Do You Read?
Have you read a book lately about some aspect of your nonprofit marketing or communications or management craft? Or about broader social trends that might influence the future of your cause or charity? Or about the psychology, sociology or even physiology that shapes behaviors like joining and giving?
In a post about the value of business books, marketing maven Seth Godin laments “our bizarre national fear of reading.” He makes the point that most of us would certainly avoid going to a doctor who said she hadn't read a scholarly article since graduating from med school. Godin notes that the average per capita hardcover book purchase is … one!
Why read “business” books? Not because each one will contain brilliant insights that transform your professional life. Rather, because it's a superb way to ensure that your brain is turned on. And “brain on” is a pleasant and rewarding state of mind.
If you're not reading a book a month relevant to your work — not just a news article or blog post (as valuable as The Agitator knows those are!) — you oughta be fired!
Roger & Tom
P.S. Wanna join our Readers Club? Send us a list of the most helpful or stimulating 2,3,10, whatever “business” books you've read and we'll add them to a “recommended reading” list to provide on The Agitator. Thanks.
One response to “Do You Read?”
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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At a very basic level, how about agitating for “Non-profit” to be one of the main categories in the bookstores. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Barnes and Noble, Borders, or most independent bookstores – I usually find myself looking in business , or sales, or management trying to find what I’m looking for.
It’s one of the things that limits the non-profit sector, it doesn’t even know where to find itself in the bookstore, much less buy a book to read.
Regards,
Bill Huddleston, CFC Expert
http://www.cfcfundraising.com