Unlock Next-Level Giving: Fundraising Strategies that Work

While your fans are locking in their seats, it’s time to lock in their support. As many of us finalize season ticket renewals or prepare for new season on-sales, now is the ideal time to supercharge your fundraising strategy. The window for donor engagement is wide open—and with the right tools, your campaigns can go beyond asking for support - they can inspire it.

Eloqua’s Donation Membership Level Custom Object includes powerful fields that help you meet donors where they are—and show them where they could go. These enhancements allow you to speak directly to a donor’s giving behavior and guide them toward greater impact. Whether you’re building segments or adding personalized touches to your messaging, these fields are designed to help you drive more meaningful engagement.

Here’s a rundown on each field and how they can be used:

• Next Pledged Level Difference: The additional amount a contact would need to pledge in order to reach the next giving level. This helps you target donors who are just shy of leveling up.

• Pledged Amount 110: A calculated 110% version of their current pledge. Use this to encourage a modest increase with a specific, personalized ask.

• Pledged Level Name 110: The name of the level a donor would reach if they gave at the 110% amount—great for dynamic content and recognition messaging.

• Next Receipted Level Difference: Similar to the pledged difference, but based on the actual received contributions (rather than intent). This is useful for reinforcing value and encouraging follow-through.

• Receipted Amount 110: The donor’s actual received amount adjusted to reflect a 110% giving total.

• Receipted Level Name 110: The donor’s actual received amount adjusted to reflect a giving total increase of 110%.

Let’s take a look at how Minnesota and Iowa approached their 110% fundraising efforts—each campaign demonstrates the impact of clear messaging, strong branding, and well-timed follow-up. By using the 110% ask as a clear and achievable goal, both schools successfully motivated donors to go just a little further in their support, reinforcing the idea that every extra dollar makes a difference.

In Minnesota’s case, the initial 110% ask was presented during the eVenue purchase flow—first at entry and again at checkout. To build on that momentum, they deployed a post-purchase automation in Eloqua, targeting fans who had renewed their season tickets but didn’t opt into the additional donation. The follow-up email featured a dynamically generated suggested gift amount, paired with clean, branded visuals and a clear call-to-action—making it easy for donors to complete the 110% upgrade.

Iowa followed a similar strategy with their “110% Hawkeye” campaign. After season ticket purchases were complete, they used a post-purchase automation to re-engage fans with a straightforward message encouraging them to give just a little more. The campaign delivered strong results, with a 53.9% open rate and a 10.5% click rate—proof that simple, focused asks paired with strategic timing can drive real impact.

💡 Pro Tip: Want to Build on Their Success?

These campaigns laid the foundation for strategic, compelling fundraising. You can take the same approach even further by incorporating Eloqua’s Donation Membership Level Custom Object fields to personalize and power your message.

Use Pledged Amount 110 as a field merge in your email to display each donor’s custom 110% ask amount. (View picture of the field merge setup below.) Or, leverage Next Pledged Level Difference or Next Receipted Level Difference to highlight how close they are to reaching the next recognition tier—adding context and motivation with just a few dynamic fields.

With these tools, you’re not just sending a fundraising email—you’re giving each donor a reason, a number, and a clear next step.

If you have questions or want help incorporating these strategies into your next campaign, reach out to your Marketing Automation representative—we’re here to help you make it happen.