Don’t Forget The Love
I’m already noticing it in my mail box, and I’m sure you are too … it’s mid-November and the flood of “year-end” fundraising appeals — the feeding frenzy — has begun.
Most of us will receive more appeals in the next 46 days than we have in the preceding 319.
Forget donor “cultivation” and “relationship building” … it’s pay-off time!
No point in regrets. If your nonprofit doesn’t clamor for your share of the pot, make no mistake, it will go to someone else.
That said, just two comments …
First, what are you doing that has any remote chance of making your appeals stand out from the tide that is about to wash over your donors (and prospects)?
Second, does expressing appreciation fit into your strategy? Lest relationship building be entirely lost in the feeding frenzy, take a look at Beat the statistics by falling in love with your donors by Pamela Grow, writing in the SOFII blog.
Good luck with your year-end efforts!
Tom
One response to “Don’t Forget The Love”
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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These are great points. We’ve stressed in our work with nonprofits the importance of incorporating story into appeals to emotionally engage the reader. However, we don’t have many good examples of great appeal letters, especially those that utilize stories. Are there any good examples we can point nonprofits to online?
Thanks for another great post.
Kevin