[Case Study] How AI-Powered SMS conversations lifted donations by 58%

[Case Study] How AI-Powered SMS conversations lifted donations by 58%

So you signed people up for your fundraising event. They’re excited to start, but gradually, their daily routines and responsibilities kick in, and their motivation begins to wane.

You contact them via email, and you try calling them. But emails open rates are low, and unanswered phone calls are at an all-time high. You find it difficult to reach your fundraisers.

So what can you do to capture your fundraisers' attention and nurture your relationship with them? How do you positively influence them into action? How can it be done at scale?

Personalised SMS conversations at scale

Like many charities, the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) was no stranger to these struggles.

However, with the help of our artificial intelligence (AI) messaging platform, Conversr, NBCF was able to drive fundraisers to take action with minimal resources.

Equipped with AI, Conversr helps you automate engagement with your fundraisers with flexible template SMS conversations. Conversations feel natural and empathetic, like interacting with a real human being.

Engagement rates are also unparalleled by harnessing the ubiquity of mobile devices and the engagement that SMS provides (98% open rate). Today, at least 89% of Australians own a smartphone and spend an average of three hours a day using them. Text messages are also short and sweet, making it easy for recipients to digest and respond.

Imagine using this platform to scale up your fundraiser engagement for a fraction of a call centre’s cost and with minimal effort. Here are two examples of conversations that are all automated by Conversr.

Example: Reactivation Journey - AI-Powered SMS Conversation
Example: Fundraising Journey - AI-Powered SMS Conversation

The results

Conversr helped NBCF’s 2019 GO PINK fundraising event achieve a monumental 1414% return on investment.

Like other peer-to-peer (P2P) events, the GO PINK campaign opt-out rate was flat at 0.65% with a high 78% response rate.

More importantly, the financial uplift from 1:1 relationships created through the GO PINK campaign can’t be understated. The ‘Fundraising dollars by day’ chart shows consistent donation spikes after every Conversr conversation (blue bars).

As an organisation, we pride ourselves on being donor centric. We want each and every one of our supporters to feel like they are treated as individuals and not as a generic collective. The implementation of the Conversr Fundraiser Journey allowed us to deepen engagement, and create an emotional connection on scale with our supporters in a way like never before. This has resulted in an uplift in fundraising income that has surpassed any other channel before it.

— Lisa, Head of Community Fundraising, NBCF

We’ll let the rest of the stats do the talking here.

  • Campaign Period: June 5 - 24, 2018
  • Program Touch Points: 6
  • Total Contacts: 1,700
  • Total SMS Sent: 35,000
  • Opt-out Rate: 0.65%
  • Fundraiser Conversation Rate: 48% (up 10% from previous year)
  • Average Dollar Raised: $901 (up 58% from previous year)
  • Return on Investment: 1414%
  • Engagement Rate: 78% (number of people who responded to a conversation)

Final Thoughts

If this fascinates you, know that Conversr can do much more than P2P fundraising. For example, it can help you update your contacts’ details without so much as lifting a finger.

Picture Conversr having a conversation with your supporters to:

  • update their contact details,
  • resolve dishonoured payments,
  • run a supporter survey,
  • run a tax appeal,
  • qualify a lead,
  • collect new credit card expiry date information,
  • reactivate fundraisers for an event and much more.

Want to learn more about Conversr and what it can do for your organisation? Click below to learn more.