What next? Time… Or Money?

Building Relationships through Conversion: The Third Step of the Relational Marketing Map
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Nonprofits often struggle to convert leads into supporters. And even if you make the conversion, you don't always know how to keep supporters engaged and move them up the ladder of commitment. This can lead to a stagnant supporter base and limited growth for the organization.

To help you overcome this challenge today, we will unpack the third step of the Relational Marketing Map: Convert. (Did you miss step 2: engagement? Find that here.)

But first, I want to remind you that you can get help defining your very own Relational Marketing Map at our FREE virtual event this Tuesday, Feb 21. Save your seat here (spots are intentionally limited so we can help you workshop your marketing plan in real-time!): nonprofitamplifier.com/map

Understanding the Convert Stage
This phase is all about giving subscribers opportunities to move up the ladder of engagement and commit to the cause at a higher level. By intentionally offering the next level of conversion and treating it as a hierarchy, you can create a steady stream of supporters invested in your nonprofit’s mission.

The Three Levels of Commitment
It's important to note that conversion is not a one-time event, but rather a process that can happen in stages. As such, we recommend breaking it down into three levels:

The Entry-Point Offer
The Core Offer
The Ascension Offer

The entry-point offer is typically the first step a subscriber takes to become a supporter. The core offer is the primary way supporters engage with your organization, and the ascension offer is the highest level of engagement.

Applying the Three Levels to Nonprofits
You can apply the three levels of conversion to any nonprofit organization. For example, a charity organization may offer a volunteer program as their entry point, followed by a donation opportunity as the core offer, and then a high-level recurring donor as the ascension offering.

If you're hosting a conference, your entry-point offer could be a live-streaming pass. Your core offer: a regular ticket. And your ascension offer: a VIP pass.

The Importance of Time and Money
It's important to note that conversion can happen in two ways: with time or with money. Attending events (virtual or in-person), sharing on social media, or even hosting a fundraiser are all forms of conversion, even if they don't involve direct monetary contributions. By recognizing and encouraging various types of engagement, nonprofits can keep supporters invested in the organization's mission.

Defining Your Offers
You must dig deeper to understand how people are converting within your nonprofit. For example, a church group may have a relationship with a child-care center in Uganda. People at the church attend an international mission trip to see the work first-hand and become interested in the bigger cause. Those people may then donate before becoming recurring donors and brand evangelists.

In other words, the offers don’t always move from small to large. Therefore, it's vital to understand how people are converting as it relates to your mission and offerings. Then create a plan to move them up the conversion ladder.

Final Thoughts
The conversion stage of the Relational Marketing Map is a critical step in building strong relationships with your audience. By breaking the conversion process down into three levels and defining the ascension offers for your organization, you can move subscribers to become loyal supporters. With time and effort, you can create a passionate community of supporters who will help your nonprofit achieve its goals.

What's Inspiring Us
Has someone ever asked your top strengths in an interview… and you blanked? Do you know how your strengths work uniquely together? Or complement your teammates’ strengths?

We have taken numerous personality and strength-related assessments as a team. And the Strength Finders test is one of our favorites. Instead of focusing on personality or highlighting where you’re lacking, it identifies your top five natural strengths, giving you clear language to talk about your gifts and pinpointing where to focus your energy.

It’s a powerful tool for personal growth, but it’s especially helpful as a leader to know the unique strengths of each of your team members. For example, if someone has the gift of “woo” in their top five, they likely would be an excellent fit for a new client-facing project. Or if your coworker has “input,” they’re probably a research asset to your team.

We have witnessed that when you celebrate your team's strengths and strategically match projects to everyone’s unique gifting, everyone produces better work—and has more fun doing it!

Next Steps
When you’re ready, here are 2 ways we can help you grow your nonprofit and amplify your mission:

Free Workshop Tue, Feb 21 - Get help mapping your ideal audience journey using the Relational Marketing Map. Plus, we’ll help you define the critical actions you need at each step to build valuable long-term relationships with your audience.

Unlimited Marketing for Nonprofits - Get unlimited marketing and creative services from a team of nonprofit marketing experts who care about advancing your mission for less than the cost (and hassle) of hiring a full-time marketer.