At Sacred Heart Mission, every donation counts – but one gift doesn’t tell the whole story.
For years, the challenge was clear: many people donated once and never returned. The team knew that lasting impact required lasting connections. That’s when we stepped in to help reimagine the digital donor journey, turning first-time supporters into long-term champions for people experiencing homelessness.
The innovation? A two-stage second gift campaign designed not just to chase a repeat donation, but to deeply engage donors, reinforce trust and strengthen emotional commitment through intelligent storytelling and behavioural insights. This was more than a tactic. It was a philosophical shift: truly seeing donors as people, not just numbers on a spreadsheet.
Why (timely) second gifts matter
Between November 2023 and April 2024, Sacred Heart Mission welcomed almost 700 new donors through paid digital channels. But the real magic happened next.
Within just three months of follow-up, 10 per cent of these donors gave a second gift – well above industry benchmarks of 5–12 per cent over six months.
Our insights were key. We identified the critical 6–8 week window after a first donation as the perfect time to deepen engagement. By showing donors the impact of their gift and inviting them into a meaningful second action, the campaign created a journey that felt personal, human and heartfelt – a perfect match for Sacred Heart Mission.
How it worked
The strategy was simple in concept but brilliant in execution.
🌊 Wave one celebrated the donor. A “Thank you” campaign honoured their first gift, sharing stories of hope, transformation and the real people (and families) behind the mission.
🌊 Wave two invited donors to take the next step. A gentle ask followed the “thank you”, encouraging donors to make a second contribution to support urgent needs.
The campaign was digitally native. Meta ads, emails and landing pages were sequenced and tested for maximum impact. This was the first time Sacred Heart Mission ran a second gift campaign on Meta, and the results were remarkable:
👉63 second gifts came directly from digital retention efforts
👉5 donors gave again via appeals
👉2 donors became regular givers
👉Retention return on ad spend was 1.16
👉Cost per acquisition was under $40 – well below the typical $60–$80 non-profit benchmark
What was even better is that some donors gave again through acquisition ads, highlighting unexpected audience overlaps and proving the value of smart sequencing.
This campaign marked a break from the “one-size-fits-all” approach to donor retention. We guided Sacred Heart Mission through donor mapping, emotional segmentation and sequencing that prioritised celebration before ask.
The result was a scalable, ethical and highly effective digital journey that strengthened relationships while delivering measurable results.
Beyond the numbers
This campaign raised money, yes. but it also shifted perspectives.
Second gifts are no longer just financial milestones; they’re markers of engagement, trust and loyalty. In six months, the campaign recovered 51 per cent of acquisition costs in cash, with long-term value still growing through regular giving.
👉This is what happens when fundraising is human-centred, insight-driven and creatively executed.
Sacred Heart Mission now has a model for donor journeys that puts people first, inspires generosity and proves that digital fundraising can be both effective and heartfelt.