Has Your Organization Been Hacked?
Nonprofit groups breathing a sigh of relief because, unlike their organizational cousins in politics, they’re not targets of Russian hacking should take another and deeper breath–and gasp.
Despite the current headlines and cable news furor over the astonishing and frightening firestorm of Donald Trump’s Tweets accusing his predecessor, President Obama, of wiretapping Trump Tower, this item appearing in Bloomberg News and the accompanying video should not be overlooked.
[ Click Here for Story and Videos ]
| As Bloomberg’s Michael Riley reports:
“At least a dozen groups have faced extortion attempts since the U.S. presidential election.” “The ransom demands are accompanied by samples of sensitive data in the hackers’ possession. In one case, a non-profit group and a prominent liberal donor discussed how to use grant money to cover some costs for anti-Trump protesters.” “At least some groups have paid the ransoms even though there is little guarantee the documents won’t be made public anyway. Demands have ranged from about $30,000 to $150,000, payable in untraceable bitcoins.” “The Center for American Progress, a Washington think tank with strong links to both the Clinton and Obama administrations, and Arabella Advisors, which guides liberal donors who want to invest in progressive causes, have been asked to pay ransoms.” You’ll want to read the whole report and watch the videos. Scary stuff not so much because it involves Russian hackers the way most folks think of them in the context of the 2016 election. Scary because criminal hackers –state-sponored or private — have discovered a new and potentially lucrative target. “Lucrative” in terms of private and perhaps embarrassing information on organizational practices and donors, but “lucrative” in terms of ransom and other shakedowns. Any Agitator readers aware of other examples out there? Roger P.S. Readers curious about their own security might check out How to Tell If You’ve Hacked (And what to do about it) . Better yet, check with your CRM or database provider and understand the steps they take–or don’t take– to protect you and your organization.
|
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