Executive Summary

Nonprofits often struggle to convert curious seekers into committed supporters and donors, especially through paid ads. The Civic Health Project, a funder of organizations that bridge political divides, faced this challenge head-on during its annual flagship event, the National Week of Conversation (NWOC).

This year, they were game to test an additional approach in their paid awareness initiatives.  Could a chatbot survey deliver higher-quality leads than their typical social media as strategy?

Spoiler: It did—by a lot.

The Test

Civic Health Project ran a side-by-side experiment:

• Control (A): Facebook ads → NWOC website
• Test (B): Facebook ads → landing page → GoodChat survey  → email opt-in → NWOC website

Despite adding three extra steps, the GoodChat funnel outperformed across every key metric.

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Results At a Glance

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And most importantly:
👉 29 donor prospects identified themselves in the survey —31% of leads.
👉 17 users opted in and expressed donation intent—clear, high-value leads.

Why It Worked

1. Layered, Trust-Building Engagement

This wasn’t just a paid ad. It was an invitation for participants to share their perspective on a cause they care deeply about—the future of democracy—which earned the right to ask for an email.

• Each step—from the landing page to the survey—built trust.
• Users were asked thoughtful questions about their perspective on a topic important to them
• The tone was personal, joyful, and respectful.

“We didn’t just ask for emails—we earned them.”

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2. Empathetic Messaging

Our top-performing ad led with:
"Heal the Divide."

 It didn’t provoke—it invited. That one ad delivered 94% of all survey conversions.
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3. More than a Survey

The chatbot survey wasn’t just a “fill out this form” experience—it was a conversation. It felt more like a dialogue than a data grab by using:

• Friendly GIFs
• Light humor
• Personalized prompts
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4.Value Before the Ask

By the time the participant was given an opportunity to provide their  email, they already received something valuable: a sense of connection, a moment of reflection, and an invitation to be part of something meaningful.
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A Bonus Win: Kinder Comments

Most politically adjacent ads get flooded with vitriol in the comments.
Not this time.

Despite generating four times the comments, the GoodChat campaign required less moderation. Why? Because the tone of the campaign—positive, respectful, and trust-first—set the tone for how people responded.

“I found the GoodChat campaign seemed to have fewer comments that needed to be hidden despite having a much higher rate of comments.” – Client

What We Learned

This experiment flipped a common belief:

“More friction = lower conversions.”

But in this case, more friction, when layered with trust, joy, and value—actually led to more engagement, better leads, and higher intent. It’s what behavioral scientists call motivational friction—thoughtful effort that deepens investment, filters for commitment, and earns the right to ask.
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Final Results

In just 5 days, the GoodChat funnel delivered:

• 803 ad clicks
• 562 survey starts (70% of clicks)
• 281 completions (50% of starts)
• 94 email opt-ins (33% of completions)
• $6.15 cost per led (CPL)—versus $31–$53 industry benchmark
• 29 high-intent donor prospects

This wasn’t just cheaper—it was better.
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Donor Activation Done Right

GoodChat’s campaign transformed civic health interest into real donor activation, achieving results that outperformed industry benchmarks in both cost and conversion rates.

By focusing on trust, engagement, and a touch of joy, we didn’t just capture emails—we uncovered the client’s most committed supporters and gave them a clear path to action.

🚀 Interested in acquiring high-intent donors for your cause? We're always up for a GoodChat.

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