Your nonprofit is sitting on a goldmine of information: giving histories, event attendance, and social media engagement. But data is only useful when you know how to use it. Too often, this valuable insight stays locked away in a database, and we continue sending generic messages to everyone. This is where segmentation becomes your most powerful tool. It’s the bridge between having raw data and building real, human connections. By implementing smart donor segmentation strategies, you can translate what you know about your supporters into personalized experiences that inspire loyalty and drive your mission forward. Let’s get started.
Key Takeaways
- Start with the data you already have: You don’t need a perfect database to begin. Group supporters by simple information like their giving history or communication preferences to build stronger, more personalized relationships from day one.
- Tailor your outreach beyond the first name: True personalization means using segment data to customize your message, the content you share, and the communication channel you use, ensuring your outreach always feels relevant and timely.
- Measure and refine your strategy: Track key metrics like donor retention and conversion rates for each segment to understand what’s working. Use these insights to continuously improve your approach and build more meaningful connections.
What is Donor Segmentation?
Think of donor segmentation as organizing your supporters into smaller, more meaningful groups. Instead of sending the same message to everyone on your list, you divide them based on shared characteristics. This could be anything from how much they’ve given and how often they donate to their interests or how they first connected with your cause. It’s the difference between shouting a generic message into a crowded room and having a thoughtful, personal conversation.
The goal isn’t to put people in boxes, but to understand them better so you can communicate more effectively. By grouping donors, you can tailor your outreach to reflect their unique motivations and history with your organization. This simple practice is the foundation for building stronger, more authentic relationships with the people who make your work possible. It allows you to move beyond one-size-fits-all fundraising and create a more personalized experience that makes every supporter feel valued and understood.
Why Segment Your Donors?
Segmenting your donors is one of the most effective ways to strengthen relationships and improve your fundraising results. When you tailor your outreach to align with each group's preferences and motivations, your messages land with much greater impact. A personalized thank you or a targeted appeal shows donors you’re paying attention. When supporters feel seen and understood, they are far more likely to stay engaged and continue giving. This approach also helps you make smarter asks, ensuring you’re presenting the right opportunities to the right people at the right time, which is key to building lasting connections.
Overcome Common Challenges
The fundraising landscape is tough. Many nonprofits are dealing with declining donor retention and shrinking revenue streams. Donor segmentation is a powerful strategy to address these issues head-on. By understanding the unique needs of different donor groups, you can create targeted campaigns that prevent supporters from slipping away. The main challenge is ensuring your segments are meaningful and that your outreach truly speaks to each group. It takes some initial effort, but this focused approach helps you cut through the noise and build the loyalty needed to create a sustainable fundraising pipeline.
Debunking Common Myths
Let’s clear up a couple of common misconceptions about donor segmentation. First, many fundraisers believe they don’t have enough data to get started. The truth is, you can begin with very basic information, like donation history or communication preferences. The biggest mistake is waiting for perfect data instead of starting with what you have. Second, there's a myth that segmentation is only for large, national organizations. In reality, nonprofits of all sizes can benefit. Making your supporters feel valued isn’t a luxury—it’s essential for building a committed community, no matter how big or small your team is.
Collect and Manage Your Donor Data
Effective segmentation is built on a foundation of good data. But let’s be clear: this isn’t about collecting every single piece of information you can find. It’s about thoughtfully gathering the details that help you understand your supporters as people. When you know who they are, what they care about, and how they like to engage, you can stop sending generic blasts and start building genuine, one-to-one relationships.
Think of your donor data as the key to unlocking more meaningful conversations. The right information allows you to thank a long-time supporter for their loyalty, send a special welcome to a first-time donor, or invite a social media follower to a local event. It all starts with collecting the right data and having a plan to keep it organized and up-to-date.
What Data Should You Collect?
To build strong segments, you need the right ingredients. Start by focusing on information that reveals a donor’s relationship with your cause. You’ll want to collect key details like their giving history, average donation amount, communication preferences, and demographic information such as their age and location. This data helps you understand past behavior and anticipate future actions.
Don’t stop there. Look at their engagement patterns, too. Do they open every email? Did they join your last Facebook Challenge? Tracking donor behavior across different channels gives you a more complete picture of their interests and motivations. This information is your starting point for creating segments that allow you to send the right message to the right person every time.
