Fundraising While Rioting
On Wednesday I was glued to the TV cursing-while-crying as the Trump Mob attacked and ransacked the U.S. Capitol.
Two hours into the attack—during the attack—an iPhone alert sounded. The text message, topped by a photo of D.C. cops pushing against some rioters and bearing the headline “This is What We Are Up Against”, contained not the latest news from the New York Times or CNN; rather a fully developed fundraising appeal along with a proper landing page. but a fundraising appeal.
The message:
Roger, The U.S. Capitol is on lockdown as Trump protesters attempt a coup on the United States Government. We cannot believe we even had to write that sentence. This is what we are up against. Any violence and unrest is a direct result of Donald Trump and his fellow Republican traitors. We have to take our country back and unseat every last Republican that has fanned the flames of sedition. Chip in now at https://tinyurl.com/yyadxbp8.
Several reactions struck me simultaneously. And right after I wondered what Agitator would think of this appeal. So, I’m sharing my initial reactions with you and hoping you’ll share yours.
My Reactions:
- Wow! That’s some fast work. This assault is still active.
The copywriter and fundraising management parts of my brain kicked in with admiration that a person or team could get this appeal out so quickly—literally within minutes of the launch of this horrible riot.
- WTF: 1– This is tastelessly opportunistic.
My learned behavior – especially good taste and dignity—sprung to immediate action as I wondered, “Is this really in good taste and should they be doing this now”.
Almost as quickly I reminded myself that I often give fundraising advice to strike while the iron is hot. Don’t delay as I noted in this post Get ‘em While The Greif is Hot
- WTF: 2– I want to get these bastards.
My mental barriers of good taste and dignity didn’t hold. In seconds, as I read the copy, I was ready to act, ready to fight back. Ready to do my part to smite the bastards. And what better way than to turn the offending Republicans out of office.
And so…this political action committee (PAC) that’s relatively new and that I’ve never heard of –it’s called No Democrat Left Behind , got my donation.
I’m still somewhat in awe over the speed in which they got this appeal out. However they chose the email list they nailed it where my interests are concerned. And from the standpoint of this donors psychology they nailed it in terms of relevance of topic and donor agency in terms of giving me some control or ability to take personal action to help in response to a horrific event.
Your Reactions, Please
What’s your reaction? Please share.
Roger
24 responses to “Fundraising While Rioting”
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 […]
Read Full Answer
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 […]
Read Full Answer
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 […]
Read Full Answer
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 […]
Read Full Answer
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 […]
Read Full Answer
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 […]
Read Full Answer
Great work on their behalf and we need this PAC. I too had never heard of it. But they are correct we need to get those 147 horrible immoral people out of office. I just signed up but did not give because I want to see if they are also pro-choice. Thanks Roger!
Kath
They call it “newsjacking.” It can be incredibly effective.
But they do not say how they are going to solve the problem. They do not say how they are going to put your contribution to work. Likely a high response rate but I suspect they will have low retention.
Their speed is amazing. I like that. I am envious and so glad you shared this. I will sign up too.
Thanks, Roger, for showing you get “confused”, too. Thanks for fighting for justice. And and…
Simone, I too was glad to see that even the best sometimes have that initial WTF reaction…and then go back into what we have been taught/teach others. Very resassuring!
Wow! Impressive Roger. Speed’s often of the essence for fundraisers and some opportunities just won’t hang around for us to get our act together. Years ago, as a young fundraiser for an international aid charity, I and my agency were geared up to respond instantly to a disaster wherever and whenever it occurred. We had a plan in place for rapid response whenever needed, at the weekend or through the night, and could and did often mount an appeal in hours, not days. We don’t see that capacity often these days, even in causes that could make great use of it. Shame, because rapid response high adrenalin fundraising is among the best fun fundraisers can have, while remaining decent. Well done PAC.
I agree with Ken. Speed is of the essence. The problem with so many organizations working on behalf of democracy is that they’re going to fall into the “Is this really in good taste and should we be doing this now?” camp. But we’ve been playing by the rules for far too long. And look where it’s gotten us.
The threat to democracy is not over by a long shot. We’ve got to take steps to legally cripple the rampant disinformation created by the right. And we’ve simply got to be more effective – and more timely – messengers.
Apparently Sen. Hawley was fund raising from lock down. There’s a balance between taste and timelines, maybe. If this had been a larger well known org like the ACLU I think we might see this as incredible. I suspect the unseemly feeling comes from these folks being a unknown PAC, and those are unseemly in many ways. That said, I don’t think I’ve gotten one email from a c3 on this yet.
