Creating an Effective Welcome Series for New Donors Using Workflow Designer

Here's a step-by-step guide to help you set up an effective welcome series.
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Step 1: Define Your Goals
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Before diving into the technical setup, it's essential to outline the goals of your welcome series. Common objectives include:

• Expressing gratitude: Thank donors for their support.
• Introducing your organization: Share your mission, vision, and impact.
• Encouraging further engagement: Invite donors to follow your social media, subscribe to newsletters, or attend events.
• Gathering feedback: Ask for their preferences and interests to tailor future communications.

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Step 2: Plan Your Welcome Series
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Decide on the number of emails and the content for each.

• Timing: The first message should be sent as soon as the triggering event happens. The timing of messages should be balanced so as not to overwhelm the reader.
• Content: The content should focus on a few key elements proving why a relationship with your organization is worth continuing. Some elements you may want to include are:
  • Welcome: A warm thank you and introduction to your organization.
  • Impact Story: Share a story that highlights the difference their donation makes.
  • Engagement Invitation: Encourage them to connect on social media or attend an event.
  • Feedback Request: Ask for their input on how they’d like to hear from you.

• Expectations: Set expectations and set the tone for the future of the relationship. This may include a message from a program recipient or VIP.

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Step 3: Create Your Email Content

• Under Marketing > Email, Create your emails for the series. Make sure to set the purpose on the Finalize your email tab to “Use this email for a workflow” – this will make it available in Workflow Designer. Also be sure to select the Email address type you wish to send the welcome series to.
• You also have the option on the Finalize your email tab to send test emails to yourself and colleagues to check for any issues with formatting, links, or personalization before you set up your Workflow.
• Message Goals: The welcome series has an overarching goal of building engagement, but each message in the series should also have a goal. Breaking the content into manageable parts with clear goals in mind will keep you focused as you create content.
• Repeat Important Information: Recipients may not read the entire email, don't be afraid to include your most important information in more than one of the emails in the welcome series for emphasis and reinforcement.
• Design Elements: When creating the content for your welcome series, plan for these specific design elements for visual appeal and readability such as graphics, photos with captions, white space, calls to action, sidebars, responsive design, and bullet points.

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Step 4: Set Up Workflow Designer
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Log in to your Blackbaud account and navigate to Tools then Workflow Designer. Here’s how to set up your welcome series:

• Create a New Workflow: Start by clicking on New Workflow to create a workflow and name it appropriately, such as New Donor Welcome Series.
• Under How would you like to start the workflow click on Select criteria.
  
• On the Select constituent criteria screen select First Gift under the Gift details menu, make any other selections, and click Save.
  
• Click on the plus sign under the Constituent criteria box and select Add an email. Select the first email for your welcome series and click on Select email.
• Click on the plus sign under that email and select Add a condition. Mark the box next to Wait and choose how many days or weeks you want to wait before the next email is sent out.
• Click on the plus sign under the Condition and select Add an email to select the next email in the series. Repeat those steps until all your emails and waiting periods in between them have been entered.
  
• Once the Workflow is complete, click on Activate workflow to make your new Welcome Series live.

Conclusion
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Creating a welcome series using Raiser's Edge NXT Workflow Designer is a powerful way to engage new donors and build strong relationships from the start. By following these steps, you can ensure that new donors feel appreciated and connected to your mission, setting the stage for long-term support.

Feel free to share your experiences or ask questions in the comments below. Happy fundraising!