Have you ever heard of the "Ladder of Engagement"? It's definitely not a new strategy, but as the world increasingly relies on keeping audiences engaged and connected, it's an increasingly important tool for all nonprofits.
The nonprofit ladder of engagement is a powerful tool to hook your "casual follower" and move them toward being your most loyal donor and everything in between.
If you don't already have a strategic ladder of engagement for your nonprofit, now's a great time to develop one. And for organizations that have one in place, it's good practice to evaluate and make adjustments from time to time--and summer is an excellent time of year to do just that! This blog will help you develop or update your nonprofit's ladder of engagement.
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What is a Ladder of Engagement for Nonprofits?
The term "ladder of engagement" is used to describe the different levels of interest and involvement in your organization. It should have several "rungs" or "levels" that help you understand where your audience is in their relationship with you so you can communicate more effectively.
The lowest level represents people who have very little involvement in your nonprofit. Perhaps they're following you on social media and occasionally read, like, or share your posts. These people know very little about your cause and are only minimally aware of your organization.
At the top of the "ladder" are your most outstanding volunteers, donors, and supporters. They are very involved in your cause and participate as much as possible to help accomplish the mission.
The real benefit of a strategic ladder of engagement is that it offers a framework to move people into deeper engagement and involvement with your nonprofit. It helps you ask someone to take increasingly involved steps leading up to an ultimate goal. The strategy here is to ask supporters to engage in quick and easy ways and make progressively more significant and more meaningful actions over time.
What does a ladder of engagement look like?
While every organization's nonprofit ladder of engagement is slightly different, there are several basic "rungs" in common.
Awareness: At the very bottom of the ladder (or sometimes a pyramid) is awareness. The largest group of people in your audience is probably in this stage, moving from lack of understanding of the issue or your cause toward being aware of your work.
At this stage, people should learn about your purpose, vision, and mission. A good "ask" for people at this stage might be to just 'Like' and follow your social media pages or read some educational information about your cause.
Interest: Once someone is aware of the cause and your organization, the goal is to increase their interest levels. As they learn and become more interested, their values will likely begin to re-align, too.
People in this stage might sign up for your newsletter or commit to other forms of regular communication. A great "ask" for this stage is to invite people to sign a petition or take some additional step that helps you gather their contact information.
When Barack Obama was running for president, his ladder of engagement included asking people to sign a birthday card. That helped gauge people's level of interest and commitment and allowed the campaign to gather contact information of potential voters.
Participate in your cause: Once someone is aware and interested, it's time to ask them to get involved in your work. Getting people actively involved increases their sense of ownership of the cause and helps individuals understand how they can be part of the solution.
Up to this point, the "asks" have been relatively easy and not really cost anything. After all, the goal is to build trust and establish a relationship.
Now that you've built awareness, trust, and interest, it's time to invite people to get involved in some way that "costs" them a little time, energy, or resources. What are some low-level volunteer opportunities you can invite people at this stage to participate in? Small donation opportunities can work at this stage, too.
Returning to the example of Barack Obama's presidential campaign, people on this "rung" of the ladder of engagement received an appeal email asking for a contribution to the political campaign in return for a bumper sticker, t-shirt, or other swag.
A regular contributor: The next "rung" of the ladder invites people to participate or contribute for an extended amount of time. You might invite people to commit to a volunteer position that requires regular time commitments. Or you might ask people to become monthly contributors via your recurring donations program.
The goal here is to help individuals at this "rung" see themselves as core members or central to your cause.
Of course, many nonprofits have different (or more) rungs on their ladder of engagement. Still, the idea is to create a system to move someone from an "outsider" to an "insider" and central part of your mission.
Benefits of having a ladder of engagement for your nonprofit
The most significant benefit of having an effective ladder of engagement is that it's more cost-effective to nurture someone up your ladder than connecting with new people.
Putting in the effort to create a ladder of engagement also helps you meet your supporters where they are and grow your relationship with them more naturally. You can engage people based on their level of trust with you or their availability and interests.
Think of a ladder of engagement as building a "sales funnel" or "marketing hourglass" for your nonprofit. Businesses need to be strategic in how they help potential customers move from knowing, trying, and liking their products to buying and ultimately referring it to their friends and family. You're assisting individuals in moving along the same spectrum, only toward becoming a loyal supporter of your mission and organization.
Creating A Ladder of Engagement for Your Nonprofit Marketing
Now that you're (hopefully) convinced of the value of incorporating a ladder of engagement into your fundraising strategy, here are some easy steps to help you build your own effective ladder!
Teamwork makes the dream work
Because a ladder of engagement involves everything from social media presence to strategic fundraising "asks," it's essential to work together as a team when developing your ladder of engagement.
It's helpful to involve key people who can offer different perspectives and opinions to make sure you're creating your ladder in a way that fits your unique audience and context.
Identify your "rungs" or levels of engagement
Now that you've assembled your strategic team, it's time to identify the levels of engagement you notice in your audience. These "rungs" may vary wildly depending on your type of organization and followers. However, most businesses and organizations include four core "rungs": awareness, engagement, involvement, and referral.
Set goals for each "rung" of your ladder of engagement
An effective fundraising strategy almost always involves setting goals, so you and your team know what you're working toward. Start with very achievable goals for each "rung" of your ladder of engagement. It's also helpful to make sure each goal is a measurable SMART goal so you can assess your progress.
Create materials and content for each "rung" of your nonprofit ladder of engagement
Now that you've got the "rungs" and goals set, it's time to create the materials and content you'll need to help people move up your ladder of engagement. This step can also include making any necessary updates to your website or other tactics to help you accomplish your goals.
This might feel like a labor-intensive process now, but once you've developed all the right materials, content, and campaigns, it becomes much easier to maintain.
Create an evaluation schedule
While a ladder of engagement can streamline and simplify your engagement process, this is by no means a "set-it-and-forget-it" strategy. Create a schedule for your team to evaluate your tactics and goals for each level. It's essential to adjust and change as you learn what works best for your unique audience.
Another thing to consider as your ladder of engagement becomes more effective is keeping track of all your new contacts! Keep an eye on your CRM system to make sure it's still meeting your needs, and you're not outgrowing other tools and resources you use.
Now that you're well on your way to building a great ladder of engagement, here are three more resources to help develop your fundraising strategy.
- Don’t Choose A Nonprofit CRM Without These 6 Features: CRM systems are an essential tool for businesses, nonprofits, and organizations of every size and shape. They help nonprofits organize and keep track of all kinds of interactions with current and potential donors, volunteers, and everyone else in your network. Choosing a CRM system can be an overwhelming process. This blog will help you understand exactly what to look for in a great CRM system for your organization.
- 3 Tips to Take Peer-to-Peer Fundraising to the Next Level: Peer-to-peer fundraising success usually depends on getting a lot of people involved and increasing the average amount raised by each participant. But what if you pivoted the focus of your peer-to-peer fundraising to build relationships with people rather than meeting a financial goal? This blog will walk you through the three strategies you can use to raise your relationships with P2P supporters before, during, and after your campaign.
- Make a Fundraising Calendar in 5 Simple Steps: Successful fundraising demands strategy, organization, and a plan. It can feel difficult to manage the entire fundraising process. Creating a fundraising calendar can be an excellent recipe for year-round fundraising success. We’ve gathered the best tips, tricks, and strategies to help you build a great fundraising calendar for your nonprofit.
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