Giving Plus
According to Philanthropy Today, 
Bob Wilson, a truly dedicated environmentalist, has announced his intention to give $100 million each to Environmental Defense, The Nature Conservancy, the Wildlife Conservation Society and the World Monuments Fund, with the proviso that each group match his gift with other fundraising.
From my Environmental Defense days, I know Bob is an original. He demands performance from the charities he supports, on both the program and management sides of the house, but at the same time welcomes risk-taking. And anyone who's been in a Board meeting with him or shared a document for his review knows that when they invented the term “cut to the chase,” they were assuredly inspired by Bob!
Requiring a match for his gifts (usually stipulating new, incremental gifts) has been Bob's way of helping — indeed prodding — his chosen beneficiaries to raise the bar for themselves, their other major donors and prospects, and even their grassroots donors in ED's case. Obviously it's not a concept original to Bob, but applied on his scale and with his rigor, what huge impact it has. More major donors should follow suit.
I have no doubt that ED will meet Bob's challenge and reap the $200 million benefit.
Thanks Bob!
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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