What Netflix and Spotify Can Teach Nonprofits About Donor Segmentation & Personalization

September 3, 2025
By Wendy Johnson

How Donor Segmentation Powers Healthcare Donor Engagement Strategies

Just as Netflix doesn’t send the same recommendation to every viewer and Spotify doesn’t hand out a generic playlist, all healthcare donors shouldn’t receive the exact same appeals.   

Segmented email campaigns can drive 30% more opens and 50% more clicks than unsegmented ones. Look for ways to divvy up your healthcare audience, such as by giving history, connection to the hospital, or level of engagement.

The right message to the right donor segment drives higher donor engagement with more opens, clicks, and revenue—the same technique Netflix and other streaming platforms use to keep audiences hooked. 

• • If a donor gave to cancer research, show them this year’s oncology breakthroughs. 

  • If a healthcare colleague gave through an employee giving drive, highlight staff impact.

  • If a grateful patient donated after surgery, send a story about robotic surgery breakthroughs.

Donor Playlists: How Hospital Foundations Can Copy Spotify

Think of your donor file as a set of playlists. Each philanthropy segment needs its own carefully curated experience, based on their rhythm of giving and engagement with your organization.

🎵  Recurring donors need a track list that thanks them for loyalty and shows ongoing impact.

🎵  First-time donors need proof their gift made a difference.

🎵  Lapsed donors need a “we miss you” reminder that they are part of a broader donor retention effort.

3 Statistics That Prove Why Healthcare Donor Segmentation is a Winning Donor Communication Strategy

When your hospital foundation segments by donor behavior, giving level, or connection to the hospital and your services, you can see dramatic gains in retention, revenue, and engagement. 

The numbers show how much you stand to gain when you get segmentation right:  

1. Segmented emails drive 30% more opens and 50% more clickthroughs than unsegmented ones.

2. Hospital foundations with year-over-year revenue increases are 3X more likely to send segmented stewardship communications.

3. Segmented email campaigns drive significantly higher revenue compared to non-segmented campaigns, with studies showing increases of up to 300%.

Steal These Streaming Strategies To Personalize Your Healthcare Donor Appeals

These donor engagement strategies keep supporters involved at year-end and all year long. 

🎬  Use Behavioral Triggers
Just like "Because you watched..." Netflix prompts, trigger emails based on a donor's past healthcare philanthropy (or lack thereof). 

• "Because you supported cardiac care..." → Send heart surgery success stories

• "Because you gave during our gala..." → Invite to VIP year-end events

🎧 Create Fresh Content
Spotify doesn't repeat playlists. Your donor outreach should feel just as fresh and packed with variety:

• • Impact spotlights about services that are relevant to the healthcare donor segment

  • Patient testimonials that match donor interests

  • Employee giving stories tailored to employee donor segments

📊 Perfect Your Algorithm
Ideally, donors receive seven meaningful touchpoints between their gift and your next ask. Think of it as your fundraising “recommendation" engine.

Streaming platforms track what you consume, when you pause, and what you skip to keep you engaged. Do the same with your healthcare donor outreach. 

• Map the journey. Plan out those seven touchpoints in advance—thank-you calls, impact updates, behind-the-scenes stories, event invites, surveys, and recognition moments. 

• Personalize the flow. Match each touchpoint to the donor’s behavior: first-time givers get quick wins and gratitude; loyal donors get deeper engagement that demonstrates how their healthcare philanthropy changes lives.

• Use variety. Mix email, phone, video, and direct mail the way Netflix mixes genres—don’t serve up the same “episode” every time. 

• Track engagement. Just like a streaming service notices when you binge, monitor who opens, clicks, or responds. Let that data shape the next “recommendation.”

• Download my free Year-End Checklist and Planning Guide. This step-by-step roadmap shows you exactly how to organize your timeline, segment your donors, and execute a high-performing campaign that drives more gifts and less stress, whether you’re starting in January or mid-December.

Donor Personalization is The Key to Survival

Nonprofits raised an average of $58 for every 1,000 fundraising emails sent in 2024 —but only the smart ones using donor segmentation are likely to hit those numbers.