Speaking of Thank You’s
Roger's post about “thank you's” to donors got me wondering … how do you thank someone adequately for a $30 BILLION+ gift?!
Shouldn't we ALL write notes to Warren Buffett? Should (did) Bono or President Bush call him … or award him the Presidential Medal of Freedom?
Should every newspaper, magazine and newscast in the country … in the world … commend his generosity? Checking via Google, it appears most did. From the United Arab Emirates, here, with an excerpt below, is what the Khaleez Times had to say:
“Dear readers, we have to admit it. When it comes to charity and the spirit of giving and caring, the rest of the world cannot beat the West. You never come across rich individuals in the Third world making such generous contributions despite their enormous riches. This only happens in the West.”
Should we all just thank god he's not a right-wing nut?! (Buffett, that is.) The only folks I can detect who are unhappy about Buffett's gift are some grumps from the anti-choice, anti-family planning movement.
Actually, as fundraisers with our own goals to meet, maybe we should all just thank god that it wasn't a matching gift!
Once upon a time, when I was running a tiny “save the world” non-profit for Ted Turner, I received a call out of the blue from Warren Buffett. He said he was impressed with what Ted was up to and just wanted to give a token amount to show his support … and was sending a check for $50,000. I stammered a meek thank you (couldn't squeek out an up-sell). This at a time when many folks I approached to support Ted's cause responded as one very wealthy Wall Street fellow did: “Tom, I support what you're doing, but sending money to Ted Turner is like sending coal to Newcastle!”
Fortunately, Mr. Buffett doesn't think that way.
Thank you Warren Buffett.
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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