The Multichannel Renewal Campaign

A model to work from

To get you started, here's a multichannel schedule I've drawn up based on interviews and my own experience over the years of what works best for insuring that your renewal program is working at peak.

Step 1. Schedule the postal renewal notices No. 1 to No. 12 or however many you feel is optimal, and then interlace the other channel approaches in front and in back of each postal notice. Remembering that:

• The best or most responsive/loyal donors are likely to respond early in the cycle, so use telemarketing early on to both upgrade gifts and response rates at this stage.
• Save the less expensive (frequent e-mail, inexpensive postal mail and lower-asking amounts) for later in the renewal series.

Now draw up a master communications or renewal calendar with each action/date for each channel indicated.

Remember, once you get past the first renewal notice (that one should go out 90 days before the anniversary date of the donor's last annual gift) you can also schedule your regular appeals and other communications. Don't worry about the frequency or multitude of communications, the renewal track, or the appeals track cannibalizing each other.

And of course, if you're using a calendar year as opposed to an anniversary date renewal calendar, it's even simpler.

For purposes of this illustration, I'm assuming a calendar year renewal where every donor is contacted with the renewal efforts at the same time.

Step 2. Perfect your basic renewal message focusing on accomplishments of the year ending, challenges faced in the coming year and the need for continued involvement on the donors' part.

Step 3. Train the telemarketers, your phone-answering personnel. Make sure the renewal buttons and landing pages are in place on the website, and fight to insure consistency and reinforcement of message across the channels.