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Donor retention / loyalty / commitment

At Last! A CRM System Designed For Retention

No sooner had Tom reported the grim facts contained in the AFP’s 2012 Fundraising Effectiveness Report than we received news that should brighten many hearts. Before delivering the good news, here’s a nutshell summary of what the AFP found that, in Tom’s words, “drives home the futility of pouring newly acquired donors into leaky buckets.” […]

Learn More October 24, 2012

Invitation: 2nd US Donor Commitment Study

We wanted to give Agitator readers advance notice of – and an early opportunity to participate in – the 2012 U.S. National Survey on Donor Commitment. Following the successful pattern of last year’s study in the US and this summer’s in the UK, loyalty and commitment among acquisition donors to 50 organizations will be analyzed […]

Learn More September 19, 2012

Year-End Fundraising

Writing at Connection Cafe recently, Sara Spivey offered these suggestions for getting your year-end fundraising act together … now! As Sara outlines … September Conduct a database audit: make sure supporter records are up to date and identify any missing data records and amend them Make sure you have email, street addresses and phone numbers […]

Learn More September 10, 2012

Lessons From Mitt

Mitt Romney and the Republican National Convention own the political headlines this week. So I thought it was timely to pass along some info on how the Romney campaign is using the marketing tools we fundraisers employ. First is an article on Romney’s data mining. Does this sound familiar? “The project relies upon a sophisticated […]

Learn More August 29, 2012

Acxiom On Driving Customer (Donor) Retention

Here are some results of a study regarding customer loyalty completed by the customer data powerhouse, Acxiom. This study is well worth a read. Acxiom was surveying corporate marketers, but the case made regarding customer retention and how to build it applies 100% to fundraisers, and the refrain is the same as we all hear […]

Learn More August 27, 2012

Flat Earth Fundraising: Catch & Release Fishing

Too many direct response fundraisers, many of whom should know better, continue to resort to acquisition techniques that only serve to camouflage the erosion and dry rot destroying long-term donor performance and value. Whether it’s the over-use of premiums or the increasing dependence on cooperative databases (see piece in Direct Marketing News), the amount of […]

Learn More August 9, 2012

Stop thinking

My third, and final, recommendation on actions to take at this mid-point in the year is simply this:  stop thinking. I’m not suggesting you cease using your considerable cerebral powers, but rather when it comes improving your bottom line results I do want to recommend a new type of thinking.  And that means you need […]

Learn More July 11, 2012

Is Blackbaud Too Nice?

Fundraisers devote a lot of energy – probably too much – to social media, mobile and the next new thing. We neglect to our detriment strategic focus and concern about the important and fundamental ‘plumbing’ of contemporary fundraising – the database, CRM, eCRM platforms and other fundraising software applications. No matter how sparkling, shiny, fun […]

Learn More June 5, 2012

Should You Drop Me From Your Email List?

I get fundraising emails regularly from nonprofits to whom I haven’t contributed in years … in one case, about 6+ years. From their perspective, when — if ever — should they give up on me? Since I give mostly to advocacy groups, perhaps I confuse them. I’ll respond to the occasional action alert, if I […]

Learn More May 4, 2012

Why Donors Tune You Out

Mark Phillips at Bluefrog has written an excellent post called Why donors don’t want to hear from you. I heartily commend it to you. He cites survey data that shows donors are quite sensitive to charities using inaccurate personal data in their communications. For example: 20% of respondents would stop giving to charities that used […]

Learn More April 30, 2012

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Ask A Behavioral Scientist

    Behavioral Science Q & A

    Q: As a designer who works with non-profits on fundraising strategy, I see the language like the following: “Our supporters help empower every girl, ensuring she has the resources she needs.” I do not think the word “help” is useful–I think “Our supporters empower every girl, ensuring she has the resources she needs. ” is much more engaging. Thoughts?

    Whether “help” is more engaging or not really depends on the framing and context. The word help can sometimes weaken the perceived agency of the supporter, making their role feel secondary rather than central (your point). On the other hand, help can also signal collaboration rather than implying full ownership of the outcome, which might […]

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    Q: We started offering a donor cover option last april 1. The data to date suggests this may be dampening giving.eg. those who say yes to donor cover have a lower average gift (based on analysis of 6000+ gifts). I’m wondering if those who give lower gifts feel more guilt and therefore say yes to donor cover or if the presence of donor cover is making people adjust (lower) their gift size to accommodate the extra 3%. Would love any insights you have.

    Great question! Here’s how behavioral science can help unpack what might be happening: Pain of Paying: Even a small extra charge can make giving feel more transactional than emotional, potentially reducing generosity. Fairness Concerns: Some donors might perceive donor cover as a surcharge rather than a contribution to the cause. If they feel the charity […]

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    Q: When writing an appeal, I waffle back and forth between writing “Your gift CAN…” or “Your gift WILL…” Any studies of which of these two words is best for an appeal?

    The choice between “Your gift CAN…” and “Your gift WILL…” taps into the psychological framing of certainty vs. possibility. Currently, there is no academic research directly comparing these two framings in charitable appeals. However, I suspect no framing is universally better—the outcome likely depends on your target audience and the campaign’s goal. Here are some thoughts: Certainty Framing – […]

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    Q: Do you have any insight on whether integrating an individual giving appeal with other comms from the charity in both appearance and messaging can uplift results? Or does the actual appeal become ‘lost’ for lack of stand-out?

    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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    Q: Is there any research on response rate impact in direct mail when referring to a sustainer gift as ongoing or recurring (catching all frequencies) v. monthly or annual?

    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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    Q: A major conservation nonprofit sends me lots of mail, many of which have on the envelope “time to renew” or “2nd notice.” I find this practice deceptive, especially as I haven’t given to said organization since 1997. It must be effective or they wouldn’t do it. But is it ethical?

    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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