Privacy Versus Donor Data
This recent Ipsos survey regarding personal information collected as folks use the internet suggests that care be taken as nonprofits try to know more and more about their constituents.
In this survey, 45% of US adults feel they have little (33%) or no (12%) control over the personal information companies gather while they are browsing the web or using online services. And 24% believe that they have little to no control over information that they intentionally share online through activities like online retail transactions, email, or social media. 85% have taken steps to protect their online privacy.
When asked under what circumstances companies should be able to track individuals browsing the web or using online services, 60% say this should be allowed only after an individual specifically gives the company permission to do so, and 28% say companies should never be allowed to do such tracking.
And what about using the data?
Just 20% of adults say that they want to receive personalized advertising based on their web browsing or online service use, while 80% report that they did not wish to receive such ads.
It’s proven over and over that data-driven individualized direct fundraising will outperform blanket approaches. But where do you draw the line?
Yes, your established donors want a sense that you know and recognize who they are and what their relevant giving history, interests and contact preferences might be. But you also need to be mindful of making them nervous about what you might know.
Now, my gut tells me that most nonprofits are still miles and miles away from collecting, appending, and using the sort and extent of data that might actually offend or frighten a donor.
But is that true?
So, Roger and I jumped on a request by Angie Moore at Navigating Off the Napkin. She is taking a brief survey on nonprofits’ use of databases — what sorts of donor info do you collect, what’s it used for, etc. Will only take you a few minutes to complete, and you can help paint a useful picture of our sector’s state of play.
Roger and I — dataheads that we are — are looking forward to her results and report.
Meantime, anyone have a ‘scary use of data’ story from the nonprofit sector? Are we there yet?!
Tom
2 responses to “Privacy Versus Donor Data”
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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Just open this link and you will also see that on this side of the pond, customers reactions are similar and as challenging to us all, especially when the bureaucracy start to take over:
http://www.civilsociety.co.uk/fundraising/news/content/14858/new_eu_data_protection_proposals_could_devastate_direct_mail_fundraising
The only way forward = ensure our donors are part of the game, part of the movement we are building up through our work to make our world a better one. No donor, no one will object to share data if they own the process, if they own “their NGO”. Are we willing to go that far and have our donors be part of us and be real genuine equal partners?
I was just thinking about this. In an ongoing campaign, we know who clicked through to our donate page, but didn’t donate. So in addition to trying to figure out what’s missing from our page that would help them go the distance, I’m trying to craft an email that says “I noticed you visited…” without making them annoyed or driving them to unsubscribe from the list. Would love any ideas….