Best Fundraising Website – III
So I grumped about readers not offering their comments on my choice for best fundraising website, after I nominated Charity:Water.
And readers responded … some seconding Charity:Water, some offering improvements to that site, and some recommending other sites. Terrific! Each of you responders deserves an Agitator raise!
Now, I know that you’re not going to stop everything you’re doing just because The Agitator pops into your email box.
But I do think you might want to file away the following list of “best” websites recommended by your fellow readers to peruse on a rainy day. If your “portfolio” includes any responsibility for your nonprofit’s online presence, there are plenty of good ideas here to cherry-pick from.
Project Hope
Children’s Hospital Foundation
My Projects (Cancer Research UK)
War on Want
blood:water mission
Plant with Purpose
UN World Food Programme
MercyCorps
Oregon Community Foundation
The Nonprofit Association of Oregon
Oregon Environmental Council (different nominator!)
Civil War Preservation Trust
Best Friends Animal Society
Somaly Mam Foundation
Feeding America
Safe Kids USA
Mid-Ohio Foodbank (you don’t need to be a giant to have a great site)
End 4 Hunger
Anyone notice a pattern here? Hint: it relates to what kind of nonprofit is not represented on the list.
Tom
P.S. Regarding Charity:Water, their featured September online fundraising campaign raised over $700,000. Even their report is well done. Anyone envious?!
6 responses to “Best Fundraising Website – III”
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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Well, there’s no universities on it, Tom! And by and large I’m not surprised…
Hey Tom,
I will play along, my first observation is that I guess it pays off to blame the customer when they do not respond like you want them to, seems to have worked pretty well for you. The other observation is not many in the education field read or participate on your blog because most sites referenced have to be more creative to create a database of prospects unlike the majority of universities. I do think there is a trap in your rant, there are times it will work very well because emotion is a powerful tool but blaming the customer for our design is something I hear a lot of in this biz. One of Peter Drucker’s many great quotes “every organization is designed perfectly for the results it gets” perhaps that is true for blog posts as well. Keep up the great work
Yes, I’m envious, Tom. 🙂
And, thanks for the links!
I work at a large institution and have found that there is not much payoff for me or my department to spend time analyzing other people’s websites. That’s the kind of work that a focus group might want to tackle, but I have little to no influence over the structure of our website. So you asked us to participate in research but offered no reward for helping you. Perhaps the fundraisers who read your website have very little to do with the design of organizational websites in general.
But thanks for putting this out there for discussion, and thanks for the great articles!
Ironically enough – arts and culture organizations don’t seem to have made the cut. I debated about sending in the Kennedy Center website which used to be excellent, but in the past year or so – all the innovation has disappeared and it has become somewhat mechanical..
With the ability of the arts to take on controversial messages and offer alternative approaches – many seem to have settled for functionality rather than allure!
Hi Tom,
I’ve got another Fundraising Website that I believe is pretty good. It’s http://www.knit-a-square.com
Have a look!