Remembering 9/11
The outpouring of the generosity that followed in the hours, days and weeks after the assaults on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon five years ago today clearly demonstrated that the World Wide Web had suddenly come of age.
Virtually overnight the importance of this new medium became apparent. Yet none of the major disaster organizations were fully prepared. How could they be? Nothing this tragically awful had occured in those first five or six years of the internet's public life.
Sue Woodward, CFRE, was hired by the American Red Cross right after 9/11 to put the systems and procedures in place so that America's largest disaster relief organization would be prepared for mega-tragedies in the future.
That she succeeded is witnessed by the astounding effectiveness of the ARC's online systems following the South Asia Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina.
The Agitator asked Sue and her partner Dereck to remember back to 9/11. Their memories and insights, viewed through fundraisers' lenses, can be found below.
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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