Upgrade Links are a powerful way to encourage supporters to increase their donation amounts. Here’s a guide to creating and sending Upgrade Links using Mailchimp.

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Before you start

Before proceeding, ensure you have an active Mailchimp account. You can sign up at Mailchimp.

💡 For visual aid, check out our interactive instructions to guide you through the process of creating and sending Upgrade Links via Mailchimp.

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Register with Mailchimp

  1. Ensure your organization has an active Mailchimp account.
  2. If you don’t have one, register on the Mailchimp website.

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Export supporter information from the Dashboard

To create your Upgrade Links, you need information about your supporters:

  1. Open your Dashboard and navigate to Exports → Templates.
  2. Select New template for Recurring plans.
  3. Add the necessary information to the template, including:
    • Supporter First Name
    • Supporter Last Name
    • Supporter Email
    • Supporter ID
    • Recurring ID
    • Recurring Status
  4. Save and download the data as a CSV file.
  5. Ensure only active plans are included by filtering out other statuses.

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Step 1: Create Merge Tags

  1. In Mailchimp, go to Audience → All contacts.
  2. Click Settings → Audience fields and MERGE tags.
  3. Add two new fields: RECID for Recurring ID and SUPID for Supporter ID.

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Step 2: Import contacts

  1. Navigate to Audience → All contacts in Mailchimp.
  2. Select Add contacts → Import contacts.
  3. Upload your CSV file and match fields accordingly.

  1. Create a new email campaign in Mailchimp.
  2. Add a call-to-action button, e.g., “Increase my regular donation”.
  3. Link the button using the format: https://mycharity.org/upgrade?recurring=*|RECID|*&supporter=*|SUPID|*.

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Step 4: Test

  1. Preview your email in Mailchimp, enabling live merge tag info.
  2. Click the call-to-action to ensure it redirects to a personalized Upgrade page.

If all looks good, you’re ready to launch your Upgrade Links campaign and enhance your fundraising efforts.

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