See? Relevant Thank You Works
Last week we talked about going the extra mile to recognize donor loyalty.
Here’s an illustration I didn’t want you to miss from Jessica Harrington at Schultz & Williams …
"We’re absolutely doing this! For one organization’s first renewal, we personalized the letter to the year the donor first joined and what was happening then (e.g., if the donor joined in 1980, he/she were supporting the organization’s Call to Halt the Arms Race … or, when a donor joined in 2008, they were supporting the counter-recruitment movement) and then the key milestones the donor helped achieve since they first contributed.
We didn’t just pull out a date or reference a package – the customization was several paragraphs long and really took the donor through the organization’s history and the donor’s involvement and recognized that none of this could have happened without them.
Of course, the key was linking the past accomplishments and donations to why their support was need today, in 2010. We think we did that—revenue is up 54%!
This is an example of really making your donor acknowledgment personal and relevant.
Jessica, you deserve a raise!
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 […]
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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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