Does Election Make A Difference?
In fundraising terms, does the outcome of the U.S. presidential election matter to your nonprofit?
Depending on who wins, are you expecting …
- A stock market crash, choking off your year-end major gifts?
- A stock market boom, fueling better than expected contributions?
- A spike in bequest awards, reflecting a spike in heart failures?
- A major political assault on everything you hold dear … and does that mean good times or bad for your fundraising? And what will you do differently in response?
- A political validation of everything you hold dear … and does that mean good times or bad for your fundraising? And what will you do differently in response?
- Donor exhaustion, suppressing year-end returns and — horror of horrors — ruining #GivingTuesday?
- Back to ‘business as usual’ for your nonprofit?
- A week of panic on the part of your Board and CEO, then back to ‘business as usual’ for your nonprofit?
Have you thought about the fundraising impact of the outcome at all?
Or is it simply one of those uncontrollables, like a giant meteor crashing into the planet?
Tom
4 responses to “Does Election Make A Difference?”
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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While the election might have a mild impact on philanthropy in the very short-term, history teaches us it is unlikely to have a significant short-term effect.
In the long-term, the policies implemented by the winner are what will impact philanthropy. In particular, tax policy and economic development policy have the potential to be significant philanthropy drivers.
For an analysis of the tax proposals of the various presidential candidates and the Speaker of the House, read my post “Should You Worry about Election Year Tax Plans” — https://michaelrosensays.wordpress.com/2016/07/07/should-you-worry-about-election-year-tax-plans/
For an analysis of how contributions to political campaigns impacts philanthropic donations, read my post “Will Charitable Giving Suffer Because of the Election?” — https://michaelrosensays.wordpress.com/2016/04/15/will-charitablegiving-suffer-because-of-the-election/#more-3352
Unfortunately, the one looming issue that none of the candidates has addressed in a meaningful way is our National Debt, now closing in on $20 trillion. The failure to address the coming debt crisis will one day have a massive impact on philanthropy. I explored this coming storm and shared several tips when I wrote “Are You Ready for the Coming Storm” (in 2015 when the debt was at $18 trillion) — https://michaelrosensays.wordpress.com/2015/01/09/are-you-ready-for-the-coming-storm/#more-2698
Here’s my bottom-line: Philanthropy will be just fine in the short-term. But, a storm is coming.
“If voting made any difference, they wouldn’t let us do it.” — author unknown
For Michael Rosen …
“If voting made any difference they wouldn’t let us do it.”
Mark Twain
“Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.”
George Bernard Shaw
I do believe the outcome of the election could have a significant impact, for all of the reasons Michael mentions above. In addition, “passion” is a strong motivator for giving, and if we believe the values we hold dear are at risk, people will be willing and moved to give more. For example, if we believe women’s rights are at risk, it will motivate donors who are passionate about that issue.
Here’s the post I wrote on the topic for today: http://www.amyeisenstein.com/nonprofit-sector-bending-toward-justice-or-moving-backwards/
Tom, I apologize for nerding out on you, but… The quote I shared, that you attributed to Mark Twain, is not in fact from Twain. The Snopes website looked closely at the quote and could find no evidence Twain ever said or wrote it. While it does sound like him, none of the sites that attribute the quote to him have provided any reference information. So, it’s source unknown.