Cell Phones & Fundraising
Pew Internet Research has released survey results indicating that 40% of adult American cell phone owners now use their cell phones to access the internet, email, or instant messaging.
34% (up from 25% in 2009) use their cellphones to access email. With outbound email appeals still the workhorse of online fundraising, I’m wondering what challenges this trend might present.
I tend to think of accessing email via cell phone as a “backstop” when I’m on the run or my computer is unavailable. Not the best time for me to receive or deal with a substantive message like a fundraising appeal. I’d be more inclined to hit “delete” than save.”
Beyond the “not the right time to reach me” resistance is the fact that, if I were open to the fundraising message, I’d want to see it well-presented … graphics, images, even video. Online fundraisers will find it a technical challenge to deliver these “rich” messages to multiple cell phone platforms in the first place, and even if they succeed, surely the micro-screen isn’t the optimum window for viewing them.
But I’m open to the argument that my resistance might be a generational thing. Indeed 52% of 18-29 year-olds use their cell phones to send and receive email, compared to 22% of those 50-64 and 11% of those 65-plus.
And more directly to the point, 19% of those under-30 say they have made charitable donations via text, compared to 8% of those 50-64 and 4% of those 65-plus.
When it comes to mobile donations, clearly I’m not one of the early-adopters in my age cohort!
Tom
One response to “Cell Phones & Fundraising”
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 […]
Read Full Answer
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 […]
Read Full Answer
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 […]
Read Full Answer
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 […]
Read Full Answer
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 […]
Read Full Answer
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 […]
Read Full Answer
Tom – What is interesting about this conundrum is how few nonprofits actually consider the cell phone view in their appeals. Most do not even spend time thinking about their audience viewing on a cell phone and take no precautions or extra steps to target that audience. Also, viewing an email on the cell phone can be an advantage when a donor is headed home or checking with his family; when he is more inclined to read the entire message rather than checking during work when his/her brain is full of other things. Lastly, a nonprofit that uses email solicitations to target donors should have between solicitation emails that offer updates, ideas, inquiries, ask for advice, and solicit feedback and opinions — so donors should be comfortable with the newsletter long before the actual solicitation comes on the phone.