Need Inspiration: Go To SOFII
Every fundraiser worth their salt should be monitoring their competition — other nonprofits operating in the same (or related) mission space. It’s a pretty safe bet that your donors are at least occasionally reading their stuff.
Maybe it’s more inspiring. More creatively presented. Better marketed from a tactical standpoint.
Really, you should be aware. Watch the competition … let’s tick that box.
All good for starters. But I urge you to stretch yourself further and look for well-conceived fundraising campaigns outside your immediate domain as well.
Maybe something that sparks your creativity will land serendipitously in your mailbox … email or snailmail.
But why leave it to chance when a resource like SOFII — the showcase of fundraising innovation and inspiration is at your fingertips. Their title doesn’t over-sell their offering. SOFII is a well-cataloged treasure chest of brilliant campaigns, creative work in various media, and fundraising tips … from all over the world.
Roger and I are staunch fans of and regular visitors to SOFII. But SOFII will come to you automatically with their ‘latest and greatest’ if you sign up for their email updates.
Here’s the latest integrated fundraising campaign SOFII brought to my attention, conducted by The Children’s Center in Detroit. It shows that you don’t need to be a behemoth organization to execute a smart — and truly integrated — fundraising campaign. And this one happens to be a year-end campaign. Timely.
What I like about SOFII’s case studies is the detail — samples of the creative as well as the tactics involved and results achieved.
If you can’t find inspiration at SOFII, it ain’t their fault!
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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