Develop Smart Collection Strategies
The best way to collect data is to make it a natural part of your interactions. Use clear and simple donation forms, send out occasional surveys, and pay attention to how supporters engage with you on social media. Every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new. The biggest mistake you can make is waiting until you think you have "enough" data. Start with what you have now, even if it’s just a list of past donors.
You can begin segmenting with basic information and enrich it over time. For example, using direct messaging on social media allows you to have personal conversations at scale, gathering valuable insights about donor interests and communication preferences along the way. The key is to start now and build your data strategy as you go.
Keep Your Data Clean and Accurate
Your donor data is a living thing—it needs regular care to stay healthy. Outdated or incorrect information can lead to awkward miscommunications and wasted effort. Set aside time on a regular basis to clean up your database by merging duplicate profiles, updating contact information, and correcting typos. A clean database ensures your messages actually reach your supporters.
Maintaining data accuracy is also about maintaining relationships. Regular touchpoints that aren't fundraising asks, like sending impact updates or personal thank-yous, are great ways to stay connected and give supporters a chance to update their information. When your data is accurate, you can trust that your segmentation strategy is based on a true reflection of your donor community.
Respect Donor Privacy and Stay Compliant
Trust is the cornerstone of any donor relationship. Being transparent about how you collect and use data is non-negotiable. Make sure your privacy policy is easy to find and understand, and always give supporters clear options for managing their communication preferences. When someone trusts you with their personal information, they expect you to protect it.
Staying compliant with privacy regulations like GDPR isn’t just a legal requirement; it’s a commitment to your donors. As you develop your segmentation strategy, make sure it aligns with these rules. By prioritizing privacy, you show supporters that you value them as individuals, not just as names in a database. This respect builds lasting loyalty and strengthens your entire fundraising program.
Key Donor Segments to Know
Once you have clean data, you can start grouping your donors into segments. Think of this as organizing your supporters into smaller, more manageable groups based on shared traits. This allows you to move away from one-size-fits-all messaging and start having more meaningful, personal conversations. When you understand who you’re talking to, you can tailor your outreach to resonate with their specific motivations and history with your organization.
There are endless ways to segment your audience, but you don’t need to overcomplicate it. Starting with a few key groups can make a huge difference in how your messages are received. Below are some of the most effective and widely used donor segments that can serve as a strong foundation for your strategy. These groups will help you welcome new supporters properly, nurture your most loyal donors, and even win back those who have drifted away.
Use the RFM Model
If you’re just starting with segmentation, the RFM model is a fantastic place to begin. It’s a straightforward method for grouping donors based on their transaction history. RFM stands for:
- Recency: When was the last time they donated?
- Frequency: How often do they donate?
- Monetary Value: How much do they typically give?
By analyzing these three factors, you can quickly identify your most valuable supporters. For example, a donor who gave recently, gives often, and donates a significant amount is one of your champions. Someone who hasn’t given in over a year is a lapsed donor who might need a special message to reconnect. Using an RFM analysis helps you prioritize your efforts and send the right message to the right person at the right time.
Separate First-Time and Recurring Donors
The way you talk to someone who just made their first gift should be completely different from how you talk to a loyal monthly donor. First-time donors are testing the waters; they believe in your cause enough to give once, but they aren’t yet fully committed. Your goal is to make them feel welcome and show them the immediate impact of their gift to encourage a second one.
Recurring donors, on the other hand, are your committed partners. They’ve already demonstrated their loyalty. For this group, focus on showing deep appreciation and sharing ongoing updates about the long-term impact they’re making. These are your VIPs, and they should be treated as such with exclusive content and special recognition.
Identify Major Gift Prospects
Segmenting by gift size helps you identify donors who have the capacity to make a significant impact with a major gift. This isn’t just about looking at who has given the largest one-time donation. It involves looking at a donor’s entire giving history, their wealth indicators, and their connection to your cause.
Once you’ve identified potential major gift prospects, you can move them into a personalized communication track. Instead of mass emails, these supporters should receive one-on-one outreach, invitations to special events, and detailed reports on the programs they’re passionate about. This high-touch approach is essential for cultivating the strong relationships needed to secure transformative gifts for your nonprofit.
Re-engage Lapsed and At-Risk Donors
It’s a fundraising reality that some donors will stop giving. A lapsed donor is someone who used to give but hasn’t in a while (typically 12-24 months). An at-risk donor is someone who is showing signs of disengaging, like a decrease in their giving frequency. It’s far more cost-effective to win back a past supporter than to acquire a brand new one, which makes this segment a huge opportunity.
