How do I segment my donor emails?

Split your list into two or three groups by giving behaviour and language, and write one mail per group. Here is how to do it with WeGlow Mail smart groups.

To segment your donor emails, split your list into a few groups that need a different message, such as monthly donors, recent first-time donors and lapsed donors, then write one mail for each. Start with two or three segments based on what people did (gave, volunteered, stopped giving) and the language they speak, not with a complicated matrix.

Why segment at all?

A first-time donor and someone who has given monthly for five years do not need the same mail. The first needs a warm welcome and proof that the gift was used; the second needs a thank-you for loyalty. When everyone gets the same message, it fits nobody well. Segmenting is simply being relevant, and it also keeps you from asking the wrong people for money.

Which segments are worth building first?

Start with active, monthly and lapsed donors, and add language groups once your list is multilingual. The six groups below cover most lists.

  • Active donors: people who gave recently. Thank them, report on impact.
  • Monthly donors: they already commit. Never send them the same appeal as one-off donors; send them updates and thanks.
  • Frequent donors: people who give several times. Treat them as partners, with news before the general public.
  • Lapsed donors: people who used to give but stopped. A gentle "we miss you, here is what happened" mail works better than a hard ask.
  • Volunteers and event guests: invite them to events, thank them, and only ask for money when it fits.
  • Language groups: in Belgium, one list often has Dutch, French and English speakers. Mail each in their own language.

What data do you need?

Keep it simple: the date and number of gifts, whether a gift is recurring, how the person joined your list, their language and a couple of tags that you set yourself. A common rule of thumb is that you should only segment on data you can keep correct. A segment built on guesses will annoy people.

How do you start this week?

  1. Pick the two groups that differ most, for example monthly donors and lapsed donors.
  2. Write down in one sentence what each group should feel after reading.
  3. Write one mail per group and send a test to yourself.
  4. Compare clicks and replies, then adjust.

A small worked example

Imagine a food bank (an invented example) with one list and a spring campaign. Instead of one appeal it sends three mails. Monthly donors get a thank-you with a short story about last month's packages.

Lapsed donors get a soft "we have not heard from you in a while" with a photo of what changed. New donors get a welcome and a question: what made you give? Three mails, three clear purposes, and the replies tell the team what to write next.

What does the law say about profiling?

Segmenting on someone's giving history can count as profiling related to direct marketing. Under the GDPR (Article 21) people can object at any time to the processing of their data for direct marketing, including profiling related to it. Once they object, you may no longer process their data for that purpose.

You must bring this right clearly to their attention at the latest at the first communication, and reply to a request in principle within 1 month. The Belgian Data Protection Authority expects objecting and withdrawing consent to be easy and free of charge. In practice: mention it in your privacy policy, make unsubscribing easy and honour it.

How does WeGlow Mail help?

WeGlow Mail organises contacts in groups with tags and bulk actions. It also has self-filling smart groups built from donations: active, frequent, monthly, lapsed and lost donors, filled automatically from donations rather than by hand.

You can filter contacts by status, language and tags, set the language of many contacts at once, export contacts to CSV and see each contact's mail history. A multi-language campaign can have a version per language with automatic translation, which you review before sending. Glowie can also preselect recipients for a mail ("selected by Glowie"), and you stay in control of who actually receives it in the Check step.

Pricing: WeGlow Mail is included free up to 250 contacts (500 emails per month) in every plan. Start (up to 1,000 contacts) is €19 per month (excl. VAT), Growth (up to 2,500) is €29. With the Pro platform plan (€40 per month or €400 per year) mailing is included up to 2,500 contacts. Check the current prices in your dashboard, and try the smart groups under WeGlow Mail.

How many segments are too many?

If you cannot write a different mail for a segment, it is one too many. Start with two or three groups, see what the replies tell you after one campaign, and only then add another group if you really have a different message for it.

Should I segment by donation amount?

You can, but giving history (recent, monthly, lapsed) usually tells you more about what someone needs to hear than the size of one gift. A group based on behaviour is also easier to keep correct. Start with behaviour and add amount later if you have a clear reason.

Can I use CRM data in WeGlow Mail?

WeGlow Mail has its own contacts and donor groups. Check in your dashboard what is available for your account before you plan around it, especially if your data currently sits in another system, and only import contacts for whom you have a valid legal basis.

Do I need consent to segment my list?

Segmenting is processing of personal data, so it needs a legal basis. According to the Belgian Data Protection Authority, direct marketing usually rests on consent or legitimate interest, with no hierarchy between them. If you are unsure about your situation, ask a lawyer or the regulator.

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