Slipping Down The Ladder Of Life
For years, political prognosticators have pointed to one measure as the best single indicator of how national elections might go … responses to the question: “Overall, do you think the country is headed in the right direction?” If you're an incumbent, and the trend is rising “No's” to this question, watch out!
Perhaps a comparable early warning for fundraisers might be found in the so-called “Ladder of Life” survey that has been conducted consistently for years by Gallup, and now the Pew Research Center. In the Ladder of Life survey, respondents are simply asked to rate their “quality of life” today on a scale 0f 1-10. Once today's rating is so-anchored, respondents are then asked to similarly rate their quality of life over the past five years, and then the rating they expect for the future, five years from now. Pretty straightforward.
Pew has just released the latest version. Forgive us for taking a pessimistic reading of their findings, but a potentially worsening climate for fundraising is a contingency we should all give a bit of thought to.
The essentials follow … but before reading on, rate your own present and future quality of life on the 1-10 scale (10 being highest quality).
Behavioral Science Q & A
Whether “help” is more engaging or not really depends on the framing and context. The word help can sometimes weaken the perceived agency of the supporter, making their role feel secondary rather than central (your point). On the other hand, help can also signal collaboration rather than implying full ownership of the outcome, which might […]
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Great question! Here’s how behavioral science can help unpack what might be happening: Pain of Paying: Even a small extra charge can make giving feel more transactional than emotional, potentially reducing generosity. Fairness Concerns: Some donors might perceive donor cover as a surcharge rather than a contribution to the cause. If they feel the charity […]
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The choice between “Your gift CAN…” and “Your gift WILL…” taps into the psychological framing of certainty vs. possibility. Currently, there is no academic research directly comparing these two framings in charitable appeals. However, I suspect no framing is universally better—the outcome likely depends on your target audience and the campaign’s goal. Here are some thoughts: Certainty Framing – […]
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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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