Unite Oregon: Monthly Sustainer Program

Unite Oregon is a membership organization led by people of color, immigrants, refugees, rural communities, and people experiencing poverty. They’re working to bridge urban and rural divides, advocating for issues that impact their members and working towards a more inclusive and just society.

When Unite Oregon changed CRM systems, it lost its monthly supporters. An investment from Progressive Multiplier enabled Unite Oregon to launch a new program. They established a donor cultivation program based on the hypothesis that a monthly giving program would create a steady flow of revenue to support their C4 work. 

Project Overview 

​The Unite for Power (U4P) monthly sustainer program launched to connect sustaining giving to systemic change by connecting it directly to capital projects. It offers a holistic approach that includes stewardship and engagement. 

Key Strategies and Successes:

In preparation, Unite Oregon created the program's structure to include a welcome email series, handwritten thank you cards, and stickers designed by local immigrant artists, among other email campaigns and dedicated newsletters.

Unite Oregon launched the U4P program with a series of emails and social media announcements, followed by monthly solicitations. They tested different CTAs in their emails and offered premiums and incentives while using social media to boost their efforts.

Other activities included:

• Created a welcome series, handwritten thank you cards, and stickers designed by local immigrants.
• Added a newsletter signup on their website, which led to monthly giving requests and automated upgrade requests at the one-year mark.
• Developed messaging around climate justice and immigration to re-engage one-time and lapsed donors
• Launched a text campaign with Every Action -  achieving a higher open rate on text than email, gaining four new subscribers.

These efforts increased their average gift from $8.00 to $14 and their monthly income from $226 to $535. 

Lessons Learned:

Throughout the grant period, Unite Oregon faced setbacks, including the departure of a key staff member, a steep learning curve with the transition to a new CRM, and the implementation of the texting program taking longer and costing more than anticipated. Despite these hurdles, they learned:

• Adequate training is crucial when adopting new technologies
• Through messaging tests to convert one-time and lapsed donors, they learned that their base responds better to climate justice and immigration issues.
• There was a strong response from donors when approached through direct appeals. 

In addition, they identified the need for more investment in technology and staff. These insights are critical as Unite Oregon continues to refine its membership program and grow its fundraising efforts.

Looking Ahead:

The U4P program offers Unite Oregon the opportunity to create a reliable revenue stream that grows its C4 income and supports its advocacy work. They are hiring a new individual donor manager to oversee and expand the program, anticipating significant growth. The strategic assistance provided during the grant period, which included training on donor engagement strategies and support with creating the strategy for the texting program, significantly improved their fundraising capabilities. This equipped them with the tools and resources needed to build momentum for the U4P program.