Can’t Invent Needs
In a recent post, Seth Godin argues: “I can’t think of a single time that an individual or an organization has created a brand-new worldview, spread it and then led that tribe.”
He notes that there were social rebels before there were Harley Davidson motorcycles, and Rastafarians before Bob Marley.
His point in Inventing a tribe is — individuals with the attitude, the need were there before we (the marketer) were.
He concludes: “Our job is to find the disconnected and connect them, to find people eager to pursue a goal and give them the structure to go achieve that goal. But just about always, we start with an already existing worldview, a point of view, a hunger that’s waiting to be satisfied.”
How does that apply to our world of fundraising.
Fundraisers don’t create needs. We satisfy them.
For the individual donor, our charities and advocacy groups are a means to an end.
A given group might be smart enough to develop — and present itself as — a better, more efficacious vehicle to meet and satisfy the need. But the donor’s need is there first; it isn’t invented by the fundraiser.
What donor need is your organization fulfilling?
Tom
2 responses to “Can’t Invent Needs”
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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Ah yes. The concept that the donor does not give TO your organization but rather gives THROUGH your organization to fulfill his or her own aspirations.
Lots of apples to choose from at the market. Macintosh. Granny Smith. Braeburn. Fuji. Different kinds of pippin apples. And many many more. Different varieties, but all apples.
I have interests and feelings. Me, the donor… I already care about stuff. I have aspirations to fulfill. And all those different varieties of nonprofits are there for me to choose from. Which of you can answer MY need, fulfill MY aspirations.
And if you don’t do it well, I can choose another variety…another apple (oops… I meant another nonprofit.)
Tom, great point. I’m always amazed that nonprofits dont make it a point in the donation form to have an open ended field that asks WHY people are giving. Sure there’s a tribute drop down or memoriam. But at that moment, as you take money from people and provide nothing in return, why not at least give the chance to tell their story? (Which should lead to encouraging DIY fundraising and personal web pages but that’s a discussion for another time and place which yet still people don’t want to have.) Blows my mind that no one ever does this.