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Beyond the Donation Episode 18 moving the marketing needle interview with Brianna Ruloma

Ep. 18 | Moving the Marketing Needle, an interview with Brianna Ruloma

Our Guest: Brianna Ruloma, Community Boost

About Brianna: Passionate about making connections with other people, Brianna has been involved in nonprofit work most of her life. Ending up in marketing came as a surprise but has been a role she has embraced and grown in, enthusiastically helping NPOs using the accelerator program.

[2:40] Community Boost event involvement

[3:25] Accelerator Program

[5:00] Biggest hurdles in nonprofit marketing strategies

[7:27] "MUST” low hanging fruit for NPOs to utilize

[8:50] Google Ad Grants

[12:00] Measuring Marketing ROI

[14:16] Data Tools & A/B Testing

[16:02] Supporter Journey Map

[19:25] Encouragement for you!

More About Brianna:

LinkedIn | PDF: 1 Person Marketing

To Connect with Beyond the Donation Podcast:

BTD Podcast DonorDock LinkedIn Matt LinkedIn

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

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 email fundraising benchmarks should nonprofits use?

M+R Benchmarks gives a useful baseline: nonprofits raise about $58 per 1,000 fundraising emails sent, average click-through rate is 0.48 percent, and donation-page completion rate is 12 percent. Below benchmark? Look at segmentation and landing-page friction. Above benchmark? You've got something worth repeating. Don't obsess over open rates — Apple's Mail Privacy Protection has made them unreliable.

Last updated

April 25, 2026

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