Create a specific campaign to re-engage lapsed donors. Send them a message reminding them of their past support and the incredible impact they made. Let them know they’re missed and show them what’s new with your organization. Sometimes, a simple, personal check-in is all it takes to bring them back.
Group Donors by Digital Engagement
In today’s world, a donation isn’t the only way someone can support your cause. Your most active social media followers, email subscribers, and event attendees are a vital part of your community. Segmenting by digital engagement helps you identify these passionate advocates. Look at who consistently likes and shares your posts, opens every email, or signs up for your volunteer days.
These highly engaged individuals are often your best candidates for becoming fundraisers, advocates, or recurring donors. You can use direct messaging on social media to start a conversation, thank them for their engagement, and invite them to get more involved. This approach helps you build deeper relationships with your online community and turn passive followers into active supporters.
Create Your Segmentation Strategy
Once you have clean data, it's time to build your strategy. A solid segmentation plan isn't about picking one method and sticking with it; it's about layering different approaches to create a nuanced understanding of your supporters. Think of it like creating a detailed portrait of your donor community rather than a simple sketch. By combining demographic, behavioral, and interest-based segments, you can move beyond generic appeals and start having meaningful, one-to-one conversations at scale. This approach helps you send the right message to the right person at the right time, which is the key to building lasting relationships and consistent support.
Segment by Demographics
Demographic segmentation is often the first step for nonprofits. This involves grouping supporters by objective information like age, gender, location, and income level. While these details don't tell you everything, they provide essential context for your communications. For example, knowing a donor's location allows you to invite them to local events or share updates specific to their community. Similarly, age can influence communication style and channel preference. A younger audience might be more receptive to a quick DM, while an older demographic may prefer a detailed email. Use demographics as your foundation for more personalized outreach.
Segment by Donor Behavior
How a supporter has interacted with you in the past is one of the best indicators of what they’ll do in the future. Behavioral segmentation groups donors based on their actions: their giving history, donation frequency, average gift size, event attendance, or volunteer hours. Are they a first-time donor who gave during a specific campaign? Or a loyal monthly giver? You can also segment based on how they engage with you online, such as their participation in a Facebook Challenge. This data helps you thank donors appropriately, make relevant asks, and recognize their unique contributions to your cause, making them feel seen and valued.
Group Donors by Their Interests
This is where you get to the "why" behind a supporter's generosity. Grouping donors by their interests—also known as psychographic segmentation—allows you to connect with them on a deeper level. Do they care most about your animal rescue programs, your educational initiatives, or your environmental advocacy? You can gather this information by tracking which campaigns they donate to, what content they engage with on social media, or through simple surveys. When you tailor your messaging to a donor's specific passion, you show them you're listening. This kind of personalized communication builds stronger, more authentic relationships that last.
Plan for Multi-Channel Engagement
Your supporters don't just live in one channel, and neither should your outreach. A smart segmentation strategy accounts for how and where your donors prefer to connect. Some may open every email you send, while others are most active in your Facebook Group or respond best to direct messages. By tracking engagement across all platforms, you can meet supporters where they are. This creates a seamless and consistent experience, whether they're donating through your website, joining a virtual event, or replying to a text message. Understanding channel preference helps you optimize your efforts and ensures your important messages actually get seen.
Personalize Your Communications
Once you’ve organized your donors into clear segments, the real fun begins: talking to them. Personalization is where segmentation truly pays off, transforming your outreach from a generic broadcast into a meaningful conversation. This is how you show donors you see them as individuals, not just as entries in a database. By tailoring your communications, you build stronger, more authentic relationships that lead to higher engagement and better retention over time.
Think about it—you wouldn’t speak to a first-time, $25 donor the same way you’d talk to someone who has given $1,000 every year for a decade. Each has a different relationship with your organization and different motivations for giving. Your communication should reflect that. This doesn’t mean you need to write a unique message for every single person. Instead, you can create targeted campaigns for each segment that speak directly to their interests, history, and preferences. This approach makes your supporters feel valued and understood, which is essential for keeping them connected to your cause. The goal is to make every donor feel like they’re part of a one-on-one conversation, even when you’re communicating at scale through channels like social direct messaging.
