Nonprofits & The Emerging US Hispanic Market, A Perfect Pair

Nonprofits & The Emerging US Hispanic Market, A Perfect Pair

by | Mar 30, 2020 | Non-Profit

Why Nonprofits Should be Targeting the US Hispanic Market

Business leaders across the United States have realized the growing importance and potential of Hispanic consumers and their expanding purchasing power, which this year reached an estimated $1.7 trillion. For brands to successfully reach Hispanic consumers they must recognize them, understand who they are, learn where Hispanic audiences spend their time, uncover platforms most frequently visited by them and how they choose to consume content.

Startling Statistics Regarding the Increasing Hispanic Market in the US 

  • Hispanics account for nearly half of US population growth, making up around 18% (roughly 55 million people) of the total U.S. population. They are the second-fastest growing demographic group in the United States today (after Asians).
  • The US Census Bureau projects by 2060 the Hispanic population will account for 28.6 percent.
  • US Hispanics, in 2012, accounted for nearly $2.2 billion of total e-commerce purchases made across the United States within the first quarter of that year.
  • Two-thirds of US Hispanics live in five states: California (14.4 million), Texas (9.8 million), Florida (4.4 million), New York (3.5 million) and Illinois (2.1 million).

*These numbers are taken from the Pew Hispanic Center and US Census Bureau

Many organizations, while still careful in their approach, are starting to realize if they don’t act quickly, it’s likely they will not have another opportunity to target this expanding demographic. Businesses making a genuine commitment to the Hispanic market are realizing success will come only through backing business models that focus on the Hispanic consumer.

Nonprofits Can Optimize Success by Targeting the US Hispanic market with SPanish Language Call Center Services

What does this mean for the nonprofit space? For nonprofits, the emerging US Hispanic market represents a wealth of seemingly untapped potential, as historically, Hispanic donors are generous.

“Despite a range of cultural and country-of-origin backgrounds, there does appear to be a sense of shared identity for many Latinos that can be related to how they see themselves as donors. “The Apparitional Donor: Understanding and Engaging High Net Worth Donors of Color, Urashi Vaid and Ashindi Maxton, p.33, 2017.

Studies conducted inside the last decade have shown an increased willingness within the US Hispanic community to donate to causes impactful to the lives of children. This fact is revealed in the 2015 Diversity in Giving study, an investigation of nonprofit donors. The study also found an increased willingness among the US Hispanic community to give spontaneously to health organizations, religious institutions, and social service organizations, alongside children’s causes. Strangely, the study found the U.S/Hispanic community to be a population of donors least likely to be asked for donations, and as a consequence, least likely to give through traditional means. The studies’ authors did find, however, that Hispanic donors were the most likely to say they would support more causes if they were asked more frequently. These findings highlight the wealth of untapped potential existing within the Hispanic population inside the United States.

While not viewed as philanthropists among the broader American population, research reveals the willingness of the US Hispanic community to show generosity when focused on culturally aligned organizations.

“A significant amount of the giving that occurs in Latino culture takes place within networks of family and friends and is never formally counted or reported. It is giving that does not qualify for the charitable tax deduction. Although it is sometimes described as informal, this giving often provides on a systematic basis for family, extended family, friends, and employees, and is relied upon by recipients much in the same way that others in this country rely on the social safety net.” Ana Gloria Rivas-Vasquez, Nuevos Senderos: Reflections on Hispanics and Philanthropy, 1999, p.116.

Nonprofits interested in raising dollars from the U.S./Hispanic community need to be aware of the unique cultural factors inherent to this population, as informal giving is a deeply rooted aspect of the Latin American social fabric.

Some Tips for Nonprofits Interested in Targeting the Growing US Hispanic Market

  • Understand how culture defines the uniqueness of the Hispanic consumer.
  • Leverage an omnichannel and bilingual experience to win the attention (and business) of the Hispanic market.
  • Giving among this population is personal in nature. Focus your strategy on developing personal relationships and real connections.
  • Eliminate your preconceived ideas about the U.S/Hispanic market and start from scratch.
  • Peer beyond demographics and instead, examine the habits of Hispanic donors: how they give compared to general market donors?

“Hispanic donors are least likely to be approached as donors but are more interested than most in learning more about nonprofit causes.” Urashi Vaid and Ashindi Maxton

How Can A Nonprofit Call Center, Like ListenTrust, Help Your Nonprofit Organization Achieve Success in the Emerging US Hispanic Market?

