Launch
January 2023
Implementation of digital donation receipts
New digital paths and the recognition of potentials
Success
Optimised Donor Experience
Digital mailing with high open & click rates:
Average open rate: 66 %
Average click-to-open rate: 28 %
Digital donation receipt: Caritas Switzerland shows the way
Staying on the ball in a rapidly digitalising world and constantly adapting to the needs of donors is a goal that Caritas Switzerland has set itself and is continuously pursuing. Many organisations still strongly adhere to the traditional way of sending letters and leave digital solutions unused. Caritas Switzerland, however, has realised that the financial administration is no exception when it comes to improving the donor experience through digital innovations. In cooperation with getunik, they have pushed ahead with the implementation of digital donation receipts and gradually supplemented letter mail with modern digital alternatives. In doing so, they have taken further steps towards full-scale digitisation and have seen the first positive results with the successful mailing of digital donation receipts. The task now is to build on these and exploit identified potential.
Challenge – Individualisation as a key factor
In every respect, it is exemplary to break away from purely mailing via letter and to go digital here as well. But be careful: the opportunity of digitalisation also brings challenges.
Not only do organisations often stick to offline methods, but there are also donors who prefer the letter channel. Therefore, an individual approach is indispensable for implementation. This requires taking a close look at individual target groups and testing for which target group which type of donation receipt seems to make sense. From the purely digital donation receipt to the addition of postal delivery, there are different options depending on the target group.
As part of the financial administration, this additional service is offered to the donors and therefore requires a smooth technical implementation.
Implementation – It’s all about the setup
As a strategic partner, getunik supported Caritas Switzerland step by step in implementing and sending the first version of the digital donation receipt. In this case, the procedure included the entire technical setup.
Because digital donation receipts are a service for donors, it was important to focus on the user experience during the implementation. This means that it was essential to develop a setup that is comprehensible and intuitive on both desktop and mobile devices. A smooth and thus promising approach was ensured, in which emails and landing pages are coordinated and complement each other. Supporters were given the opportunity to access the digital donation receipts via a download link.
In the technical setup, it is important that certain requirements are met with regard to the data used. For example, the donation receipt must only be viewable by the person in question. Last but not least, the data must be 100 per cent correct.
The implementation and the first mailing of the digital donation receipt from Caritas Switzerland went smoothly. Both provided valuable insights. The task now is to build on these promising results and to identify and exploit potential.
«Caritas has shown the way! It is not a question of whether digital donation receipt is an issue for the organisation, but how I implement it and how I optimise the approach year after year to best pick up my donors. »
Stefan Neunhäuserer, Lead Marketing Automation & Integration, Member of the Executive Board, getunik AG
Effect – High interaction rates underpin donor acceptance
- Average open rate: 66 % (comparison NL March: 33 %)
- Best open rate even up to 81 %
- Average click-to-open rate: 28 % (comparison NL March: 1.66 %)
- In the target group of emergency aid donors Ukraine, the click-to-open rate was as high as 47 %.
Thanks to the evaluation, it is clear that there is a particularly high acceptance of digital donation receipts on the part of the supporters. This result can be built upon in the future. Negative feedback from donors was also very limited.
The beginning has been made – and now?
Caritas Switzerland wants to build on the findings and successes and will focus on this in the following ways in the future:
- Ongoing digitisation in fundraising
The figures indicate that the topic of digitalisation should continue to be promoted in order to ensure the future viability of fundraising. Especially for younger supporters or digitally affine groups, it will become more and more relevant to be able to offer sophisticated digital solutions.
- Lower costs and more environmentally friendly action
By minimising the number of postal donation receipts and thus saving on printing and mailing costs, Caritas Switzerland reduces its costs. The amount thus saved can in turn be used for other items. In addition, Caritas is acting in a more environmentally friendly way with the new approach.
- Added value for supporters
The new service for donors offers added value to all those who work digitally anyway and who have always had to digitise postal donation receipts in order to file them.
- Digital donation receipt as a fundraising measure
The annual donation receipt is a well-known and reliable fundraising measure in the offline sector. This potential must also be used optimally in the digital area with targeted call-to-actions (CTAs), customer journeys and follow-up measures.
- Different approaches for different target groups
In order to take into account the needs of different target groups, Caritas Switzerland has defined different approaches. While for some a purely digital donation receipt seems to make sense, for others a mixed form of online and offline elements may better meet the wishes of both the target group and the organisation. This flexible approach makes it possible to respond individually to the needs of supporters.
Caritas Switzerland thus focuses not only on cost reduction and environmental friendliness, but also on optimised interaction with its supporters in order to strengthen fundraising and offer sustainable added value.
The three big key takeaways at a glance
- Die technische Implementierung war ein voller Erfolg, was die Caritas darin bestärkt, diesen Weg weiterzuverfolgen.
- The digital delivery of donation receipts is popular among donors as an additional service. However, it is advisable to define different approaches for different target groups:
- One possibility is to send donation receipts only digitally to donors with a defined maximum annual amount in order to save resources.
- Another approach could be to combine digital and postal donation receipts. Here, a renewed call for donations, e.g. in the form of a QR code, can be included and in this way take up another CTA.
- In terms of donation receipts, it is important to note that the online approach has so far not been able to keep up with the offline figures. A revision of the approach is therefore essential to realise the full potential of digital donation receipt. In this context, call-to-actions (CTAs), customer journeys and follow-up measures play a crucial role and may also need to be put in context with offline measures.
Tracking the campaigns is indispensable in order to determine where further optimisation is advisable. This makes it possible to better understand donor behaviour and further optimise it in the future.
These findings give Caritas Switzerland the opportunity to continuously improve the digital donation receipt service and to meet the needs of donors to an even greater extent.
We are looking forward to further developments … to be continued!
«Sending the digital donation receipt for the first time has provided us with very valuable insights to further optimise the process for the coming year and to expand the donor experience.»
Christoph Keiser, Co-Head of Fundraising and Marketing, Caritas Switzerland
getunik-Dienstleistungen
In diesen Arbeitsschritten konnte getunik das Zürcher Rote Kreuz unterstützen:
Caritas switzerland – Sustainable poverty reduction in Switzerland and worldwide
Caritas Switzerland prevents, alleviates and combats poverty in Switzerland and in around 20 countries worldwide. Caritas Switzerland is an independent association based in Lucerne. Together with the regional Caritas organisations, Caritas Switzerland is committed to helping people who are affected by poverty in Switzerland: Families, single parents, the unemployed, the working poor. Caritas Switzerland offers a wide range of services in the areas of poverty reduction, asylum and integration. Around the world, Caritas provides emergency aid in the event of disasters and is involved in reconstruction. With its projects in development cooperation, Caritas works for children and adults in the areas of income, climate and migration.
Caritas stands up for a society based on solidarity and a policy that takes account of socially disadvantaged people at home and abroad. It is involved with analyses and statements on climate, social, migration and development policy.
