Fundraising’s Top Ten
Friday’s Fundraising Day in New York was terrific. Attendance up from last year and lots of enthusiasm and, even more importantly, plenty of optimism.
After a simply wonderful luncheon speech (and there aren’t many of those at these sorts of events) by Geoffrey Canada, head of The Harlem Children’s Zone, I decided to pack a doggie bag with the dessert that followed— Fundraising Day In New York’s equivalent to Letterman’s Top Ten.
You Know Fundraising is Improving When . . .
10. Donors stop asking for change back from their dollar.
9. Tiger Woods agrees to text all his friends to support your golf event.
8. Toyota offers to make a donation to your organization for every gas pedal they fix.
7. Your annual women’s tea party luncheon attracts 1,000 tea party members.
6. Kate Gosslin is the host of your new “Dancing with the Donors” event.
5. Sarah Ferguson becomes your new Director of Donor Relations.
4. When you learn by an off-hand remark that your staff is using Sarah Palin’s new book: The Guide to FR in Russia, A View From My Back Porch
3. BP offers to sponsor the “Chocolate Fountain” at your gala dinner.
2. Betty White agrees to be Chair of your Young Professionals group.
1. Your Board approves a new “Fundraising Stimulus” program that requires all of them to contribute.
Roger
6 responses to “Fundraising’s Top Ten”
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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Hi Roger
Besides, always a pleasure to read your stuff tainted by your great sense of humor.
Philippe
(Montreal)
We should all be so lucky as to have Betty White chair the young professionals group! Age is just a number, especially with her!
Thanks Roger for today’s chuckle … and the number one reason … if it were only true!
Roger,
Thanks! I also appreciated the wonderful humor and a reason to chuckle!
Number one is also my favorite of the top ten. It’s up to us to make it true!
Roger, You started my morning with a laugh! Thanks so much.
With the poor direction that BP has #3 would sound like a good idea to them.
Funny though….Very funny!