Leads: How to turn guesswork into growth

We’ve heard it all before: Lead generation is too expensive.

Tracking is inconsistent.

Analysis is time-consuming.

Nurturing is complicated.

And ROI? Often a mystery. 

For many nonprofit marketing teams, growing an email list feels like a black box—with leadership skeptical of the return and staff stuck wrangling messy data.

That’s why we’re highlighting “Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way.”

It’s a must-attend session happening today at the Bridge Conference in DC—focusing on how to build sustainable lead generation programs beyond the initial investment. 

I spoke with Porter Mason of Stagecoach Digital about how his team helps nonprofits gain internal buy-in, fix data mysteries, and transform lead generation from a guessing game into a growth engine.

Sara Cederberg: Why do you think lead generation remains such a persistent pain point across a lot of nonprofit digital programs, even for the most well-resourced organizations?

Porter Mason: While everyone knows they should be doing lead generation, few organizations are equipped to do it effectively.

Many believe that launching a petition or running a few paid ads will automatically grow their list—and that donations will follow.

But without a clear plan for what comes next, you’re just collecting expensive email addresses.

And without the right help to connect strategy, creative, and technology, even well-resourced programs struggle to turn leads into donors.

At the end of the day, most organizations lack visibility into where their leads come from or whether they’re worth the investment, making it hard to improve—or even justify continuing.

SC: What are some of the biggest missed opportunities you see when it comes to turning leads into long-term supporters?

PM: The biggest missed opportunity happens after someone signs up. You’ve already done the heavy lifting—now it’s crucial to get them engaging immediately.

That first click builds a habit, and habitual engagement is closely tied to future giving.

It doesn’t have to be complicated: Send them something genuinely interesting, not just a long email about your mission.

If supporters associate your emails with content they enjoy—timely petitions, fun polls, or (if you’re National Audubon Society) photos of birds—you lay the groundwork for a lasting relationship.

SC: Nonprofit acquisition budgets are tight, and expectations are high. How can teams make smarter decisions about where—and how—they’re spending on lead generation?

PM: First, maximize the value of your organic leads. Too many teams overlook these in favor of flashy paid campaigns.

When you do invest in paid campaigns, avoid the trap of hyper-targeting. Paying $10 or more per lead rarely adds up.

We’ve seen better returns with message-driven targeting. If someone takes action on a petition or pledge, they’re showing you they care—that’s your targeting.

Track the full cost, including post-lead conversion, and don’t hesitate to reallocate budget when something isn’t working.

SC: A lot of folks are experimenting with paid acquisition across new channels. How should teams approach testing these platforms without getting overwhelmed or burned?

PM: Focus on running small, controlled pilots—$1,000 to $10,000 max—and evaluate them alongside your other channels.

That approach gives you actionable data without blowing your budget. Even if results aren’t stellar at first, keep some presence on promising channels—audiences and platforms shift constantly.

Maintaining a baseline can set you up for bigger wins down the road. Stay nimble and be ready to remix your budget as you learn.

SC: For organizations juggling multiple platforms and data sources, what are a few practical steps they can take to make their lead tracking more useful and less chaotic?

PM: Always create unique source codes for every campaign—even if it feels like overkill. Otherwise, you can’t separate out your data later.

Second, keep a simple source dictionary—a shared document listing each source code with a plain-language description. Add metadata like partner, topic, or channel over time. That way, current and future team members won’t have to play detective with cryptic code names.

Finally, structure your data so future analysis is straightforward. Don’t reinvent the wheel every time you need to evaluate performance.

That structure not only saves time, but it also helps organizations actually learn from their efforts and improve.

SC: Without giving too much away, can you share a small win or surprising insight from your work that might encourage someone to rethink their approach to lead generation?

PM: One of our biggest wins was adding a simple lead generation ask to the homepage.

We worked with the Wildlife Conservation Society to repurpose a donation popup from year-end fundraising. Outside of November and December, we swapped in a “Take the Climate Pledge” lead form, and saw a 50% increase in organic leads.

It wasn’t a heavy lift; just a smarter use of existing tools. Minor tweaks like that can deliver outsized results.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy – How to Use AI Without Breaking Donor Trust
Tuesday, August 5 at 2pm EST
Join this online forum to explore how nonprofits can harness AI tools to boost fundraising efficiency—while safeguarding donor trust and aligning with organizational values.

How To Love Your CRM Again
Thursday, August 7 at 1pm EST
Discover how one nonprofit enhanced its existing CRM instead of replacing it, unlocking smarter donor engagement and a more efficient data strategy.

Netroots Nation 2025 Conference
Thursday, August 7 – Saturday, August 9
Progressive organizers, activists, and strategists from across the country are heading to New Orleans for Netroots Nation—featuring trainings, keynotes, and movement-building sessions on digital, fundraising, and organizing. (You can also attend virtually.)

Check our events list for more or reply to this email to submit one for consideration.

'Til next time!
Sara