Create Multi-Step Campaigns and Appeals for Constituent Groups

You can create custom, multi-step campaigns and appeals for specific donor segments. For example:

Create a GivingTuesday drip campaign that includes email appeals personalized for specific groups.
Send outreach to recapture lapsed donors.
Send emails to volunteers and attendees ahead of an event.

Automate & Save Time

To create multi-step campaigns and appeals, create a simple automation and let Bloomerang CRM do the work for you.

How It Works

Use Journey Automation to create a Select a Group automation. When you create this automation, you select

A static group
Whether to automatically enter and exit constituents based on group membership
When the automation starts

Donors automatically enter this automation if they:

Are active individual constituents.
Belong to the static group on the start date and time.
Are added the static group after the start date and time, if you select to enter and exit constituents based on group membership

You can exit donors from this automation if they make a donation or are soft credited so you stop sending appeals. You can exit donors who give to any or specific campaigns, funds, and appeals.

For example, Avery enters a Select a Group automation for GivingTuesday and starts receiving your GivingTuesday campaign emails. In this automation, you selected to exit donors only if they donate to your GivingTuesday campaign. Avery has an existing recurring donation schedule. Avery makes a payment on that schedule, but doesn’t exit the GivingTuesday automation. Avery then makes a one-time donation for your GivingTuesday campaign, which exits her from this automation.

Before You Begin

Create the campaign or appeal if you haven’t already.
Example: Create a campaign and email appeal named GivingTuesday [Year].
Decide which static group to use.
Example: Create a group for a specific constituent segment and add constituents to that group.
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 at Communications > Emails before you create the automation and emails.
Example: Customize the prebuilt GivingTuesday templates or create your own.

For an example, see Example: GivingTuesday Automation at the end of this article.

Create a Multi-Step Campaign for a Group

To create this automation, you can:

Start quickly: Edit the example automation, which is named Group Campaign and Cultivation Journey. This draft appears if your organization has never created a draft automation from the Select a Group entry source.
Start from scratch: Create a Select a Group automation from scratch.

Tip: For inspiration, review these templates to build your group-based automation. Look for templates based on group membership, which use the Select a Group entry source.

To begin:

Click Communications.
Click Journey Automation.
Do one of the following:
- To start quickly:
  1. In the Campaigns & Cultivation section, click the Group Campaign and Cultivation Journey draft automation. If you don’t see this draft automation, start from scratch.
- To start from scratch:
  1. Click New Automation.
  2. Name your automation and click Save.
  3. In the settings for that automation, click Choose an Entry Source.
  4. In the Campaigns & Cultivation section, select Select a Group.
From the Select a Group list, select which group enters this automation. Static groups and groups created by your organization appear in this list.
Select when constituents can enter and exit this automation:
- Automatically enter and exit constituents based on group membership — If you keep this checkbox selected, constituents enter the automation if they belong to the static group on the start date and time, or if you add them to the static group after the start date and time. If you remove a constituent from the group while the automation is running or paused, and they are still within it, they exit from the automation. This option is selected by default.
- If you clear the Automatically enter and exit constituents based on group membership checkbox, constituents enter this automation only if they are group members when the automation starts. After the automation starts, changes to group membership don’t enter or exit constituents in the automation.
Enter or select a start date and time that is at least five minutes from now. The time zone that appears is based on the settings in your Bloomerang CRM account.
(Optional) Select to Exit Constituents from this Automation After a Payment or Soft Credit. If you select this option, constituents exit the automation if they make a payment or are soft credited.
If you selected to exit constituents who make a payment or soft credit, select which funds, campaigns, and appeals exit donors. Donors exit 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.

Donors exit the automation but remain in the static group.
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, and Task Actions

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 constituents to enter the automation, click Publish.

If you have multiple automations for the Select a Group 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: GivingTuesday Automation

In this example, you create a Giving Tuesday automation personalized for members of a specific group. The automation has an entry source with these settings:

Entry source: Select a Group
Start date and time: Start two weeks before GivingTuesday

The automation has these steps:

Automation Step	Description
Email action	Email a Save the Date message. In the email message, announce your participation in GivingTuesday and briefly explain what GivingTuesday is for supporters who may not have participated before. Briefly state the campaign's theme or goal. Create anticipation.
Time delay	Wait 7 more days
Email action	Email a GivingTuesday reminder In the email, tell an impact story about one person, community, or animal directly helped by your work.
Time delay	Wait until the day of GivingTuesday
Email action	Email your primary solicitation: “It’s Giving Tuesday!” Be clear, direct, and urgent. Announce any matching grants. Make the call to action (CTA) button unmissable.
Time delay	Wait 1 more day
Email action	Email the final push on the day after GivingTuesday: “It’s not too late." Keep your email short and visual.
Time delay	Wait 2 more days
Email action	Announce your GivingTuesday results, such as your total raised and goal met. Express profound gratitude to build goodwill for the future.
Time delay	Wait 4 more days
Email action	Email constituents who didn't give and ask them to support your year-end goal.