Search Results for: ask less
Being donor-centric is not function of volume (even though volume biz model horribly broken)
Let’s be provocative from the start; donor-centricity used to be an empty, vacuous, platitude. This, in and of itself, is not a big deal and in fact preferable to the definitions that seem to be filling the empty, vacuous void. First and foremost, volume (i.e. cadence) seems to have quickly stepped in to become “a”, […]
Roger & Tom, Thanks For These ‘Top 10’ Funny Subject Lines
My subject line today incorporates the findings of this recent study of email subject lines reported in Nonprofit Pro. According to the study, the most effective email subject lines have these characteristics: Personalization — we all know what that means. Numbers — the article suggests this is about urgency (e.g., 3 days until our matching gift […]
Being Defined As A Donor and More Weak Tea
I’m a dog person and a coffee lover. But being a coffee lover isn’t one of the most important ways I define myself, being a dog person is much more so. This simplistic example illustrates the difference between identity presence, whether one has a certain identity, and identity importance, how central the identity is to […]
Was Mother Teresa Wrong?
Alan Kurdi’s 3yr old, lifeless body washed up on the beach after the boat carrying him from the Syrian civil war capsized. NGO’s big and small reported a massive surge in donations even though the Syrian civil war had been raging for several years with thousands of deaths and millions of refugees. Baby Jessica fell […]
Finally, Bipartisan Agreement
Small-dollar donations to Trump and the GOP are way down since 2019 and 2020. Why? According to GOP insiders from a recent Washington Post article, the main culprit is they don’t treat their donors well. Loyal readers no doubt recall Roger’s many exhortations about self-inflicted wounds on the Democratic side. He cited lots of evidence, […]
Innovate Within the Box
“We want creative and innovative ideas”. I’ve heard that before. What’s often not stated, “but make sure they are familiar to us and have a track record of success.” It’s like asking for a brand new recipe but insisting it tastes exactly like grandma’s cooking—innovation, with a side of the way its always been done. […]
Messaging Conundrum: When Global Efforts Meet Local Minds
An “A” for effort, a “C” for execution. That’s how I’d grade a global survey in 63 countries and 59,440 participants testing 11 behavioral science interventions to impact people’s views and actions on climate change. It’s a noble endeavor and they went beyond the usual WEIRD audience profile. The middling execution grade is because buried […]
The Story of Ethel
I want to share this story: In a small, quiet town, Ethel, a 90-year-old woman with a spirit as indomitable as the passing of time, carried out her daily ritual. Each morning, she would make her way, despite a betraying hip, to the rusted mailbox at the end of her gravel driveway. The mailbox, more […]
From Ship Building to Ship Wrecking
Let’s face it, most fundraisers and the nonprofits they serve—along with virtually every other profession– are governed by motives beyond just the noble ones they claim. Nonprofits need to raise money to survive. Journalism is a business that needs to make money to survive. Political candidates need to raise money to campaign and win. Increasingly there […]
Storytelling To A Goldfish
In 2015 the Internet blew up with the humans have less attention than a goldfish stat. Twitter advertising got a bump as marketers sought human goldfish living in the self-imposed 140-character limit world. PowerPoint slide decks with obligatory goldfish bowls and memes proliferated. It’s rumored the National Basketball Association hotly debated the need shorten games […]