Journey mapping: why 71% of nonprofits made the switch (plus the 6x results one achieved)

The journey to better mapping

While the sector is still mid-transformation, many organizations are transitioning from process mapping and demographic-based to behavioral approaches — and not all journey mapping is sophisticated yet.

True success might be gained with a hybrid model: using personas and mapping behavioral journeys for each. Only 37% have the cross-functional collaboration between fundraising, communications, and IT needed for true journey optimization.

But here's what matters: Even partial modeling is outperforming personas-only approaches. As behavioral approaches mature, the performance gap will widen. The organizations that move now will compound their advantage. The ones that wait will be playing catch-up in a market where donor expectations are already ahead of most nonprofits' capabilities.

What this looks like in real life

How to transition to journey mapping — and use it most effectively — will look different for every nonprofit. Your goals, available resources, and creativity will determine the best path for your organization. Here are two real-life examples of how this process worked for two very different nonprofits.

Case #1: BC Children's Hospital Foundation

BC Children's Hospital Foundation had generous donors, but was offering a fragmented donor experience. As a result, opportunities to deepen donor loyalty were being missed and the Foundation risked losing engagement between a donor's first and second gifts.

The Foundation took a hybrid approach to the problem — and this is the key insight: they didn't abandon personas entirely. Instead, they used personas as starting segments, then layered behavioral journey mapping and behavioral science on top.

They started by creating a cross-functional team of 24 staff from various departments, including Donor Services, IT, and Major Gifts. The team created two personas: "Jasmine," representing new donors under $1k, and "Sarah" for mid-level donors who had gifted between $1k and $10k.

They mapped behavioral journeys for each persona, designing specific onboarding flows, gratitude touchpoints, and identity-affirming communications that responded to what donors actually did — not just who they were.

Results:

The Foundation didn't have to wait long to see the results of their efforts. Improvements included:

• "Jasmine" donors gave a second gift six times more often than before
• The size of the average "Jasmine" gift increased by $92
• "Sarah" donors were three times more likely to give second gifts, with 28% upgrading their support level
• "Sarah's" second gifts were sent twice as fast — from an average of 42 days to 21

Why the strategy worked: BC Children's Hospital Foundation's success came from combining the best of both approaches. Personas gave them manageable segments to focus on. Journey mapping showed them what those donors actually did. Behavioral science helped them design interventions at the right moments. The result: they focused on actual donor behavior instead of demographic assumptions, creating experiences that reduced friction and deepened emotional connection.

Case #2: augedo

Here's a challenge many nonprofits face: performance media and face-to-face campaigns are effective at getting people to sign up — but many of those leads never make it to their first donation. And among those who do give once, a significant percentage cancel within the first year. The initial spark that made them say "yes" fades quickly.

augedo helps organizations solve both problems — initial conversion and long-term retention — by creating truly personal connections.

For an animal rescue organization, augedo asked donors for their birthday. Then, it matched each donor with an animal rescued on that same date. The donor would receive a message featuring that animal "sharing" its story: "I'm Glikamu. Once scared of everything, I've learned to feel safe and hopeful again. Funny enough, we share a special day — June 12 (best day). Would you sponsor me, so we can celebrate our day and my second chance together?"

Subsequent messages would continue from the donor's "birthday buddy," rather than generic organizational news. This creates an ongoing journey — one that evolves based on the beneficiary's progress and the donor's engagement.

As a donor, it's one thing to hear the story of a beneficiary of an organization's mission. Hearing such a story when it feels like you have a personal connection to it makes it that much more powerful.

Results:

• Conversion rates increased by over 80%
• Early cancellations saw a significant decrease as ongoing updates from the donor's matched beneficiary maintained emotional connection over time

Why the strategy worked: This is journey-based fundraising in action. Rather than static demographic targeting ("women ages 35-54 who love animals"), augedo creates dynamic, personalized journeys that evolve over time. Any shared detail — a birthday, a hobby, a hometown — can create that initial connection.

But it's the ongoing narrative, with updates tied to that personal bond, that keeps donors engaged. The story continues based on what happens (the animal's progress, the donor's engagement patterns), not on who the donor is demographically.

How to make the shift

Ready to move beyond demographic assumptions and start optimizing for actual donor behavior? Here's what to look for as you build or evaluate your journey-based fundraising capabilities:

Prioritize behavioral data over historical demographics

The most effective systems adjust in real-time based on what donors actually do: device type, time of day, how long they engage with content, which pages they visit. Look for tools that track behavior, not just characteristics.

Optimize the full journey, not isolated touchpoints

Rather than perfecting individual emails or donation pages in isolation, design for the complete donor experience. Each interaction should inform the next, creating a cohesive path from first awareness to long-term loyalty.

Enable dynamic personalization

Static segmentation can't keep up with donor behavior. Look for platforms that can make real-time decisions about which messages to show, when to prompt for recurring gifts, or whether to surface cost coverage options — all based on behavioral signals rather than demographic rules.

Build journey analytics into your workflow

You need visibility into patterns: when do donors typically give their second gift? Which engagement sequences lead to recurring conversions? What paths do your most loyal supporters take? Heatmaps, funnel analysis, and cohort tracking help you understand journeys, not just segments.

Give donors control over their own journey

Self-service portals that let supporters manage their giving, pause payments, update preferences, or access their history recognize that donors are active participants in their relationship with you — not passive recipients of your segmentation strategy.

Platforms like Fundraise Up integrate these capabilities, using AI to optimize donor journeys in real-time while giving nonprofits the analytics to understand what's working. But regardless of which tools you choose, the principles remain the same: track behavior, design complete experiences, personalize dynamically, measure continuously, and empower donors to control their progression.

Download the 2025 Digital Outlook Report to learn how journey mapping, AI frameworks, and behavioral science are reshaping nonprofit fundraising.