Online fundraising and marketing

Year-end Results

We’re seeing some discussion by fundraising consultants of their clients’ year-end results. Here are two examples … M+R Strategic Services (look for "Ups & Downs of Online Giving") talks about theirs … with interesting results from Oxfam America. And Nick Allen of Donordigital makes some observations about number of gifts remaining steady, while average gifts […]

Learn More February 5, 2009

Online Fundraisers: The Eyes Have It

Here is a provocative piece of advice for online fundraisers from copywriting maven Jerry Huntsinger, an Agitator guest writer. Jerry argues that — first and foremost — websites need to feature emotion, not information. But information is the focus of too many nonprofit websites, especially their key landing pages, where the initial battle to engage […]

Learn More February 3, 2009

A Remarkable Statistic

Last week The Agitator devoted a great deal of attention to social networking sites and their importance to fundraisers … though I submit that — despite lots of "be my nonprofit’s friend" and "support my walk for …" fundraising experiments — no one has yet found the key to unlocking this potential. Here, from TechCrunch, […]

Learn More February 2, 2009

More Value From Missionaries

This week I’ve pitched the importance of leveraging your "missionaries" with new social networking tools as a fundraising strategy. I’ve also suggested ways to identify which of the 10-15% of your donors might be your missionaries. But missionaries have an additional value beyond any direct personal fundraising they might do. I submit that they are […]

Learn More January 30, 2009

How Find Your Missionaries

OK, I’ve been harping for a few days on harnessing your nonprofit’s "missionaries" — and empowering them with online social marketing tools — to bolster your fundraising efforts. So, Agitator reader Patricia Perkins asked me, how would I find my missionaries in the first place? Great question. Were I starting from scratch, here’s what I’d […]

Learn More January 29, 2009

Cause-Marketing On Social Nets

We’ve been talking lately about using social nets like Facebook and MySpace as “enablers” that can equip a nonprofit’s strongest supporters – your missionaries – to help fundraise for your cause. In this instance, your nonprofit would be reaching out to its most committed supporters online and asking for help. The approach is grounded upon […]

Learn More January 28, 2009

New Math For Fundraisers – II

Yesterday I offered a hypothetical New Math for Fundraisers scenario where very committed donors (only the 15% who are self-described missionaries) are matched with an easy-to-use tool (assuming, per Pew Research, that one-third use sites like MySpace or Facebook) to conduct a whopper of a personal fundraising campaign. I further assumed that half the donors […]

Learn More January 27, 2009

New Math For Fundraisers

Here’s a fundraising scenario and projection for you to play with. Assume your nonprofit has 100,000 active donors, 15% of whom are "missionaries" — that’s the proportion of donors who, in our DonorTrends survey, consider themselves active recruiters for at least one cause or charity they support. Your nonprofit might have a bigger or smaller […]

Learn More January 26, 2009

Spaceship Broken – Need Parts

I’ll bet most fundraisers — together with each and every commercial marketer on the planet — will send out more email solicitations in 2009 than you ever have before. The email In-boxes of prospects and donors will be inundated as never before. How can you help your email campaigns penetrate the e-chaos and be more […]

Learn More January 23, 2009

More Caution Re Online Social Nets

Yesterday I suggested that fundraisers not go overboard with the resources you devote at this stage to social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn. Here is some more caution. As reported by Mediapost, a recent study by market research firm IDG found that members of social networks tended to click on ads less than […]

Learn More January 21, 2009

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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