Real Thanksgiving Stuffing
Last Thursday — that would be Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. — while American Agitators were busily stuffing their bellies with turkey, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce (or ethnic alternatives), our overseas friends at 101 Fundraising were on the job, busily dishing out the real stuff.
And it would be hugely unfortunate if our US readers missed out on their important post that day, titled Changing fundraising. For good.
The post recalls the thoughts of two really savvy UK fundraisers, Giles Pegram and Ken Burnett, on the proposition: Ten things I’d change now, to make fundraising better for donors.
From Giles:
- The voluntary sector has to be encouraged to see fundraising as an investment, not an expense.
- Trustees and CEOs should be required to measure long-term results and impact, not just short-term income.
- Our sector should develop systems to measure satisfaction, as well as money.
- Treat companies and trusts as donors.
- Enhance the donor experience, don’t over-regulate it.
- Change the way donors see our communications.
- Get trustees to listen to donors.
- Spend more on retention and less on acquisition.
- Treat supporter care staff as fundraisers, not back office staff.
- Re-invent how fundraisers use the telephone.
My favorites from Giles’ list: #1, 3, 8, 10.
From Ken:
- Back to basics, regularly for everyone.
- Sector leaders must step up to change the culture of fundraising.
- An end to hunting in the dark. (Fundraisers should be required to learn)
- Elevate the importance of the donor experience.
- Mind your language.
- Give donors choices, to put the donor in the driving seat.
- All fundraisers are equal.
- Promote the radiators and fire the drains. (‘Drains’ suck the emotion and passion from fundraising and make it a commodity … get rid of them)
- Cultivate the art and craft of storytelling.
- Fundraisers must be famous for frequent, fast, fabulous feedback.
My favorites from Ken: #3, 4, 8, 10.
It won’t take you but just a few minutes to go read the thinking behind these recommendations.
Very nutritious brainfood.
Tom
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 […]
Read Full Answer
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 […]
Read Full Answer
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 […]
Read Full Answer
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 […]
Read Full Answer
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 […]
Read Full Answer
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 […]
Read Full Answer