If I may, let me take you back to your college marketing course and the marketing funnel. You may remember its origins date back to 1910 when John Dewey introduced the five stages consumers go through before, during, and after purchasing a good or service. I particularly remember relating to “post purchase dissonance”, otherwise known as regret.

The funnel exists in nonprofit marketing and donor relations — with some slight revisions — and understanding the process donors go through, the donor journey, is helpful for increasing your impact.

Every day, hundreds of thousands of nonprofit marketers push out boosted social media posts, social media ads, well-placed banner ads, emails to purchased addresses, direct mail to qualified lists and heartfelt PSAs across radio and television looking for people with a passion for their mission.

What happens next? Once someone learns of your nonprofit, what journey have you mapped for them? A strategic marketing plan describes the journey visitors take as they —

-Learn about your organization,

-Begin listening to your stories of impact,

-Invest time in your events or volunteer activities, and

-Reach what many marketers believe to be the highest level of engagement – giving.

In fact, there’s a higher level – that of champion, someone who is excited about the work you’re doing and brings others into the marketing funnel to learn, listen, invest and give.

What is your plan to steward those in your marketing funnel?