How Important Is Your Website?
Sue Woodward sends this report based on a survey her firm, Mindshare Interactive Campaigns, conducted with Harris Interactive. The sample consisted of adults who volunteered, donated or advocated for a nonprofit in the past twelve months.
Sue's main takeaways:
1. Your website is your storefront … make sure it is attractive, informative and free of clutter.
2. Go beyond the usual e-appeals and e-newsletters to donors … invest in creating interactive communities.
3. Place clear third party endorsements such as the BBB, Guidestar, etc. on your home page.
And some numbers to note:
- 62% of adults surveyed link directly to an organization's website to find out information about the organization before donating.
- 46% of donors age 65 and older prefer receiving information about organizations they support via the mail … that number falls to 25% for those age 30-39.
- Counter to the impression of many, even donors age 65+ spend an average of 16 hours per week on the internet.
As we see it, the moral of the story is: With direct mail still a very appealing channel for many donors, but online engagement strong with younger and more affluent donors, nonprofits really need a well thought-out integrated approach to be successful fundraisers and communicators.
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 […]
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