How Do You Measure Up?
Convio has just published an excellent report on online fundraising trends, together with their advice on how nonprofits can improve their online fundraising programs.
This is a "must-read" document, for two reasons:
1) The report is full of stats from a broad range of nonprofits that you can use to benchmark your own online fundraising and communications program. For example:
- In 2008, online fundraising revenue increased 14%;
- 15-25% of online revenue comes from email communications, mostly direct appeals;
- The median open rate for email newsletters is 23%;
- The median open rate for email fundraising appeals is 2% (with median response rate of 0.13%);
- On average, nonprofits "convert" 2-3% of the unique visitors to their websites (i.e., get them to register for further e-contact).
And many more stats to benchmark against.
2) In addition, the report is full of suggestions about how you can do better.
For example, I liked their ideas on how to promote your website using offline resources:
- Feature specific calls-to-action that are only available online, such as response to specific articles, participation in surveys;
- Feed online-generated content — such as survey results, reader comments — into your offline communications;
- Highlight online donor relationship management, like ability to update mailing addresses or other donor preferences;
- Use story continuations to drive cross-over traffic — e.g., more photos to illustrate the story, additional resources.
All in all, it’s a great piece of work. Convio, you deserve a raise!
Tom
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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