Go Ahead, Say It!
On Monday, in his No More Mr Nice Guy rant (to which I subscribe) about the inadequacies of present day fundraising, Roger let slip just how long we’ve been at this business … 41 years.
And we know many of you are thinking of us as, well, old farts … but are just too polite to say so.
From Dilbert, how does this resonate … ?
Modem? How modern! We’re even older.
The first segmentation tool we used was a deck of large-sized index cards, one for each donor, with pertinent data points represented by holes punched around the edges of the cards. By sticking a giant rod (think: knitting needle) through the pertinent hole in the deck (e.g., the hole #24 representing “gave over $100”) and lifting out whichever cards were captured, you segmented the file.
Beat that!
Roger will be fundraising even when he needs a walker and must hang his iPad and iPhone on a cord around his neck. I’ll be following with the knitting needles.
United in believing that while the tools and channels of fundraising change, the underlying human motivations do not.
Tom
10 responses to “Go Ahead, Say It!”
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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Dear Tom and Roger
Just wanted to say a huge thanks for all the effort that you put into getting out your daily blog. I read it first thing every morning and find it inspires and motivates me to keep pushing up the bar! The Fundraising community in Cape Town and South Africa is relatively small compared to Europe and the US and there isn’t the same kind of respect for fundraisers within the NGO sector. You make me feel part of a bigger, global family and I thank you for this.
Best wishes
Sarah
Aren’t we all … but the good basics of fundraising still count no matter what your age … and sometimes that gets overlooked when folks start looking at the next new and exciting idea or product 🙂
Truly marvelous. 🙂
I believe by the time Roger is using a walker, you will not be anywhere near knitting needles…at the nursing home they keep you away from sharp objects.
How do I “like” this? 😉
I carried a big pink suitcase around cities of the Midwest filled with pledge cards for Cornell Phonathons. It embarrased my colleagues but it was never lost.
We seem to have a culture that looks at the world around them as the other side: “Us vs. Them”. I think power of experience is extraordinary. I also think that there are equally powerful young/er minds out there with skills, experience and a perspective that should be heard.
Perhaps someday both “sides” will spend less time devaluing the other “side” and instead invest that energy in doing great things.
Laurie has it right…it’s about the application of the 30 (or 40) year experience to new channels that will win the day. It’s difficult to think like those 20 years younger; but we can sure leverage one another’s knowledge and together improve our results.
Too funny! Just when you feel like a hampster on a wheel trying to keep up with all the changes, Tom and Roger break it down for you to a realistic view that is attainable still.
I remember using those knitting needles!
And learning how to keypunch, and the first time an IBM selectric was used on a timeshare main frame. It was so cool! No more keypunching cards.
But now someone will have to wring my little laptop PC and wireless Lan from my cold dead hands, or whatever tech comes our way in the future!