Beware Of Greeks Bearing Gifts!
From our Agitator backlist … Happy Holidays!
Richard Conniff in his “Basic Instincts” blog/column at the New York Times propounds the Rule of the Decent Interval.
It holds that the value of a good deed decreases in direct proportion to how badly you need the resulting good will.
Conniff illustrates his rule with several recent examples, like Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs, of “charity” prompted by urgent needs to evade — or at least soften — legal reprisal. Charity as protection money.
It's a marvelous piece, enriched with great Catholic school nostalgia as well as with excellent comments from readers.
The erudite commentator ACW reminds us that, according to Dante, the first terrace of Purgatory — even before the first stairs of atonement for specific sins — is reserved for the deathbed confessors.
Personally, I'm more of a long range planner. In my Catholic school days, the promise from the nuns was that if you attended First Friday Mass for nine consecutive months, you were guaranteed a pass to heaven. Sort of a religious “Get out of jail free” card.
Highly motivated, I made my nine Masses by the fourth grade … opening the door to a worry-free life of sin and debauchery!
However, with all the modernizing in the Catholic Church since my youth, I can't vouch that the offer still stands for you johnny-come-lately's.
You might still need to buy yourself salvation with a hefty dose of philanthropy … it's never too late.
Tom
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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