Celebrate!
We’d like to think that all the generations of women and men who worked, volunteered, sacrificed and, yes, donated through all the decades to create last night’s landmark moment in American history are joyously celebrating wherever they are.
We sure are!
We’ll let the pundits and commentators deal with what Hillary Clinton’s nomination means in terms of the 2016 Presidential Campaign. What we want to recognize — and celebrate — are the millions of ‘donors’ who made this remarkable event possible.
The presidential nomination of the first woman by a major political party is far, far more than the product of the current and sometimes obscene flow of campaign cash from political action committees and special interests.
Hillary Clinton’s nomination is the culmination of more than 100 years of persistent, sustained support for the dream of equality by generations of small donors who refused to quit.
From the suffragists who donated their jewelry to fund the movement for women’s right to vote at a time when most women didn’t have bank accounts of their own … to the millions of selfless, small gifts from teachers, homemakers, secretaries, bookkeepers, and small business owners who sacrificed to advance the movement … to the skilled and innovative pioneers in groups like Emily’s List, the National Organization for Women, the National Women’s Political Caucus, and the Feminist Majority … the engine of change was fueled, not by big money special interests, but by and large by the modest gifts of women themselves.
We have no doubt that for at least the next 100 days the media will be entirely fixated on Donald Trump and white males, ‘swing states’, and what happens next with Bernie and his supporters, and on and on.
What no one — especially fundraisers — should ignore or forget is the significant role generations of committed and persistent donors played in this historic smashing of the glass ceiling.
Whatever your personal politics, celebrate and honor these donors.
Roger and Tom
10 responses to “Celebrate!”
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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You are so right to celebrate donors who give to political causes, without any thought of charitable deductions. They do so to make a difference, and this should be recognized and appreciated. Thank you!
Lamentations, in fact, are due. This nomination is testimony that, though you can’t fool all of the people all of the time, you can fool enough of them to win a presidential nomination.
That Hillary person is the most qualified candidate to run for president in decades. This country is sexist and racist and homophobic and classist and…. Not everyone is. But the “country/society” are. We don’t change unless we change. And to change means to elect MORE people of color and MORE women. Until we embrace that research-based fact….
A moment in history. A moment where the US is catching up with so much of the rest of the world. Thank you, Agitator, for noticing, embracing, commenting, acknowledging…. I expect no less from you. I expect and you deliver deliver and deliver. Thank you.
All of us do not agree with your political position. Thank God, Donald Trump chose Mike Pence.
Thank you Roger and Tom, for celebrating! I also deeply honor the amazing work, time, energy, sacrifices, gifts large and small – of countless women thru the years that have brought us to this moment in time.
This is not a place to argue politics. It is a place to acknowledge the decades of effort it’s taken for an American woman to actually be nominated for President. Hurray!
Yes, Simone, sexism is rampant in this country and we’ll see it come out even uglier (if possible?) in the next few months. But now, at this point, let’s celebrate!
1 more comment–Hillary’s acceptance speech was extraordinary!
Margaret Thatcher became prime minister of England in 1979.
Golda Meir became prime minister of Israel on March 17, 1969. She left Milwaukee in 1906 to live there.
Cleopatra became ruler of Egypt before Christ was born (different rules back then of course).
It’s about time we had a woman as the presidential nominee. Although, I was surprised that she opted for a white man for VP. Maybe he has copies of her emails. 🙂
The power of many small gifts to make change happen is unappreciated … even by boards! Thank you, Roger and Tom, for capturing that particular lightning in your Agitator bottle. The story’s the same for so many remarkable efforts: Greenpeace, Oxfam, Save the Children, so many more (you’ve worked on lots of them). Each started as a small group of people trying to make change against huge odds … and untold millions of small donors responded over the years to further the work. What say, ye, lads? Shall we launch a National Small Donors Day? They deserve more credit.
“Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.” ~ Margaret Mead
I join in the celebrations – for small donors, for change that comes are the result of years of hard work, for the patience it takes to see it through.
This is history-making.
Regardless of your political views, this shattering of the ultimate glass ceiling in the United States benefits us all…whether or not you’re a Hillary Clinton supporter. This is so so so much bigger than her. So please– save the lamentations and political disagreements for another day. It’s disrespectful to everyone who fought so hard to get to this historic moment.