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350 New Hampshire Action (350 NH) works to stop the climate crisis by building grassroots support for a just transition to renewable energy and an end to fossil fuel use and expansion. With a grant from Progressive Multiplier, they are working to expand their major donor network by focusing on mission-aligned political donors.
With a $35,000 grant from Progressive Multiplier, 350NH Action tested a hypothesis about expanding their major donor network by targeting political campaign donors who supported climate-focused candidates. The project aimed to research, identify, and cultivate relationships with donors who had given to progressive candidates with strong climate policy positions. The organization hypothesized that these politically engaged donors would respond positively to 350NH's climate advocacy work if approached strategically.
Key Strategies & Tactics
350NH Action's major donor expansion initiative consisted of several methodical components designed to identify and engage potential supporters:
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Data Research: Identifying donors who contributed $250+ to climate-focused presidential campaigns and cross-referencing with donors to progressive New Hampshire gubernatorial candidates
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Prospect Evaluation: Rating potential donors on a scale of 1-3 based on giving history and connections to 350NH's existing network
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Contact Acquisition: Attempting to use data appending services to gather contact information, followed by manual research when those services proved insufficient
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Multi-Channel Outreach: Developing targeted email templates, conducting phone banking, and planning in-person meetings with prospects
Lessons Learned
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Data Requirements Matter: Data appending services require substantial initial datasets with at least one contact point per person to be effective
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Manual Research Has Limits: The team spent dozens of hours manually searching for contact information for 240 people, ultimately finding data for only 100 individuals
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Cold Outreach Challenges: Despite multiple email campaigns and follow-up phone calls to 65 people, the targeted outreach yielded no donations
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Existing Skills Don't Always Transfer: The organization's proficiency in email solicitation and phone banking for other purposes did not translate effectively to major donor cultivation
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Alternative Channels Can Outperform: The only major donation received during the project period came through a regular newsletter email, not from the targeted outreach efforts
Impact
While this experiment did not yield the anticipated financial returns, it provided valuable insights about donor prospecting and cultivation strategies. The organization maintained its existing monthly donor program, which generated $17,820 during the grant period from 57 recurring donors with an average monthly gift of $15.58.
The project revealed important limitations in the approach of converting political donors to organizational supporters through cold outreach. The organization concluded that "this avenue of procuring new donors is not fruitful" and does not anticipate significant future revenue from this approach.
The most significant value from this project came in the form of organizational learning about data management, prospect research, and the resources required for effective major donor cultivation. These insights will inform 350NH Action's future fundraising strategies as they continue their critical work advancing climate solutions in New Hampshire.
350 New Hampshire Action (350NH) works to stop the climate crisis by building grassroots support for a just transition to renewable energy and an end to fossil fuel use and expansion.
