Acknowledge current donors who make their next donation.
Automate & Save Time
To acknowledge next donations, create a simple automation and let Bloomerang do the work for you.
What is a Next Donation?
In Journey Automation, next donation has a specific meaning. A donation qualifies to be a next donation if it’s not a first-ever donation or an initial payment for a recurring donation or membership.
A next donation can be a:
One-time donation or soft credit on a one-time donation, made after any other donation
Soft credit on a one-time donation paid within the last 30 days, made after any other donation
$0 in-kind donation, made after any other donation
Pledge payment, made after any other donation
Payment made on a recurring donation schedule after the initial payment on that schedule
Renewal payment made on a membership schedule after the initial payment on that schedule
How It Works
Use Journey Automation to create a Next Donation automation. Donors automatically enter this automation if they:
Are active individual constituents
Already made a first-ever donation (first donation payment on their timeline)
Make a one-time donation, soft credit on a one-time donation paid within the last 30 days, pledge payment, or payment on an existing recurring donation schedule or membership schedule that already has an initial payment
You can create a general Next Donation automation that applies to any amount, fund, campaign, or appeal. Or, create multiple Next Donation automations customized for different segments, such as:
Donors who make a specific type of donation
Donors who donate $5,000 or more
Donors who donate to your Fix the Roof fund
Donors enter this automation any time they make a payment that qualifies them to enter. This means donors can be within this automation multiple times simultaneously, on the same or different step.
When you create this type of automation, you select the Next Donation entry source. This entry source has built-in rules, required settings, and optional filters that define how the automation works and how constituents qualify to enter the automation. Read more about the Next Donation entry source.
Priority also affects whether a constituent qualifies to enter an automation. Some types of automations take priority over Next Donation automations: First Ever Donation, Initial Recurring Donation, and Initial Membership Payment. Read more about automation priority.
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 email templates for next donations at Communications > Emails before you create the automation and emails.
Create a Next Donation Automation
To create a Next Donation automation, you can:
Start quickly: Edit the example Next Donation automation. This draft appears if your organization has never created a draft Next Donation automation. A guide also appears that walks you through how to set up a Convert to Recurring Donor Journey. You can follow the guide or set up the automation how you’d like.
Start from scratch: Create a Next Donation automation from scratch.
To create a Next Donation automation:
Click Communications.
Click Journey Automation.
Do one of the following:
To start quickly:
In the Donor Lifecycle > Current Donor Automations section, click the Convert to Recurring Donor Journey draft automation. If you don’t see this draft automation, go to Step 3b to start from scratch.
Click the three vertical dots and then click Edit.
To start from scratch:
Click New Automation.
Name your automation and click Save.
In the settings for that automation, click Choose an Entry Source.
In the Donor Lifecycle > Current Donors section, select Next Donation.
In the Donation Type section, do one of the following:
To enter constituents into this automation for any donation type, keep all donation types selected: Donation or Soft Credit on Donation, Pledge Payment, Recurring Payment, and Membership Payment.
To enter constituents into this automation for only some donation types, clear one or more check boxes.
(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 each 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.
To edit the entry source before you publish the automation, click the three vertical dots and then click Edit.
Add Steps: Email Actions, Time Delays, Task Actions, and a Relationship Manager Action
Next, one or more steps to your automation. At least one step must be an action:
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 the constituent.
Test the Automation
You can send test emails from an automation before you publish it. This is an optional step, but we recommend it.
Publish the Automation
When you’re ready for donors to enter the automation, click Publish.
If you have multiple automations for the Next Donation entry source, you must order the automations by priority before you publish. Read how to prioritize and publish automations.
Next Steps: Manage Published Automations and Track Emails
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 Automation for Next Donations
In this example, you create a Next Donation automation personalized for major donors. The automation has an entry source with these settings:
Entry source: Next Donation
Entry source filter: Amount is more than or equal to $1,000
The automation has these steps:
Automation Step | Description |
Email action | Email a donation acknowledgement personalized for current donors who just made a major donation. Show the immediate impact of their donation and give the donor exclusive content access.
Arrives: One day after the initial donation (because of the 24-hour hold) |
Relationship manager action | Assign a relationship manager.
|
Task action | Assign a task to the relationship manager or development officer to call the donor, email a mobile video acknowledgement, or send a handwritten note. In the task notes, ask the assignee invite the donor on a tour. Make the task due within two days.
Happens: A few days after the donation |
Time Delay | 90 days |
Email action | Email a detailed impact report to the donor.
Happens: 90 days after the donation |