Learn how a beneficiary engagement journey map helps you build an intentional experience for the people you serve, so you can meet them exactly where they are.
Most organizations can easily explain who they serve, and quickly rattle off the program(s) or service(s) they offer those beneficiaries. And that clarity makes sense – nonprofits are typically filling a very distinct need, either from personal experience or an observed gap.
What we have found to be even more helpful that being able to summarize who benefits from your organization’s work is being able to understand how that beneficiary is intended to move through your organization, from first becoming aware that you exist to being an advocate for your work. Because when these steps aren’t clear, it is easy to fall into reaction mode instead of proactive mode.
By taking a step back and creating an intentional process for how you want someone to experience your organization, you’re not only able to support those individuals better, but you’re able to show others, like potential major donors, the roadmap of how you are supporting your beneficiaries.
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What is a beneficiary engagement journey map?
A beneficiary engagement journey map is a visual tool that lays out the stages someone who may receive support moves through, as they build a relationship with your organization. It goes from the moment they first learn support exists to the point where they have an ongoing connection to your organization and its work.
For some organizations, this map has to hold two people at once; the individual receiving the support and the individual who makes the decision.
What this looks like in real life: The organization provides tutoring services to school-aged children. The beneficiary is the child who needs and will receive tutoring. But they aren’t the ones who are researching services, making the initial inquiry, or asking if the program is the right fit for their needs. That decision-maker role is held by the parent or guardian.
If you only map the child’s experience, you miss the person who actually decides whether the relationship starts at all. If you only map the parent’s experience, you miss what determines whether the child is actually being served well. The purpose of mapping both is so that you can provide a supportive experience for both the person receiving the support and the person who is making the decision.
The six stages of the beneficiary journey
Even though every organization has different programs and services, most beneficiary journeys can move through six stages. At each stage, we want to understand what’s happening for the beneficiary, what’s happening for the decision-maker (if applicable), and what the organization needs to do to provide a supportive experience.
1. Awareness
This stage is when the beneficiary and/or decision-maker go from not knowing your organization exists to becoming aware that you do. They’re likely feeling curious, perhaps excited, and wondering what you’re all about. The goal of this stage is to help everyone involved recognize that support is available and that they are welcome.
Carrying on with our past client example: Awareness may look like a parent hearing about the program from their child’s teacher, pediatrician, or another parent at school.
2. Exploration
Once a beneficiary or decision-maker becomes aware of your organization, they’re moving into research stage. They likely have a lot of questions and are feeling even more curious about what you offer. The goal is to reduce uncertainty by clearly explaining what you do, who you serve, and how someone can take the next step.
Example: Exploration may look like reading blogs on the website, checking out each service offering, or asking friends about their experience.
3. First Connection
This is the first direct interaction and could be an intake call, an assessment, or an orientation session. Beneficiaries are likely feeling a little nervous or uncertain, especially right before they take action. The goal is to create a respectful and supportive first experience so trust is built for everyone involved. It’s also worth noting that if you have both a beneficiary and decision-maker to think about, the first connection might be at different points of the journey for each one.
Example: For the parent, first connection is completing an inquiry form and participating in an introductory call. For the child, their first connection is meeting their tutor for the first time, or taking a tour of the space.
4. Engagement in Services
This is when the beneficiary is actively participating in programs, receiving supporting, or accessing the available resources. The goal is to provide meaningful support while reinforcing dignity, partnership, and progress.
Example: The child is now in tutoring sessions and building skills. The parent is receiving updates, watching for progress, and staying involved in whatever way the program requires.
5. Growth and Progress
This is where organizations often underinvest because of time; it’s easy to get lost in doing the work, versus explaining what’s being done. However, progress that isn’t named and reflected back is more likely to get lost, even if it’s being experienced realtime. The goal here is to celebrate progress, reinforce confidence, and help each individual recognize their own growth.
Example: The child starts to read more confidently, and maybe their grades improve, or their confidence in the classroom shifts. The parent sees that change and growth.
6. Community Connection
The relationship with your organization doesn’t have to end once the beneficiary is no longer accessing your program(s) and/or service(s). At this final stage, the relationship moves from service delivery to belonging, and it’s also where success gets defined.
Example: The child completes the program, or reaches a level of independence in reading. The parent might become an advocate, share their experience with another family, or join a parent panel.
How to build your own journey map
When we work with clients, we document their journey map in a simple spreadsheet.
List your six stages down the left side:
- Awareness
- Exploration
- First Connection
- Engagement in Services
- Progress and Outcomes
- Ongoing Connection
And then, across the top, include questions like:
- What questions are likely being asked?
- What tools or resources do we have or need to make to answer those questions?
- What feelings are they likely experiencing?
- What do they need to know to move forward?
- What tools or resources do we have or need to make to support what they need to know?
- What do they need to do to move forward?
- What tools or resources do we have or need to make to support what they need to do?
- What is the key message during this stage?
- What channel(s) or touchpoint(s) are applicable during this stage?
- Who on the team is responsible at this stage?
- What metrics matter at this stage?
The impact beneficiary journey mapping can have on major gifts
While the main purpose of mapping the beneficiary journey is to provide a more supportive experience for the people you serve, it has another added benefit of providing specificity for your major gifts conversations. Without this tool, it can be challenging to share about the difference you make if you don’t understand the full scope of who you serve and what change looks like for them, as they access your resources.
This brings us back to the introduction – most organizations can easily describe their program(s) and service(s), which is likely what is shared with a potential major donor. What this tool allows you to do is connect all the work to specific outcomes, as well as what happens after the resources are completed.
A note on theory of change
The beneficiary roadmap might seem eerily similar to a theory of change, but I want to give a quick explanation of how they’re different. We define your theory of change as the intentional path from your daily work to the long-term change you’re building in your community. The inputs include elements like the problem, the activities, the other partners that contribute to the solution, the short-term and long-term goals, as well as the big vision. It’s focused on your organization and the change that you want to make because of your program(s) and/or service(s).
The beneficiary journey map focuses on the beneficiary, and what they need to know, feel, and do, in order to be more likely to get to the desired outcome(s). It’s envisioning and mapping what their specific experience could look like, and the steps they will likely take from not know you exist to staying connected to your work. It’s them-focused, rather than organization-focused. I like to think of it as the beneficiary map saying, “This is what they experience throughout their time with us” and the theory of change saying, “This is what we want to have happen because of our work.”
The beneficiary map pairs well with the theory of change because it shows a different perspective of reaching the same outcomes, and allows you to share what the experience looks like from the beneficiary’s standpoint.
Not just another tool for the shelf
At BrandRaise, we talk a lot about the different tools you can create to support your major gifts fundraising efforts. We’re big believers in creating things like documents, maps, spreadsheets, and talking points to support organizations in their journey.
What I think this tool does differently than almost any other that we’ve created is that its sole purpose is beneficiary-focused. Yes, it has alternative benefits that support major gifts fundraising, but it’s main goal is to help you provide a better experience for the individuals that you serve.
Because at the end of the day, if they aren’t reaching their version of success, there is no organization to fundraise for. And because the map guides you in digging deeper, and asking things like, “What are they likely feeling at this stage?” and “What do they need to know to move forward?” you’re able to truly empathize with them, and create resources that meet them where they are.
Kelly is a passionate brand strategist and designer who loves supporting nonprofits on their mission to do more good work in this world. She’s seen firsthand the power of creating a consistent and cohesive brand – from building better connections with your audience to streamlining marketing and fundraising efforts.