Tailor Your Messaging
Effective messaging goes far beyond simply using a donor’s first name in an email. True tailoring means using what you know about a segment to craft a message that resonates. Use your data to inform the angle of your appeal. For a segment of recurring givers, your message could thank them for their consistent support and show the long-term impact they’ve made. For first-time donors, the message might focus on welcoming them to the community and sharing a powerful story that reinforces their decision to give. To do this well, you’ll need to lean on data points like giving history, donation amounts, and past engagement to ensure every message feels relevant and timely.
Choose the Right Channels
Where you communicate is just as important as what you say. Different donor segments often prefer different channels. While some of your long-time supporters might appreciate a letter in the mail or a phone call, younger donors who joined your cause through a social media campaign are more likely to engage through digital channels. If a supporter joined your community through a Facebook Challenge, reaching out via direct message on that same platform is a natural fit. Meeting your donors where they already are removes friction and makes it easier for them to respond, engage, and give. Don’t assume one channel fits all; let your data guide your outreach strategy for each segment.
Customize Your Content
Beyond the core message, you can also customize the content you share to align with each segment’s specific interests. If you’ve segmented donors based on the programs they’ve supported in the past, send them updates and stories related to that specific work. For example, a donor who has only ever given to your clean water initiatives probably wants to hear more about new wells being built, not your annual gala. By matching the content to the donor’s known interests, you demonstrate that you’re paying attention. This deepens their connection to your mission and makes them more likely to continue their support because they can clearly see the impact of their contributions.
Test and Optimize Your Approach
Don’t let the pursuit of perfection stop you from getting started. One of the biggest mistakes nonprofits make with segmentation is waiting until they think they have enough data. The truth is, you can start with simple segments and build from there. The best way to figure out what works is to test your approach. Try A/B testing different subject lines, calls to action, or even the time of day you send your messages. Track your results and see what resonates with each segment. This iterative process of testing and optimizing will help you refine your strategy over time and ensure your communications are as effective as possible.
Find the Right Tools for the Job
A solid strategy is the blueprint for effective donor segmentation, but the right tools are what bring that plan to life. Without the proper technology, even the most brilliant segmentation ideas can fall flat, buried under manual data entry and disconnected systems. Think of your tools as the bridge between your data and your donors, allowing you to act on insights and build real connections at scale. The good news is that you don't need a massive budget or a dedicated IT department to build a powerful tech stack. By focusing on a few key areas—your CRM, automation, social media integration, and analytics—you can create a system that works for you, not against you. These tools will help you gather the right data, act on it efficiently, and measure your results, turning your segmentation strategy into a sustainable engine for growth. Investing in the right technology isn't just about efficiency; it's about creating more meaningful, personalized experiences that inspire loyalty and drive your mission forward. When your systems work together seamlessly, you spend less time wrestling with spreadsheets and more time doing what you do best: building relationships and making an impact.
Put Your CRM to Work
Think of your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system as the brain of your fundraising operation. It’s more than just a database; it’s the central hub where all your donor information lives. To make segmentation work, you need to treat your CRM as your single source of truth. This is where you’ll track donations, communication history, event attendance, and volunteer activity. Most modern CRMs have powerful built-in segmentation capabilities. By using these features, you can tailor your communication and ensure every donor feels seen and connected to your cause. A well-organized CRM is the foundation for building the meaningful, one-to-one relationships that lead to long-term support.
Find Opportunities to Automate
Let’s be honest: your team doesn’t have time to manually send a personalized message to every single donor. That’s where automation comes in. By setting up automated communication workflows, you can connect with donors at key moments without lifting a finger. For example, you can create an automated welcome series for first-time donors or a gentle nudge campaign for those who are at risk of lapsing. Using segmentation, you can match each automated message to the donor’s specific interests, behaviors, or giving history. This helps you build stronger relationships through targeted, relevant communication at scale. Automation frees up your team to focus on high-value tasks, like building relationships with major gift prospects, while ensuring no donor ever falls through the cracks.
Integrate with Social Platforms
Your supporters are already having conversations on social media—your job is to join them. Integrating your fundraising tools with social platforms like Facebook is no longer optional; it’s essential for understanding the complete donor journey. When your systems are connected, you can see how donors interact with your posts, participate in events like Facebook Challenges, and share your mission with their networks. This integration turns anonymous followers into named supporters in your CRM. Understanding how often donors interact with your nonprofit through social media provides another layer of data for segmentation. You can identify your most vocal online advocates or create targeted ads for lookalike audiences. By meeting supporters where they are, you create a seamless experience that removes friction from giving and deepens their connection to your cause.
