Search Results for: ask less
What Gets Measured Can Be Better Managed
We manage lots and lots of thing that we don’t measure at all or well. That’s the nature of business and human enterprises. But, I’d argue measuring makes managing better. The question isn’t can we measure or should we but rather, what’s worth measuring. ‘Worth it’ is often traded off for easy. Take engagement data. […]
Why Would Anyone Add 13% To Their Donation Amount?
The DonorVoice Team ran a very cool, smart test with one of our agency of record clients, Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB). I can be praiseworthy as I wasn’t directly involved (think that’s merely correlation…) Here were the guiding inputs. There are two separate, mental giving decisions Will I give, yes or no? If yes, […]
Do People Actually Protect Themselves From Mail?
I’ve got, like everyone, a habitual, auto-pilot process for managing all the mail I receive. And since I, like many a reader, am on a million and one seed lists and donate to charities I receive a #$@% ton of charity mail. Plus, my family has what seems a daily supply of last-mile delivery from […]
Are You Giving Your Donors the Trump Treatment?
For whatever unfathomable reason my brain somehow connected coverage of Donald Trump’s bizarre eulogy at a supporter’s funeral with some of the lousy behavior exhibited by some nonprofits in dealing with their donors. Let me explain. At a memorial service for Rochelle “Silk” Richardson, half of the rabidly vocal pro-Trump commentary duo of Diamond & […]
Remember When?
I remember when people were in awe of email. They loved it. Until they didn’t. The convenience –the ability to communicate directly and personally in writing regardless of time zones and free of telephone buzzy signals or answering machines and fax machines—was astounding. Unfortunately, that early awe of convenience and effectiveness has now morphed into […]
Regret Is A Terrible Thing to Waste
Are you less likely to do something again if you regret it? Giving can produce regret and that regret makes me anticipate regret the next time I’m asked to give. And it’s that anticipated regret, caused by prior, experienced regret that makes me less likely to give again. Habits cut both ways and we can […]
One Panda Or Four?
Researchers asked separate groups of people how much they’d donate to save 2,000, 20,000 or 200,000 migrating birds drowning in an oil pond. The mean responses are stunningly similar, $80, $78 and $88. This underscores what is wonkily called “scope neglect” or the inability or unwillingness to factor in the size of the problem as part […]
People Who Do, Do, The Rest Meet
I have a love/hate with meetings. I love to hate them though I suspect meetings are a bit like capitalism, the worst option save all the others. We’ve tried and tried to re-invent the Monday morning staff meeting, a ritualistic practice guaranteed to be a waste of time for 90% at any given point. The […]
Is Gratitude a Top Priority for Your Organization?
As we count our many blessings in this season of Thanksgiving I hope a top priority for your gratitude runs to your donors. Not only is saying Thank You the polite action to take with your donors every day of the year, but wise fundraisers also know in this special season it’s particularly important—and quite […]
Are Your Email Donors Different from Your Mail Donors?
The polls got a relative drubbing in 2016 but their long-term win rate is off the charts. One 2016 theory alive and well going into 2022 was polls suffered from response bias, the people willing to be polled had different candidate preference from those showing up to vote. More specifically, Republican voters were less willing […]