Problem: Workplace donations are down-trending down so the Minnesota Environmental Fund needs a new fundraising approach that engages young people and attracts new donors.
Solution: Our team created a findings and recommendations report that showcased new user touch points, increased community involvement and an updated visual presence to attract and retain a younger donor base.
Methods: Competitor Audit, Secondary Research, Screen-Flow Diagram, Multi-Touchpoint Strategy Map, Wireframes, Implementation Roadmap, User Journey Map and Prototyping
Tools: Sketch, Illustrator
Background
The Minnesota Environmental Fund (MEF) is a nonprofit that engages individuals and workplaces to support leading nonprofit organizations that protect, conserve and restore Minnesota’s environment. Their vision is to shape a sustainable future for Minnesota’s environment by focusing on clean water, clean air, clean energy, healthy food and natural places for wildlife and all people. Since 1991 they have raised over $13 million dollars. Historically, donations have been received through workplace giving, but in recent years MEF has seen over a 50% drop in donations. With workplace giving on the downtrend, MEF is in desperate need to engage a younger donor base and increase donations.
Goal
All MEF user touchpoints will help an outdoor enthusiast who values local resources feel awesome and proud so that they are able to make a lasting environmental impact. MEF will do this by focusing on connections and visibility. By curating events and creating a strong social media presence, MEF will engage and retain a new and younger donor base.
Engage Through Events
Leverage Existing Donors
Get existing MEF donors, volunteers, and member organizations excited about the kickoff event and encourage them to share it with their social networks. With over 100 MEF volunteers and 1000+ volunteers in the member organizations, MEF has the potential to reach a lot of new users through the power of word of mouth. Hosting the event at a large public space, like Minnehaha Falls, will allow people to come and go, bring friends, families and dogs, and increase MEF’s visibility to passerbys. In this example, an MEF volunteer Cedar receives an email about their first ever kickoff event. Cedar values the environment and MEF’s cause so he shares the event on his Facebook page. One of Cedar’s friends Willow sees the event. She’s never heard of MEF but also values the environment. Plus, she’s always looking for fun things to do with her friends and has wanted to visit Minnehaha Falls. She loves live music, food trucks, and games, so learning more about MEF is an added bonus. She shares the event on her Facebook page and makes plans with a few friends to attend. This is just one example how a simple email with a call to action can exponentially grow MEF’s potential donor base.
Maintain
Once visibility is increased, it’s important for MEF to maintain it. After the initial kickoff event, they’ll have more new followers than ever. Capitalize on this with future events, social media engagement and newsletters. Hosting more intimate events at breweries in the future will be another great way to maintain and gain new visibility. Leverage the breweries social media channels and nonprofit partnership opportunities and gain new followers. Keep monthly newsletters fun and engaging. Focus on an environmental cause as the headline to add variety. Always thank users for attending past events while keeping them informed on upcomging events. Encourage users to submit their nature photos and tag MEF. Not only will this increase MEF’s visibility and traffic, it allows users to participate in something quick and fun for the chance to win something!
