Welcome new donors after their first-ever donation by sending a scheduled series of emails.
A welcome series helps you acknowledge donors, show appreciation, and introduce your organization. It’s also an opportunity to encourage deeper engagement. For example, share information about your mission and how donations help. Offer ways to get involved, such as volunteer opportunities, events, and memberships.
Automate & Save Time
To send a welcome series, create a simple automation and let Bloomerang do the work for you.
How It Works
Use Journey Automation to create a First Ever Donation automation. Donors automatically enter this automation if they:
Are active individual constituents
Make their first-ever donation after you publish the automation. The first-ever donation is the first donation on the constituent’s timeline.
The first-ever donation can be a one-time donation, soft credit on a one-time donation paid within the last 30 days, in-kind donation of $0, pledge payment, recurring donation payment, or a membership payment.
When you create this type of automation, you select the First Ever Donation entry source. This entry source has built-in rules and optional filters that define how the automation works. Read more about the First Ever Donation entry source.
Tip: You can create multiple First Ever Donation automations. For example, create separate automations based on the donation amount to personalize messaging for major donors and other segments.
Before You Begin
Review emails that you currently send to donors, such as confirmation emails and online payment confirmation receipts. For each email, make sure the purpose type is Receipt, not Acknowledgement.
If you currently use scheduled emails to acknowledge donors, plan how automations will replace those emails.
If your automation will include emails other than an acknowledgment, decide which email interests and email purposes to use for those emails.
(Recommended, but optional) To save time, create a First Ever Donation template at Communications > Emails before you create the automation and emails.
Create a Welcome Series for First-Time Donors
To create a welcome series, create a First Ever Donation automation and customize it.
Tip: This article explains how to create a multi-step automation, but you can also create a single-step automation that sends just one acknowledgment email.
To begin:
Create a new automation. Read about how to do this.
Click Choose an Entry Source.
In the Donation Payments section, click First Ever Donation. Read about how this entry source works.
(Optional) To use the donation amount to control which donors enter this automation:
Click Amount.
From the drop-down list, select an option: Any Amount, More Than or Equal To, Less Than or Equal To, or In Between.
If you selected a range, enter an Amount.
(Optional) To use funds, campaigns, and appeals to control which donors enter this automation:
Click Funds, Campaigns, and Appeals.
Select any funds, campaign, and appeals. Donors enter the automation if their donation matches at least one selection in every category. If you don’t make selections in a category, the donation can match any in that category.
Click Save. The automation saves as a draft.
If you selected filters, a Filters Applied label appears on the entry source.
To edit the entry source before you publish the automation, click the three vertical dots and then click Edit.
Add Steps to Your Automation
Next, one or more steps to your automation. At least one step must be an action. For example:
Add an email action for each email in a series.
Add a time delay before each email action to control when Bloomerang sends each email.
Assign task actions to remind a staff member to contact the constituent.
Assign a relationship manager.
To add steps:
Click Add Step
.In the Actions section, click Send Email.
To use an existing template to create your email:
Click Select Email Template.
Click Continue.
Select a Bloomerang template or a saved custom template.
Enter a name for the email.
Click Next.
To copy an existing email:
Click Copy Email.
(Optional) To view the email type and purpose, and who last modified the email, click the down arrow next to the email.
Select an email to copy.
Click Continue.
From the Type list, select Constituent or Transaction.
To save and finish setting up your automation, Click Save And and select Go to Journey Automation. The email is now part of your draft automation.
To edit the email before you publish the automation, click the Edit button.
To add more emails, repeat these steps.
To add a time delay between emails, click Add Step
and then click Time Delay. Read about how to do this.
(Optional) To add a task action to someone in your organization, click Add Step
and then click Task Action. Read about how to do this.(Optional) To assign a relationship manager, click Add Step
and then click Assign Relationship Manager. Read about how to do this.
Test the Automation
You can send test emails from an automation before you publish it. This is an optional step.
Publish the Automation
When you’re ready for donors to enter the automation, click Publish.
If you have multiple automations for the First Ever Donation entry source, you must order the automations by priority before you publish. Read how to prioritize and publish automations.
Next Steps: Manage Automations
After you create and publish an automation, you can monitor participation, manage automations, view emails sent by automations, and view tasks assigned by automations. Read Manage Automations.
Example Welcome Series
As an example, an First Ever Donation automation might include these steps in this order:
Step | Description |
Entry source | First Ever Donation Amount filter: More than or equal to $1,000 |
Email action | Email an acknowledgement personalized for major donors who made their first-ever donation |
Task action | Assign a task to Anne Smith to call these major donors within 3 days |
Time delay | Wait seven days |
Task action | Email an impact report |
Time delay | Wait seven days |
Email action | Email an engagement invitation |
Time delay | Wait seven days |