Acquisition Addiction
Acquisition addiction is to fundraisers what steroids are to professional cyclists. Its contagious nature stems from the perception that since every one else is doing/using, I’m at a competitive disadvantage if I don’t. Peer pressure at its worst.
I’ve just read Are You Addicted to Acquisition?, written by , on the Fundraising 101 blog.
I must admit … I’m so envious of for writing this piece. It’s splendid.
After explaining the addiction, she cites the steps recommended by the American Psychological Association for overcoming an addiction:
- admitting that you cannot control your addiction or compulsion;
- recognizing a higher power that can give strength;
- examining past errors with the help of a sponsor (experienced member);
- making amends for these errors;
- learning to live a new life with a new code of behavior;
- helping others who suffer from the same addictions or compulsions.
Then she very deftly translates each step into fundraising language.
A fundraiser’s road to recovery.
Brilliant!
I can think of nothing to add.
Please read it. And remember … the first step is to admit you have a problem.
Tom
6 responses to “Acquisition Addiction”
Behavioral Science Q & A
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I’m not an expert in this but a quick search surfaced this article on the effect of tax reforms on 2019’s charitable giving. The researchers didn’t find a reduction. Actually, they observed an “increase in charitable contributions in 2019, even with the lower tax rates and the dramatically smaller number of taxpayers who itemize their […]
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Addicts tend to not care about the impact of their behavior on their loved ones and continue their destructive cycle. I don’t see much concern about donor retention, so the cycle continues. Acquire them and lose them, acquire them and lose them, etc. Pass the bottle.
Wonderful stuff. And, as Mike says, until you acknowledge and own the addiction, stopping it isn’t possible. Too often – and certainly in the case of fundraising – there are too many enablers for the addiction.
Ill-informed bosses demand acquisition.
Lost in space board members expect acquisition.
Hurry up and ask replaces nurture the relationship for readiness to be asked.
And the snowstorm continues. Real snow in the NE. Feets of snow. And a good metaphor for acquisition addiction…. Inundate the fundraiser with demands for acquisition. Fundraiser can’t dig him/herself out.. And then we lose power!
Sorry, but I have to take issue with this. Acquisition vs. retention is a false conflict. There is no such thing as 100% retention, and even if there were, 100% retention would mean zero growth. Acquiring new donors is vital to a robust organization.
Yes, the importance of retention has been under-recognized until recently. Thankfully, that’s changing–due in no small part to you guys.
But this is not an either/or proposition. To say that, because we need to focus more on retention, we must focus less on acquisition, is self-defeating. Growth-oriented fundraising requires both.
I completely agree with Willis. Perhaps I’m missing something in the article but focusing on Acquisition does not mean it has to come at the expense of attrition- why can’t you do both? As good fundraisers, if we want to be successful at our jobs, we need to focus on both because one doesn’t exist without the other- no acquisition (or decreased acquisition) will lead to increased attrition. The non-profit I work at (hospital foundation in Canada) I’m fortunate to be allowed to focus on both- our board or executive gives us the full reigns to focus on both acquisition and retention. We have a well established monthly giving program which would not be as successful as it is were it not for our continued focus on both acquisition (direct mail, door to door, online etc.) and retention.
Amen Willis and Jas. I too take issue. To me acquisition is one of the cornerstones of a good retention program — like exercise and nutrition. One without the other — or one to the neglect of the other (however benign) — is to diminish what could be. We as fundraisers should be proud to do both. I am.
Amen Willis, Jas and Lisa. Bearing in mind donor lifetime value and how it’s pretty darn valuable to focus on retention during that first welcome journey at acquisition stage, the two should go hand-in-hand right from the off. They should naturally partner up with conversion & reactivation too. I’m also proud to do the lot.