Are You Relevant?
Here’s an important exercise every nonprofit should go through periodically.
Some fundraisers are content to play with the hand they are dealt. If that’s working, count your blessings.
Others, upon finding the ‘same old’ has lost its relevance, push to re-shuffle the deck. Remember, marketing your nonprofit is not merely about the packaging and the pitch and the sales tactics, it starts with the product.
Tom
P.S. I can think of only one word with as much importance to fundraisers as ‘relevance’, and that’s ‘results’ … as in, what has your organization accomplished lately?
3 responses to “Are You Relevant?”
Behavioral Science Q & A
Integrating an individual giving appeal with other communications from a charity can have both positive and negative effects, and the outcome largely depends on how it’s executed. Advantages of Integration Brand Consistency: Maintaining a consistent appearance and messaging across all communications can reinforce the org’s brand identity and strengthen brand recognition and trust among your […]
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I’m not aware of any in-market tests specifically comparing recurring vs. gift frequency language. I suspect the answer might not be the same with all gift frequencies, nor with all people. It sounds like a great opportunity for you to test and find out what works for your audience. Based on the literature, here’s a couple […]
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Based on what we know from existing data, those renewal notices can actually be pretty effective in getting people to donate. They tap into our psychology – creating a sense of urgency, reminding us of past support, and using personalization to make the message hit home. They’re playing on our natural tendencies to feel obligated […]
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Interesting question. I had a quick look at the testing done on this topic. On the positive side, in all cases, over half of donors decide to cover the fee. In some cases, it goes as high as 65%. Not a negligible percentage at all. Here’s another test from iRaiser showing consistent results (see point […]
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There’s just one thing to consider when designing a supporter journey: the supporter. More specifically, you need to take into account: Who the supporter is i.e. their identity, which is the reason they support this cause, and their personality, which describes the way they “see” and process the world. These will determine the kind of […]
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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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Hi Tom,
You’re right, but I’m not sure it’s as simple as that. Measuring and demonstrating results is really tough in the medical health issues we deal with. Yes, we can say we helped x number of people, have y number of nurses out in the community (or whatever). We can tell the stories (though that’s not always easy when dealing with vulnerable adults) but actually measuring the difference we have made in individual lives (eg growth in confidence) is really challenging.
That’s not to say we shouldn’t make a start – we should, and any attempt to do the measuring is better than none. So maybe we could do with some feedback from organisations that are managing to measure qualitative results and learn from them to speed the process up.
Thanks, Penelope
Tom, I agree with you. I coach conservation nonprofits that are interested in becoming more relevant to their communities. When they reflect upon what is important more people, especially those who less advantaged and kids, the community responds. So far, when combined with revamping their language and outreach to be more conversational and accessible, membership support has increased over 30% to a high of 43% over three years.
I say: You have to do something I care about for me to support you. Don’t treat me as a bank, treat me as a partner. Thinking strategically means thinking for at least a generation, not 3-5 years.
That’s very true. However, it’s the rare nonprofit that will allow their fundraiser to ask these questions. I’d be curious about the characteristics of organizations or leadership where this is encouraged and/or successful.