How Well Do They Know You?
Just how good, how accurate, how positive (or not) is the perception your donors have of your organization?
There are numerous ways nonprofit marketers can gather this intelligence — surveys, focus groups, analysis of donor-initiated contacts and comments (e.g., call-ins, emails, letters, content entered on social media sites, testimonials), and, of course, the acid test — retention rates.
But an article recently reproduced on SOFII by Aline Reed at Bluefrog London suggests a way of gaining this insight that might be lots more fun … and perhaps even pave the way for better communicating your cause.
Aline’s article asks: What kind of advert would your supporters make, for you?
She gives a variety of examples of this approach at work.
As much as you might strive to create and shape the image/brand your donors hold in their hearts and minds, at the end of the day it’s their perception that counts. So, why not ask them to paint the picture, write the slogan, create the image or graphic or video?
Now, I’m suggesting in the first instance that you should ask your donor to ‘create’ their image of your organization. But you can also ask them in the same way to ‘sell’ your cause or program to other potential ‘customers’.
At the very least you’ll gain valuable insight into language, imagery, emotional content, level of understanding. And who knows what gems might be produced?
Has anybody tried this?
Tom
P.S. If your donor (or prospect) sees your organization as X, and you see it as Y, who wins?
2 responses to “How Well Do They Know You?”
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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Fantastic idea and worth a try in our online newsletter, Benefit Watch.
We have the absolute pleasure of receiving moving stories about the programming we support (run by others, usually school districts, but supported by our little nonprofit) regularly. Not only is it a huge boost for our staff morale, but it is also very, very helpful that people are filling our in-boxes with stories about how our programs changed their lives. We use this information for Legislation, appeals, newsletters, etc. This is one of the best things about my job – we receive this information authentically. Such luck (well, and hard work)!