How Nonprofits Can Use AI + Advanced Segmentation to Increase Giving

If you’ve been in fundraising long enough, you’ve heard it before: “Not all donors are the same.” Unfortunately, many nonprofits still send the same email, mailer, or ad to their entire file, as if every supporter responds to the same message, in the same way, and at the same time.

In today’s digital fundraising landscape, that’s not just inefficient–it’s leaving money and mission impact on the table. Advanced segmentation helps you understand the patterns, preferences, and behaviors of your supporters, so that you can speak to them as individuals. 

It’s much more than an optional add-on: It’s one of the most powerful tools we have for increasing revenue, retention, and donor satisfaction.

Beyond “Major” and “Mid-Level”: Find the Segments That Matter

Traditional segmentation often stops at the giving level: major donor, mid-level donor, or small gift donor. That’s a start, but it’s like looking at your audience through frosted glass… You can make out shapes, but not the details.

We went further with one of our environmental clients so we could see close-ups of their audiences. We looked at when donors gave, what drove them to act, and created behavior-based microsegments with memorable nicknames:

• Historical Earth Day Donors (HEDDrs) — Supporters who reliably give around April environmental campaigns.
• Historical End of Year Donors (HEOYDs) — Donors whose giving peaks in December, often driven by year-end appeals and tax deadlines.
• Historical Election Cycle Donors (HEDs) — Supporters who show up during election seasons, when advocacy and policy are top of mind.
• New Donor During End of Year (NDEOYs) — Supporters whose first gift came during last year’s year-end push. They’re still in their first renewal cycle, which makes the next few touches critical for turning them into long-term donors.

Those nicknames weren’t just fun; they made it easier for our teams to remember each group’s motivations and behavior, plan impactful creative assets, and create hyper-relevant messaging. It even improved our performance reporting. A better view can give you more direction.

Some of the most powerful segmentations aren’t based on demographics or gift size; they’re based on what donors actually do.

We’ve seen strong results from:

• Non-Opener Resends — Resending an email with a new subject line or send time to the people who didn’t open the first one can add 10–20% more engagement without touching a new list.
• Clicker–Non-Donors — The folks who clicked through to your donation page but didn’t give are warm leads. Sending a follow-up acknowledging their interest can convert at far higher rates than a general appeal.
• Super Consumers — High-engagement non-givers are those who open nearly every send, click often, share your content, and sign petitions… without donating. A targeted, low-friction ask can turn these engaged supporters into first-time givers.

Behavioral segmentation isn’t just sending “better” emails; it’s a strategy that allows you to adapt your communications in response to real-time supporter interactions.

Channel Responsiveness: Meet Donors Where They Already Respond

Segmentation also means paying attention to how donors choose to engage and give.

• Single-Channel Responsive — These donors consistently give through one channel, such as direct mail or Facebook ads. Keeping the preferred channel strong is your first priority, while gently introducing other channels to diversify touchpoints.
• Multi-Channel Responsive — These folks give through multiple channels, like email, direct mail reply devices, and paid media ads. They are more flexible donors and often have higher lifetime value. Coordinating campaigns across their preferred channels creates a “surround sound” effect that can boost conversion and average gift size.

The takeaway? Understanding donor channel preferences reduces wasted spend while amplifying what’s already working.

Why Segmentation is a Donor Experience Strategy

Done well, segmentation is about making donors feel understood. When a supporter receives a message that reflects their past actions, preferred channel, or unique giving moments, it deepens trust and leads to retention.

Segmentation personalizes the giving experience in ways that one-size-fits-all appeals never can. Whether they are Super Consumers finally making their first gift or HEDDrs waiting for your Earth Day appeals, your donors will appreciate your personalized approach.

Use AI to Supercharge Your Donor Segmentation

Advanced segmentation already helps tailor messaging to donor behavior, timing, and channel preferences. But artificial intelligence can take things further, helping fundraisers unlock insights at a speed and scale that manual analysis can’t match.

AI in donor segmentation goes beyond static rules. Instead of setting up predefined groups and hoping they hold, AI tools continuously analyze donor data and identify real-time patterns in giving history, email engagement, website activity, and more.

• Predict giving behavior – AI models in platforms like Virtuous, Gravyty, or Blackbaud can forecast which donors are most likely to give again, lapse, or upgrade, so that you can prioritize outreach and maximize retention.
• Score engagement – Analyzing cross-channel activity to flag “at-risk sustainers” or “highly engaged but non-giving” supporters can help you craft the right follow-up strategy.
• Understand sentiment – With natural language processing, tools such as ChatGPT Enterprise or Salesforce Einstein can review donor surveys, messages, or call transcripts to surface donor intent and motivation.

Instead of sorting donors manually by gift size or recency, you can let machine learning uncover hidden patterns like:

• New donors who are already showing signs of becoming sustainers
• Advocacy supporters who are ready for a monthly giving ask
• Lapsed donors who could be reactivated by program-specific appeals

How to Start:

• Export donor data into CRMs like Bloomerang, Keela, or Kindful, which now offer AI features.
• Use visualization tools, such as Looker Studio or Tableau, to explore emerging clusters.
• Experiment with generative AI, like ChatGPT or Jasper, to draft personalized donor messages at scale.

Pro Tip: Don’t just use AI to find segments; use it to refine messaging across them. Real-time testing of subject lines, calls-to-action, or imagery ensures your outreach adapts as quickly as your audience.

Segmentation Field Guide: A Choose-Your-Own-Adventure

If you’re looking for inspiration to build or refine your segmentation strategy, here’s a menu of some of our favorite segments—pick a few, test, and see what insights you uncover.

Make Segmentation a Habit, Not a One-Off

Like testing, segmentation works best when it’s ongoing. The most successful organizations:

• Start with a few clear segments and build over time.
• Use data to refine and adapt because segments aren’t static.
• Share learnings internally so the whole team benefits.

As with testing, sometimes the segment you’re sure will respond doesn’t, and that’s OK. Every campaign is a chance to learn, improve, and deepen your connection with supporters.

Final Takeaway

Not all donors are the same, and treating them like they are is one of the most expensive mistakes a nonprofit can make. But employing advanced segmentation, now accelerated by AI, transforms your outreach from passable to truly personal, and in today’s crowded digital landscape, that’s where the real growth is.