To run a successful Direct Response campaign, your nonprofit must work with a partner who has optimized infrastructure and staffing for this purpose. DR charitable campaigns have the potential to generate a large volume of calls, often 40,000-50,000 within a handful of days. Your contact center partner must be capable of not only tackling this high call volume; agents must be specially trained to maximize the giving potential of campaign callers. ListenTrust is a pioneer in Direct Response marketing for nonprofits, explicitly targeting the U.S./Hispanic market. Because of our history in the space we understand scripting flow, the right questions to ask at the right time, and our agents are trained to empathize with callers when the situation calls for it. Beyond this, ListenTrust contact center agents share an affinity for these calls, as for them, the U.S./Hispanic market hits close to home. Our agents want to be a part of this process, they believe in the causes our contact center supports and enjoy providing help.

Our experience, culled from over a decade serving the emerging U.S./Hispanic market, as well as our extensive understanding of the needs specific to achievement in marketing for nonprofits, give your nonprofit access to the resources needed for success. If you are a nonprofit ignoring the emerging U.S./Hispanic market, you are missing out. It’s that simple.

Are You Asking Yourself, “How Can I Target the Hispanic Market Near Me?” Call Us Today!

It is our goal to help support the mission of nonprofits doing great work. Get in touch to learn how we can help support you.

For more information, contact Tom Sheppard, VP Business Development, at: tsheppard@listentrust.com.

Call Center Solutions: 10 years working with Non-Profits

Call Center Solutions: 10 years working with Non-Profits

by | Mar 23, 2020 | Customer Engagement, Non-Profit

This time of year, I am looking forward to attending the 12th Annual Bridge Conference in Maryland where I”ll meet with various nonprofits regarding their call center strategies. Having previously attended as Listen Up Español, we are excited to let our nonprofit colleagues know about our new services available in English and Spanish, as well to introduce them to our new company name and logo. 

Why Our Client’s Trust us with their Direct Response Marketing Investment

 

ListenTrust has been working with the nonprofit industry for more than ten years and we have call center solutions that really bolster nonprofit efficacy by helping them gain an increased number of loyal donors. While we previously only managed Spanish language calls for nonprofits targeting the U.S. Hispanic market, we are now taking calls in English throughout the United States and Mexico. As a trusted partner for Hispanic marketing and Direct Response television campaigns in Spanish, we’re now managing bilingual campaigns and we’re kicking butt in English. 

Why ListenTrust Agents Make All the Difference

ListenTrust agents have the unique ability to help nonprofits increase their donor pool, a direct result of the effort we put into our intensive agent training process during the initial onboarding of our clients. To make the campaign work seamlessly and to make callers more comfortable, we intensively train our agents to adapt to the nuances of the nonprofit so they can become true brand ambassadors. We even send our agents to the client’s location to help fully integrate them into the nonprofit culture so they can master the brand messaging and reflect the mission and values of the organization as a true brand representative once they return to the center and begin taking donor calls. 

We have worked with nonprofits on various types of campaigns such as one-time radio campaigns, telethon events, ongoing donor campaigns or other events where there might be a spike in calls. To deliver the highest quality on each campaign, we even route calls based on agent performance, a strategy that helps us get more conversions by utilizing our best agents. 

As we implement these strategies, we always aim to be a flexible partner that helps our nonprofit clients gain donors and reach their fundraising goals in the most valuable way. 

Contact Us Today to let us Help Bolster your Next Campaign Donor List

For more information, contact Tom Sheppard, VP Business Development, at: tsheppard@listentrust.com.

U.S. Emerging Markets and Nonprofits: The Millennial Connection

U.S. Emerging Markets and Nonprofits: The Millennial Connection

by | Mar 13, 2020 | Customer Engagement, Non-Profit

How to Attract Millennial  Donors and Young Philanthropists to your Nonprofit

 

The word “millennial” is one of the to most used (and perhaps overused) terms of the past decade. Despite the popular narrative that the millennial generation is “lazy,” “entitled,” and “self-absorbed,” or that they are unable to purchase homes due to an affinity for avocado toast, marketers in every space are desperately trying to target them.

As it turns out, targeting millennials is more difficult than most might imagine. Millennials are fickle. As The Guardian pointed out in 2016, “millennials work to live rather than live to work.” We are looking at a generation driven by the desire to integrate work and life as opposed to the previous generation’s obsession with achieving a balance between the two. Millennials will sacrifice pay and security if employment conflicts with their beliefs.

“About half of millennials globally have shunned work, and even potential employers, that conflict with their beliefs.” Deloitte’s Millennial Survey

They are particular in their interests, concerns, and lifestyle. According to the United States Census Bureau, millennials outnumber baby boomers, representing more than one-quarter of the United States’ total population, and they are far more diverse: 44.2 percent of millennials are part of a minority race or ethnic group.

