You’ve made it over the hurdle of launching your new digital fundraising platform–Blackbaud’s Luminate Online. Whether you’re a newcomer to Luminate Online or seeking ways to optimize your digital fundraising strategies, this guide is tailored to you.

Launching a Luminate Online account is just the beginning of an exciting journey. In this guide, we’ll delve into the foundational steps that set the stage for successful digital fundraising. From configuring interests and engagement factors to unleashing the potential of automation, we’re here to equip you with actionable insights that drive meaningful connections and impactful campaigns.

Configuring Interests and Engagement Factors

Before diving into the world of automation, it’s crucial to lay the foundation by configuring interests and engagement factors. These settings help you understand your supporters better and tailor your communications to their preferences. Here’s how to get started:

Segmentation with Interests

Begin by categorizing your supporters based on their interests, such as education, healthcare, or environmental issues. Luminate Online allows you to create interest groups, ensuring that your messages resonate with specific segments.

Engagement Factors

Gauge the level of engagement of your supporters. Assign engagement factors based on their interactions – whether they’ve engaged with your emails or visited your website. Set up a query for those who are not engaging and send them a re-engagement campaign and suppress those users from your email marketing lists.

Harnessing the Power of Automations

Automation is the key to efficient and personalized fundraising. Luminate Online offers a range of automation features to streamline your efforts and nurture donor relationships. By using the Query-reporting feature, email automations can be sent.

Welcome Series

Make a lasting impression by setting up a welcome series for new supporters. Automate a sequence of emails that introduces your organization’s mission, impact, and upcoming initiatives. This series ensures that new supporters feel valued and informed right from the start. Click here to see a great example of a welcome series email.

Monthly Upsells

Capitalize on your donors’ generosity with monthly upsell campaigns. Configure automated emails that suggest incremental donation amounts or showcase specific projects that need funding. These personalized suggestions can significantly increase donation amounts over time.

Birthday Campaigns

Celebrate your supporters by sending automated birthday greetings. Use Luminate Online to capture donors’ birthdates and schedule automated emails with heartfelt wishes. This thoughtful touch enhances donor loyalty and engagement. Here is a great example of a birthday email that one of our clients sent!

One-Year Anniversary of a Gift

Acknowledge and celebrate the impact of past donations. Set up an automated campaign that sends personalized messages to donors on the anniversary of their previous gifts. Highlight the achievements made possible by their support, fostering a sense of pride and commitment.

Implementing Automation in Luminate Online

Let’s dive deeper into how to set up these automations within Luminate Online:

Creating Automated Series

Navigate the Luminate Online interface to create automated email series. Define triggers, intervals, and content for each email in the sequence, ensuring a smooth donor journey.

Personalization and Dynamic Content

Leverage Luminate Online’s dynamic content features to personalize emails based on supporter interests and engagement factors. Craft compelling messages that resonate with each recipient.

Tracking and Analytics

Monitor the effectiveness of your automations through Luminate Online’s tracking and analytics tools. Measure open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates to fine-tune your strategies.

Conclusion

Launching your digital fundraising platform on Blackbaud’s Luminate Online is a transformative step for your non-profit organization. By configuring interests, leveraging engagement factors, and harnessing the power of automations, you’re well on your way to building meaningful relationships with supporters and driving successful fundraising campaigns. Remember, the journey doesn’t end here – regularly analyze your results and adapt your strategies to ensure continued growth and impact.

Ready to Launch Your Luminate Online Journey? If you’re excited to take your non-profit’s fundraising efforts to new heights, set up a meeting with us. We can help you to follow these steps and embrace the world of automation. You’ll be well-equipped to connect with your supporters, drive donations, and make a lasting difference.