In search of: digital strategy for midlevel 

When it comes to digital, midlevel fundraising practices and midlevel donors are not on the same page. And that’s probably costing you.

Data shows that midlevel donors prefer email and websites as primary channels for staying connected to the organizations they support. Yet in our experience, dedicated digital strategies for midlevel donors are rare.

What the Donors are Saying

In our landmark 2024 study of nearly 6,000 donors, an overwhelming majority said they prefer email as their main channel to hear from the organizations they support. Postal mail came in a distant second, and organizational websites came in third.

When researching a potential gift, websites come out on top. A plurality of donors said your organization’s website is the primary way they evaluate whether or not to make a gift.

One notable exception to the digital tilt: only 16% of donors said social media is an important source of information about the causes they support. While social media may be helpful for engaging future donors and Gen Z’s in particular, there’s no indication it will play an important role in midlevel giving for the foreseeable future.

The Problem

The problem is that few nonprofit email programs and websites are optimized for midlevel fundraising. 

In our experience, emails sent to midlevel donors appear to be repurposed versions of emails created for the small-dollar file. Midlevel donors expect more:  more recognition, more content tailored to specific interests, and more opportunities for emails to be conversation starters and not one-way transmissions.

The website situation is arguably worse. As we’ve written recently, nonprofit websites tend to be crowded with fundraising pop-ups and hijack screens, making it unnecessarily difficult for donors to access content and information. This is not a theoretical problem — in our monthly donor Insight Panel surveys, complaints about this experience are common.

When it comes to acquiring new midlevel donors via your website, the midlevel option is often buried in the navigation, if it exists at all. 

More broadly, many websites we’ve examined are just not well-written. The copy tends to score at a postgraduate reading level — far too demanding for today’s visitors, who expect to skim. Or’ it’s written with insider jargon, that may mean a lot internally, but does not communicate well to a larger audience. Usability testing seems to be a thing of the past. These are significant shortcomings, easily avoided.

What to Do

1. Create a dedicated email program for midlevel donors

Mid-level donors expect more than your small-dollar donors — and they deserve it. An optimal midlevel email program should be:

• More personalized.
  
• Better aligned to donors’ specific interests and concerns.
  
• Designed to signal to the donor that they are seen as individuals, not just as ATMs.

This is especially important for the sizable segment of midlevel donors we call “Engagement Seekers.” They are hungry for information and connection, and are more likely to retain and upgrade their giving over time.

In addition, midlevel email communications should feel like a conversation, not just a broadcast. As much as possible, emails should invite comments and responses from donors.

And by the way: don’t forget to step up your collection of email addresses from direct-mail–acquired midlevel donors.

2. Reinvest in your website

Websites may feel less exciting than social media, but that’s where the money is.

Organizational websites have long been uneasy compromises among internal factions vying for prime placement of their pet content. Even within the fundraising pages, donation forms are often optimized for small-dollar gifts — and increasingly, monthly giving. That may be a sound strategy overall, but at a minimum, there should be:

• A clear donation path tailored to midlevel giving.
  
• A separate, findable, compelling case for giving at the midlevel.
• And for existing midlevel donors, give them links to the site that bypass the fundraising pop-ups. This is technically doable and will earn you far more in the long run.

The Bottom Line

Midlevel donors are among your most loyal and generous supporters, and it’s time to treat them that way digitally. Audit your email program and your website through their eyes. Are you showing them they matter? Are you making it easy for them to give, and giving them a reason to feel proud of their support?

The good news? With a few intentional changes, you can start meeting them where they are — and deepening their commitment to your cause.