“Chip in” seems uninspiring.
Interesting conundrum… I saw a different take from 501c3’s… some of them immediately turned off digital media ads for fear of appearing tone deaf. I think that was an unwise overreaction b/c in the heat of the moment people may be looking for ways to “get back at Trump” by supporting issues he’s known to oppose (especially if they are already donors) or to find a positive way to channel fury. And these paused ads were in no way political. I can see where certain channels (ie. text) would be perceived as opportunistic (even if they work wonderfully well) but for non-political fundraisers to fear brand reputation harm while PACs and others fully exploit the situation, seemed overly cautious.
I can’t get through any day without at least one act of blatant hypocrisy. But being nauseous over Senators Cruz and Hawley sending fundraising emails during the riots lands me on tasteless opportunism even when it’s a Dem PAC doing the deed. An earthquake or school shooting somehow seems different than an attempted coup. (Forgive me, Roger, for I have sinned.)
I think I’m with you Ken. I responded better to the immediate requests to call my Senators and Representatives and responded very poorly to the requests for money in the moment based on what they were asking for money for. If they were organizing a mass mobilization to head to DC immediately and needed the funding for doing that, I would have considered a donation. Or filing a lawsuit. But I needed some substance that was a real plan for dealing with this mess.
As an ex-DM agency leader, I’m in awe of the turn-around time which is a small production miracle. It’s almost as if they were monitoring the domestic terrorists’ web sites and knew exactly when to hit ‘send.’ And the tie-in of the headline with the ‘barrier’ photo is powerful copywriting. I agree with Shana, however, in that they fell short here by not telling prospects what they will do with the funds they raise; if you’re going to do the appeal–no matter how quickly–you’ve got to cover ALL the bases.
Once you said this was for a Democrat PAC, it made more sense. I can’t see that this would work in any other setting; with that one message, you’ve just alienated any Republican donors, anyone who voted for Trump and/or for Republicans in recent years….anyone who has non-rioting, sensical friends and family who fit those profiles. This just looks alienating and mongering to me. I would appreciate a message that used this photo and explored a “we really are as divided as we feel…but you can still make a difference…” type of rhetoric.
I have stopped donating because I am being flooded by emails from PAC/Orgs that I have never heard from and know nothing about. Too many for me to research and I am concerned that it might be a scam.
I also got a text. As a 35-year fundraiser and a long-time leftie, I was not pleased. I think they could have at least waited until the situation looked less dire. I wonder how we would feel if one of our Senators had been hurt or killed? They didn’t know that by 9pm the Joint Session would re-convene….none of us did. Timing is important and I felt like it was too early.
Very much agreed. I appreciate that point about how we didn’t know how events would unfold, and how that would align with when someone opened these emails or texts.
Honesty, my first reaction was – here’s yet another unauthorized use of a photograph. In this case one made by AP photographer Julio Cortez who risked his neck to capture an important image, which was then used for fundraising purposes without attribution and likely without permission.
So no, I won’t “chip in” to help this organization.
We immediately ceased calling the one Democratic political organization we were on the phones at the time. In the midst of an insurrection to thwart the election of a new President it would be highly inappropriate to ask people to donate to the party. There was justifiable criticism of both Cruz and Hawley for sending out fundraising tweets and emails while people were dying in the Capitol.
It also underscores the importance of knowing your audience.
Some very valid points here – first introduced by Shana.
Since I sign up for LOTS of emails and alerts from a very wide variety of organizations, I receive several of these ALERT ALERT WE MUST ACT NOW messages. High on emotion, low on information.
When I have time, my response is “How are you going to use these donations?” I have yet to receive a response…
1. That was such a highly emotionally charged time and I agree with it being tasteless to ask for money in the midst of the riot. Both sides are tasteless in that case.
2. They say nothing about how they are going to use your money. It took me a few seconds to even figure out who I would be donating to. That looks shady to me and I would do research before donating.
I appreciate this article for the concise opportunity it presented for my team to discuss how we are using (or pausing) our communications channels during times of crisis or emergency. I just had a great chat with our community engagement team, turning over questions about when it would be appropriate for us to clear our channels in deference to crisis, when we should be responding directly or sharing responses from other, and what events might present us with appropriate opportunities to catalyze community support. Thanks for inspiring a great discussion!