Set Up Analytics and Tracking
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Once your segmentation strategy is running, you need a clear way to track its performance. This means going beyond surface-level numbers and digging into the metrics that truly matter for each segment. Set up a dashboard to monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) like donation conversion rates, average gift size, and donor lifetime value for each group. For example, you can track engagement metrics like email open rates to see which messages are resonating with specific segments. Are your major donors responding better to personal emails, while your younger supporters prefer SMS updates? Analyzing this data helps you refine your approach over time, double down on what’s working, and make data-driven decisions to improve your fundraising outcomes.
Measure Your Success
You’ve put in the work to create thoughtful donor segments. But how do you know if your strategy is actually working? The only way to find out is to measure your results. Tracking your performance doesn't just show you what’s working; it illuminates where you can make small changes for a big impact. Think of it as a roadmap that guides your strategy, ensuring you’re not just sending messages but building stronger, more meaningful relationships with your supporters. By paying attention to the right numbers and donor behaviors, you can turn good intentions into great outcomes.
Define Your Key Metrics
First things first, you need to decide what success looks like. Start by defining the key performance indicators (KPIs) you’ll track for each segment. Engagement metrics are a great place to begin. For email campaigns, look at open rates and click-through rates. A healthy open rate of around 25% or higher often signals that your messaging is hitting the mark. Beyond email, track donation conversion rates for each segment. Are your first-time donors making a second gift after receiving your welcome series? Are major gift prospects responding to your personalized outreach? By tracking these specific nonprofit metrics, you can get a clear, data-backed picture of what resonates with each group.
Analyze Donor Responses
Metrics tell you what is happening, but analyzing donor responses tells you why. Look beyond the numbers to understand how your supporters interact with you across different channels. Are they attending your virtual events, sharing your social media posts, or replying to your newsletters? These actions are valuable indicators of engagement. Pay close attention to how different segments behave. For instance, you might find that your younger donors are highly responsive to direct messaging on social media, while older segments prefer email. This qualitative feedback is gold, helping you fine-tune your channel strategy and tailor your outreach for maximum impact. It’s all about listening to what your donors are telling you through their actions.
Commit to Continuous Improvement
Donor segmentation isn't a one-and-done project; it’s an ongoing process of learning and refining. Your donors’ behaviors and motivations can change over time, and your strategy should adapt accordingly. Make it a habit to regularly review your segments and their performance. Set aside time each quarter to look at your data and ask critical questions. Are some segments underperforming? Have you identified any new patterns of behavior that could form a new segment? Don’t be afraid to test new approaches or adjust your messaging. This commitment to continuous improvement ensures your segmentation strategy remains effective, relevant, and aligned with your fundraising goals. It’s how you keep your communications fresh and your donor relationships strong.
Avoid These Common Pitfalls
As you measure your success, be mindful of a few common mistakes. One of the biggest is simply not starting, often because of a feeling that you don't have enough data. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good. Start with the data you have, even if it’s basic. You can always build and refine from there. Another major pitfall is failing to follow through with personalization. Segmentation is pointless if you send the same generic message to everyone. Use what you know about your donors to acknowledge their specific contributions and share updates that show the direct impact of their support. Acknowledging their history with your organization makes them feel seen and valued, strengthening their connection to your cause.
Take Your Segmentation to the Next Level
Once you’ve mastered the basics of donor segmentation, you can start exploring more advanced strategies. These methods move beyond static lists and help you build a more responsive, real-time understanding of your supporters. In a world where people expect personalized interactions, simply grouping donors by their last gift amount isn't enough to build a lasting relationship. It’s time to think about segmentation as a living, breathing part of your fundraising strategy—one that adapts as your donors’ behaviors and interests change.
By adopting these next-level techniques, you can create truly personalized experiences that deepen relationships and inspire greater generosity. It’s all about meeting your donors where they are and communicating with them in a way that feels personal and relevant. Think of it as moving from a monologue, where you broadcast the same message to a large group, to a series of one-on-one conversations happening at scale. These strategies will help you get there, turning raw data into the meaningful connections that drive your mission forward and make your supporters feel like valued partners in your work.
