Donors Need To Give
Here are three takes I’ve recently come across on the ‘needs’ of donors/ customers.
Moving from the sublime to the practical to the humorous …
Writing in Fundraising Success, Richard Perry is the most inspiring, and his perceptions are well-previewed by his article’s title: Donors Need to Give More Than You Need the Money!
Perry says that donors “give with joy”. Giving adds liberating significance to the work people do to accumulate money. As Perry puts it:
“When they give, they transfer their talent and labor to the cause your organization represents by giving the money their work has earned …
“This allows your donors to truly serve others because the portion of their earnings they give to your organization is the portion of their labor transferred to a special place outside themselves. And that transaction, whatever it is, makes their jobs more meaningful.”
He quotes Maya Angelou: “I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.” Fundraisers merely assist that process.
Making this focus on enabling the donor a bit more practical, Jeff Brooks writes about FFY — Fundraising From Yourself. Talking about what you (the asker) needs. No better way to bore your donors to death. As Jeff says, “Connect with donors — not yourself.”
Even Dilbert ‘gets’ the customer-centric idea …
Are you in the ‘psychological manipulation business? Are you an FFY-er? Or are you offering your donors an opportunity to do what they deeply need to do?
Tom
One response to “Donors Need To Give”
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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You even quote Maya Angelou? Gotta love you guys … 🙂