Converting Online “Supporters” To Donors
Here’s the kind of “case history” I love to see … fundraising practitioners sharing hard data about a successful approach with their colleagues.Is it a “commercial” for the firm that devised the program? You bet! And good for them. This kind of concrete advice, with hard data to support, lifts the game for all of us.In this case, Fundraising Success reports (and before them, NTEN) the online cultivation and conversion program designed by Common Knowledge with their client International Fund for Animal Welfare.The strategy involves using an intensive email communications stream in the immediate weeks after a new “supporter” signs on (ten messages over five weeks), ultimately aiming towards a fundraising ask. The premise underlying the strategy, based on plenty of evidence from online retailers, is that you must interact early and often to capitalize on that initial — perhaps fragile — expression of interest if you wish to build a bond with the customer” and make a sale. The tactics and results are detailed here.Bottomline: 83% increase in conversion to donors. Wouldn’t you like to see that result in your online fundraising program?!Now there’s a lot about the IFAW experience that you would want to test for your own nonprofit in terms of pacing, frequency and messaging. Plus, you should do your testing against a control group. If there’s a “flaw” in what Common Knowledge reports, it’s that results of their program are benchmarked against a year-previous time period when no intensive communications stream was applied. Arguably other factors could be at work given this time lapse and the different fundraising climate and messaging that might have existed.Still, the conversion results are impressive in their own right, and the data is there for you to see.So, we’re going to give Common Knowledge and their IFAW client a raise!Tom
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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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If you think that giving away all the info in the NTEN article (republished by Fundraising Success) was bold, you’ll likely appreciate the white paper. Campaign stats and screenshots are included in the eight page PDF: http://commonknow.com/html/download-whitepaper.php (light registration required).
Thanks for your post. We’re delighted to be a part of the online fundraising conversation.