may be too time consuming. You can use automation to make thoughtful personal connections with members such as sending them a happy birthday message or a pet adoption anniversary note. DonorSnap has a perfect memory, so you will never forget these important dates again!

4. Automation will help your nonprofit raise more money.

It is important to follow up with donors to ensure they give again, however chasing down lapsed donors is time consuming. Completely take this task off your to-do list by automating your membership expiration emails. Choose the email message, personalize it with mail merge fields, and choose how many days before/after expiration to send that message. Since some of us need a few reminders, make it a series of emails.

Now that you know the many benefits of using automation for your nonprofit it is time to get started. Follow these best practices to start letting DonorSnap free up time (and money) for your nonprofit.

Automation Best Practices for Nonprofits

• Set goals. Determine key metrics you want to achieve by using automation. This may be buying time back or decreasing lapsed donors. Setting goals ahead of any new project ensures you stay on task and can measure your success.
• Just because you can automate something doesn’t mean you should. Take time to thoughtfully go through your communications and decide which messages can be automated and which should not.
• Be mindful of too many emails. The top reason people unsubscribe from mailing lists is because they receive too many emails. Ensure that your messages are valuable to the people receiving them and that you time them out so as not to overwhelm their inbox.
• Get the whole team on board. Automation can help improve internal processes, but you need to ensure your team will adopt a new practice. Brainstorming together can also help your organization come up with even more ideas for automation.
• Need help? Don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team as you begin setting up your automation emails.

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