Online Communities – Learning from Craigslist
Fast Company provides a stimulating article on building online communities, featuring the wisdom of Craigslist founder Craig Newmark. A few years old, but quite timely with the explosion of “social networking” sites like MySpace, Facebook and about 200 others! A useful read for anyone in non-profitworld charged with engaging and empowering members or activists online.
Some of Craig's observations:
- What differentiates a community from a mere crowd is that a community affords the opportunity for direct member interaction.
- The most successful online communities help their members meet one another face-to-face in the real world.
- People find it more meaningful to make a connection with someone local than with someone who is half a world away (don't know if we agree with this one … We're sure the folks at MySpace don't).
- The best communities aren't just interesting, they're useful.
- The most poignant use of Web community is when you give people a voice.
- Without some moderation, there's no quality control.
- Ask people all the time if you're doing your job right!
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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