Did You Make Them Feel Good?
Hopefully as 2012 ends, your year-end fundraising has gone gangbusters!
One HUGE 3-day weekend left.
If it hasn’t gone so well, ask yourself these questions …
How well do you know your donor? Did you make them feel good?
Sure, in retrospect, you might have tried this or that different tactic … maybe a 3x matching gift instead of a mere 2x would have turned the tide. Or a bigger Donate button.
But more likely, if your returns are disappointing, you probably weren’t standing in your donor’s shoes when you (or your henchmen) crafted the appeal. What did your appeal promise your donor that would have made him or her feel good about giving? As you re-read your messaging, if that promise doesn’t hit you hard, right in the chest, then your problem is clear.
You haven’t figured out yet that giving is about the giver.
So, whether you’re feeling good — or not so good — about your returns, or those you’ve helped produce for your clients, make this New Year’s Resolution now … “I’m making 2013 the year of the giver.”
All the best to you and your givers — may you together have a rewarding year ahead.
We’ll do our part. We look forward to more agitating with you.
Roger & Tom
One response to “Did You Make Them Feel Good?”
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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Fundraising that works does one thing well…
Did You Make Them Feel Good? That’s the main question to ask about your fundraising, as posed by The Agitator. Did you make it about the donor? Did you make it clear that sending a gift would enrich and empower them? Fundraising that doesn’t do well,…