Prez Bush On the Cutting Edge
Reaching his 60th birthday, President Bush reminds us that the leading edge of the Boomer generation (born 1946-1964) is now crossing the 60 year milestone.
Pew Research Center has marked the occasion with an important study on the financial attitudes and situation of Boomers as they begin to reckon with retirement.
From a fundraising standpoint, perhaps the key takeaway is that Boomers are carrying inter-generational financial burdens that might impinge on their willingness to give. That is, many Boomers are financially supporting their own children (no news here), but also one or both of their own parents (who are living longer). One might hypothesize that these obligations might make Boomers more cautious about giving.
Our own DonorTrends study comparing Boomer giving attitudes and behavior with younger and older generations, Boomers! Navigating the Generational Divide in Fundraising & Advocacy, found that Boomers are now contributing more than their elders, and 33% indicate they plan to donate even more in the future.
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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