More Value From Missionaries
This week I’ve pitched the importance of leveraging your "missionaries" with new social networking tools as a fundraising strategy.
I’ve also suggested ways to identify which of the 10-15% of your donors might be your missionaries.
But missionaries have an additional value beyond any direct personal fundraising they might do.
I submit that they are your best source of insight into what is most compelling about your organization, how effectively you are communicating your special virtues, and what more you could be doing. They are "inside" enough to have distinct impressions of your organization, but "outside" enough to see (and value) things you and your staff colleagues do not see or fully appreciate. They undoubtedly have an exceptionally strong commitment to the mission of your organization, and therefore have looked at — and maybe support — other organizations in the same space. But they have found something special in your organization that has inspired a special commitment. They have discovered the "essence" of your organization, and it turns them on! What is it?
And all you need to do is ask them systematically for their insights … and then try to "bottle" the essence. If you can do that, and communicate that essence with greater focus and emphasis in your other messaging to prospects and existing donors, you just might lift the performance of your entire fundraising program.
This is why smart marketers stay close to their on-the-line salespeople and best customers. No one knows and values the "product" more. And what they tell you might even help you identify the prospects who are most likely to respond as strongly.
Have you listened to your missonaries lately?
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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