Use Predictive Analytics
While historical data tells you what your donors have done, predictive analytics helps you anticipate what they might do next. Instead of relying solely on past giving, this approach uses technology to identify patterns and forecast future behaviors. As the experts at Dataro note, "Artificial Intelligence (AI) can predict future giving by looking at all the information about a donor, not just the three RFM numbers." This means you can identify potential major donors before they’ve made a large gift or spot supporters who are likely to lapse and intervene with a targeted message. It’s a proactive way to focus your resources where they’ll have the most impact and build stronger relationships by anticipating your donors' needs.
Integrate Across Channels
Your supporters don’t live in silos, and your communication strategy shouldn’t either. A donor might see your post on Facebook, receive your email newsletter, and get a piece of direct mail all in the same week. Treating these as separate campaigns is a common mistake that creates a disjointed experience. Instead, aim for an integrated approach where every channel works together. Whether a supporter engages with you through a social media DM or at an in-person event, their profile should reflect that interaction. This unified view allows you to build a single, comprehensive picture of each donor, ensuring your messaging is always consistent and relevant, no matter where the conversation happens.
Try Dynamic Segmentation
Static segments are a good starting point, but donor behavior is constantly changing. Dynamic segmentation automatically updates your lists based on real-time actions. For example, when a supporter signs up for your Facebook Challenge, they can be instantly moved from a "social follower" segment to an "active participant" group. This ensures your follow-up communication is timely and perfectly matched to their current level of involvement. As Kindsight points out, "Donor segmentation works best when based on real data like giving behavior, demographics, or interests." By letting your donors' actions define their segments, you can be sure your outreach is always on point and speaks directly to what they care about right now.
Implement Engagement Scoring
How can you tell who your most dedicated supporters are, beyond just their donation history? Engagement scoring is a powerful way to find out. This method involves assigning point values to various interactions a supporter has with your nonprofit. For instance, you might give 5 points for opening an email, 10 for clicking a link, and 50 for attending a webinar. Over time, these points add up to an engagement score that gives you a clear picture of who is most connected to your cause. This helps you identify brand ambassadors, potential volunteers, and future major donors who might otherwise fly under the radar, allowing you to nurture these valuable relationships effectively.
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- Advanced Segmentation for Donor Targeting | GoodUnited
- Why One-Size-Fits-All Fundraising Fails & What to Do Instead
Frequently Asked Questions
I have a small team and not much time. How can I start segmenting without it becoming a huge project? You don't have to do everything at once. The best way to start is to pick just one or two high-impact groups. For example, create a segment for your first-time donors and another for your loyal recurring donors. Then, create a simple, automated welcome email for the new givers and a special thank-you message for your loyal supporters. Starting small allows you to see the benefits quickly without overwhelming your team. Progress is more important than perfection.
We don't have a ton of data on our donors. Where's the best place to begin? Don't worry, this is a really common situation. You can start with the information you already have, no matter how basic it seems. Your donation platform likely tracks giving history, so you can easily create segments for donors who gave in the last 12 months versus those who haven't. That alone is a powerful starting point for a re-engagement campaign. The key is to begin with what you have and build your data collection practices over time.
How many donor segments should we actually create? There's no magic number, but less is often more when you're starting out. A good rule of thumb is to only create as many segments as you can realistically manage and create tailored content for. Begin with three to five core groups, such as major donors, monthly givers, lapsed donors, and first-time donors. It's far more effective to communicate well with a few meaningful segments than to create a dozen groups that all end up receiving the same generic message.
How does segmentation apply to our social media followers who haven't donated yet? This is a huge opportunity. You can segment your social media audience based on their engagement. Think about grouping your most active followers—the ones who always like, comment, and share your content—into a segment of "online advocates." These are your warmest leads. You can then use tools like direct messaging to start a personal conversation, thank them for their support, and invite them to get more involved, whether that's by making their first gift or joining a fundraising challenge.
What's the most common mistake you see nonprofits make with segmentation? The biggest mistake is doing the work to create segments and then failing to act on them. It's easy to get caught up in analyzing data and creating perfect lists, but segmentation is pointless if you don't actually change your communications. If your "major donor" segment and your "first-time donor" segment receive the exact same email blast, you've missed the entire point. The magic happens when you use what you know about each group to personalize the message.
