How Soon They Forget!
When it comes to marketing and fundraising, does your organization remember anything?
Why that advocacy campaign three years ago failed, or worked? What your donors have said about you in probably each and every focus group or poll you’ve ever conducted? What has already been learned from your online or direct mail or telemarketing testing? Why “they” chose “Path A” the last time?
Non-profits are terrible at building and utilizing institutional memory. For lots of reasons … too busy to reflect or capture critical information, inadequate databases or expertise in using them, not knowing what questions to ask, staff and agency turnover, the bigger buzz surrounding anything “new,” and perhaps worst of all … “if it didn’t happen on my watch, it didn’t happen.”
Sure, some lessons need to be re-examined, some tactics need to be refreshed, and occasionally some cages need to be rattled. Times and circumstances do change, sometimes requiring revised strategies.
Still, take a moment now and test your own institutional memory. Write down five or ten lessons you’ve carried away from your organization’s unique performance over the last 2-3 years … lessons you would act upon today or next time. Also ask, “Does my department or organization take deliberate steps to build institutional memory?”
I’ve always fancied myself a change agent. But, I’ve also always felt that a “fresh look” began with the question: “Why did “they” do what they did?”
We’d love to hear some of your answers! Especially if you feel, “The name of the game is change, stupid!”
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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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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