As a result, the millennial generation has emerged as a dominant force in the marketplace, driving both the present and future of every industry.

Last month, we highlighted the need for nonprofits and businesses to target emerging donor markets, specifically the US Hispanic market. Millennial donors are equally important, but are in general, overlooked within the nonprofit space.

Every business is asking the same question: how do we attract and convert the millennial audience? Nonprofits should ask the same.

Millennials are Generous and Eager to Donate to Nonprofit Organizations

“One of the characteristics of millennials, besides the fact that they are masters of digital communication, is that they are primed to do well by doing good. Almost 70% say that giving back and being civically engaged are their highest priorities.” Lee Buchanan, Editor at Large, Inc. Magazine

In contrast to the self-centered stereotype baby boomers (and some millennials) have regarding this generation of digital natives, millennials are known to be generous givers when it comes to nonprofit organizations. They build bridges across generational borders and have the potential to breathe new life into the work of the nonprofit sector.

Despite the odds stacked against them (this is the first cohort to earn less than their parents), they have built a connected global community and promote experimentation, the freedom to explore ideas, and, most importantly, they embrace the possibility of failure. This is a generation eager to experiment, fail, brush themselves off, and start over. It is because of this millennials will find success in solving the world’s problems, where previous generations have been unable.

And again, millennials are generous. They are the crowd-funding generation, accustomed to digital philanthropy with the goal of enacting change, for less. Nonprofits must turn their attention and marketing efforts toward these budding philanthropists and use their skills to create a broader, more effective reach.

“In 2014, 84 percent of millennial employees gave to a charitable cause, according to the Case Foundation’s Millennial Impact Report: 2015. Sure, boomers and Gen Xers are giving more in terms of dollars ($732 and $1,212 per year, respectively), but at an average of $481 given each year, millennials are quickly gaining influence over the philanthropic space.” Justin Wheeler for Forbes

How Should Nonprofits Target the Millennial Audience?

It’s not that nonprofits haven’t tried to attract a millennial audience; it is that they haven’t found the sweet spot. Cracking the mysterious millennial mindset is difficult. Part of the issue lies in the generalization of millennials as one large group when in fact they are far from a homogenous demographic. According to the Boston Consulting Group, six distinct segments exist within this population.

Nonprofits are going to fail in their efforts to attract millennial donors if they continue to treat this group as a uniform demographic. To succeed, they must identify a target audience within the broader population of millennials and reach them with the right message, at the correct time, using the best platform. Creating an omnichannel marketing strategy, informed by analytics, allows nonprofits to determine the best channel to target their preferred millennial subset.

To Attract Millennials, Use Social Media & Direct Response

Millennials consume traditional television less than their older counterparts, but they spend a ton of time-consuming digital media both online and through social platforms. An expertly crafted direct response campaign that leverages video on digital platforms and social media to inspire a call is highly effective for nonprofits (and businesses) interested in marketing to millennials. The potent mixture of DR and social media works because it allows nonprofits to meet this generation on their preferred platforms. These consumers expect to benefit from following and engaging with brands on social media, and direct response marketing fills this need by encouraging them to take advantage of unique opportunities.

An attractive component of direct response is its ability to provide relevant data in real-time, encouraging actions that can be measured directly, allowing nonprofits to track conversions and quickly determine the effectiveness of their messaging. On social media, creating campaign-specific hashtags can also be an effective tactic to observe the efficacy of a campaign’s message and reach.

Partner with a Skilled and Optimized Call Center for a Successful Campaign 

Even the best direct response campaign will suffer if your call center is unable to make a connection. Interacting with millennial callers takes skill and finesse; remember, this is a discerning generation with particular interests. If the experience you are providing at any point isn’t unique or engaging, your campaign will not succeed. And, you won’t have a second chance. Most millennials will turn their back on your nonprofit after just one poor customer experience.

Contact centers must deliver a seamless and positive experience with every call. It’s that simple. To do so, however, your contact center must be specially trained to tackle giving campaigns and to interact with a millennial audience. If you succeed in all aspects of your campaign, from the digital and social layer through to a call, millennials can be your most reliable ally, and they are willing to share a positive experience within social networks, making direct response a potent tool.

Contact ListenTrust for your Next Millennial-Focused Marketing Campaign

Nonprofits willing to invest the time and effort necessary to identify and market to the right group of millennials will be handsomely rewarded. ListenTrust has an experienced and dedicated team of experts ready to tackle your millennial-focused campaign. Get in touch if you’d like to learn more.

For more information, contact Tom Sheppard, VP Business Development, at: tsheppard@listentrust.com