WYCC Reaches Out to Donors Online

With three months still to go in the fiscal year, Chicago's WYCC-TV20 has raised 30% more revenue online in 2005 than in fiscal 2004.

The PBS affiliate currently has about 1,700 names on its e-mail list, said membership coordinator Alisa Clark. The file was started in December 2003 with 300 names.

In the station's member e-newsletter, promotions include regular plugs for the station's Membercard, which offers two-for-one discounts at area businesses. Themed articles — such as promotions highlighting Latin restaurants or romantic places for couples to dine — spotlight different businesses participating in the program.

At any given time, multiple donation campaigns are offered online, such as promotions offering AAdvantage Miles, WYCC logo items, “Mystery!”-themed gifts or no premium at all.

A Harvard study predicts that by 2010, one-third of all money donated will be given online, said Betsy Harman of the Chicago nonprofit consultancy Harman Interactive.

Simply having a “Donate Now” button on your Web site is not a magic ticket to donations, she said. Marketers need to effectively target the interests and behaviors of their donors.

To that end, Clark noted that WYCC will create more e-mail campaigns targeting niche program interests such as cooking.

There are several effective tactics nonprofits can use to build their e-mail files and encourage interactivity, said Harman. Among them: Having a prominent sign-up link on every page of their Web site; asking for e-mail addresses on all direct mail; promoting e-newsletters in print publications; and including a signature on every e-mail to make communications seem more personalized.

Harman and Clark spoke last month at the Chicago Association of Direct Marketing's annual DM Days at Navy Pier.