Headquartered in Detroit, Gleaners operates five distribution centers in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston and Monroe counties and provides food to 534 partner soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters and other agencies throughout southeastern Michigan. Gleaners collects nearly 39 million pounds of food a year and distributes 89,000 meals each day including providing nourishing food and nutrition education to 171,000 children a year. Every dollar donated provides three meals and 95 cents of every donated dollar goes to food and food programs.

Optimizing Emails with Personalization

56%

increase in open rate

270%

increase in click through rate

155%

increase in response rate

56%

increase in open rate

270%

increase in click through rate

155%

increase in response rate

The Challenge

Launching a Standout Campaign

Gleaners wanted to optimize the outcome for the Third Gleaners Double Your Donation Day email campaign. They also had specific factors to consider for each campaign month. Their April campaign took place in the middle of the Million Meal Match campaign, so they wanted to be sure that the Double Your Donation Day campaign stood out.

The Solution

Email Personalization

To make sure to get the most out of this campaign, RKD decided to personalize the emails including both first name and county in the subject. The emails also asked for a specific number of gifts from each county. They also needed to consider email timing, which included an announcement about the campaign the day before along with morning, afternoon, and evening emails promoting on the day-of.

Breakthrough

270% Increase

The personalization strategy was a breakthrough for Gleaners. Click through rate increased by 270% and response rate increased by 155%. People want to know that their dollars are important. Personalizing campaigns for donations lets people know they are more than a randomly found email address. When people are given the chance to see that they were specifically selected to help support a cause, a sense of responsibility is attached that would otherwise be absent.

The personalization strategy was a breakthrough for Gleaners. Click through rate increased by 270% and response rate increased by 155%.

People want to know that their dollars are important. Personalizing campaigns for donations lets people know that they are more than a randomly found email address. When people are given the chance to see that they were specifically selected to help support a cause, then a sense of responsibility is attached that would otherwise be absent.

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