Writing in The Integrator, Eve Fox describes how the Save Darfur Coalition changed the way it conducts its online fund-raising campaigns — and surpassed its goal of raising $400,000 in less than two weeks.

The charity used to refrain from sending recipients of any e-mail alerts about how to participate in its advocacy work to people who already received fund-raising appeals online. Officials thought donors would be distracted by the alerts and not give to the campaign, writes Ms. Fox, a fund-raising consultant.

But Save Darfur decided to test sending an e-email alert about its advocacy work to the same people who had received online campaign solicitations a few days earlier. That alert, which included a request to support the campaign, raised $45,134. A second alert to to the same recipients produced another $36,848.

The two e-mail alerts were the primary reason the online campaign went over its goal, raising $415,711.

“Try including some closely integrated e-mail action alerts in your next online fund-raising campaign,” Ms. Fox urges.