Greek Fundraising
For a few days now I’ve been cursing Jeff Brooks at Future Fundraising Now for his post titled Best Church Fundraising Ever.
The truth is, his post — apart from being absolutely correct about fundraising — is truly mouth-watering. But I can’t be at the Greek Festival he’s talking about; I can only imagine it.
Here’s the appeal, delivered as an insert in the St Demetrios church newsletter …
And here’s what Jeff so rightly comments:
“This isn’t the work of a fundraising expert. Just someone close to the cause who knows what the festival requires and needs to get the job done.
If more fundraising were built around specific realities like that, we’d be raising a lot more money. Can you find ways to connect your donors so directly and specifically to your cause? Give it a shot.”
Amen!
Tom
3 responses to “Greek Fundraising”
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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To be this direct I think there must be a strong feeling of being a community and ‘sharing’ the problem.
Share, the Newton, MA based telemarketing firm, has long worked with The Appalachian Mountain Club on their annual Spring Trails fundraising effort.
Every year, the membership based outdoors organization raises money to help clear about 1,500 miles of hiking trails after the usual harsh northeastern winters. The appeal is very focused on specific asks based on the needs of trail crews, from $42 for an axe, all the way up to $850 for a Wall Tent, or $1,500 for a 250 watt generator.
We always find that these tangible items give AMC members and supporters that we speak to a very clear idea of the needs of the Spring Trails campaign (being close to those usually harsh winters doesn’t hurt, either!). Every year, AMC’s creative team comes up with unique items — bug spray! bear proof food box! — that connect the work they do in very concrete ways.
We know there’s no ‘magic bullet’ in fundraising to bring in the $$, but this strategy works well every year.
This is a great idea…sometimes! It wouldn’t work if all contributors decided to give Rice Vinegar. That’s the problem with designated giving – it ignores everything else.