One Today … As In $1
I’ve generally been skeptical of fundraising/giving tactics that create a wall between donors and recipient causes and organizations. Primarily because I was raised in the church of ‘relationship-building’.
But I’m coming around to the belief that any giving is to be encouraged, because the world needs as many givers as we can possibly motivate and enable, through as many channels as we possibly can.
And because I believe giving is habit forming.
So today, ‘hats off’ to Google’s One Today program, a mobile app (only available now in the US) that features one different nonprofit each day, encouraging the recipient to make a $1 gift. And while you cannot give more than $1 per project per day, you can challenge your friends to donate to a project and then match their gifts. All this is explained (including how to get the app and sign up your nonprofit) on One Today’s FAQ page, here.
At some point, it will interesting to see how donors respond to this initiative overall, and which nonprofits’ projects prove most compelling to mobile donors.
Has anyone tried One Today yet?
Tom
P.S. We’d give Google an Agitator raise, but … !!
3 responses to “One Today … As In $1”
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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I guess it makes sense – we try to raise our kids to make giving a habit. I share your hope that this will encourage people to try it. I think, if handled well by the beneficiaries of their giving, the new donors will find they like it very much!
I wonder what information the nonprofit gets – so how much relationship building can be done after these donations. I didn’t see that in the faqs.
This sounds like something worth keeping an eye on! Please do a follow up on it if you hear about it spreading to Canada.
Thanks!
This concept surely helps advocate broadly for many different (daily) causes. But, is this potentially “good habit forming” philanthropy, or might it inadvertantly develop a less discriminating competition of sorts: “How many consecutive days have you donated to ‘One today'”? Or, “Do you remember what yesterday’s cause was?”
Passion for real causes – the basic needs for education, community, organizations, religious programs and so on – is developed over time. The passion comes from involvement after learning about the cause and becoming engaged. Breezing through a new casue a day covers turf, but will this help plant a seed on one piece of ground? As I understand it, ong term commitment is essential to fulfilling big needs.