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Beyond the Donation podcast cover art for Episode 12 with Sami Bedell-Mulhern of The First Click.

Ep. 12 | Meaningful Marketing in a Digital Age, an interview with Sami Bedell-Mulhern, Founder of The First Click

Our Guest: Sami Bedell-Mulhern, Founder of The First Click

About Sami: Sami has been involved with the nonprofit space since 2006. She found her niche role helping small to medium-sized nonprofits with their digital marketing with her consulting. She loves helping organizations share their stories in a more impactful way.

(3:30) The big mistake nonprofits make in their digital marketing

(4:45) Nonprofits making an impactful web presence

“Use your website to speak to the motivations of why the donors give... Speaking to the motivation of the visitor is critical.” - Sami Bedell-Mulhern

(6:00) Tying your goals into your digital marketing strategy

(7:01) The process of planning a website presence for an NPO

(10:23) How to make your mission stand out

“Understand you do what you do in a way that is uniquely you, that that’s okay, and you’re running your own race.” - Sami Bedell-Mulhern

[14:29] Where Sami recommends you start

[14:43] NPOs & social media

[16:21] Relationship among digital presence channels

Canva for Nonprofits

[18:49] Social media and donor retention

[21:03] Dissecting the “promo kit”

[23:23] Other ways NPOs can successfully market without a large team or budget

More About Sami Bedell-Mulhern:

LinkedIn Digital Marketing Therapy Podcast Website

To Connect with Beyond the Donation Podcast:

BTD Podcast DonorDock LinkedIn Matt LinkedIn

How often should nonprofits email donors?

Most growing nonprofits should send 2 to 4 donor communications per month across email, text, and mail — not including receipts. The rhythm matters more than the count. Predictable cadence with a mix of appeals, updates, stories, and pure-thank-you messages outperforms high-volume or sporadic sending. Test, segment, then stick with what works.

Last updated

April 25, 2026

Why are email open rates unreliable?

Email open rates became unreliable when Apple's Mail Privacy Protection started preloading tracking pixels, which inflates open rates without reflecting actual reads. Focus on outcome metrics instead: click-through rate, donation page completion rate, revenue per 1,000 fundraising emails, and conversion rate by segment. M+R Benchmarks show average CTR around 0.48% and page completion around 12% as helpful baselines.

Last updated

April 25, 2026

What does brand mean for a nonprofit?

A nonprofit brand isn't your logo — it's the experience people have of you. It's what donors believe about your organization after they read your email, glance at your website, see your event photos, get a receipt, or hear a board member describe your work. A clear brand builds trust through three things: clarity (mission feels real), consistency (you sound credible), and proof (the promise feels believable).

Last updated

April 25, 2026

What is ethical nonprofit marketing?

Ethical nonprofit marketing is communication grounded in clarity and trust, not hype. It reduces confusion for busy donors, connects mission to a real person's values, sets honest expectations for how giving helps, and reinforces credibility through consistency and proof. It treats giving as part of an ongoing relationship instead of a one-time transaction extraction.

Last updated

April 25, 2026

Author

Elisha Ford

Content Writer

Last updated:

April 29, 2026

Written by

Elisha Ford

Content Writer

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