The Last From A Fundraising First
Vinay Bhagat, Founder of Convio and tireless online fundraising evangelist, posted his final blog on Friday, his last day at Convio.
The title of Vinay’s final post is Be the Change You Wish to See in the World, based on a favorite quote from Mahatma Gandhi. In his post Vinay traces his last 13 years and the first 13 years of Convio—two inseparable histories.
From the point at which he converted his enthusiasm from volunteering in a PBS pledge drive to the founding of Convio, to his insights into what makes a company socially beneficial and innovative, Vinay in his succinct, modest yet charming style shares his gift of experience with us all.
Vinay leaves us with a ‘creed’ that pinpoints key success factors we’d all do well to heed:
- Have a clear vision for where you want to go, but listen intently to feedback and adapt as you get new information.
- Be intellectually honest – don’t believe that you always have the right answer.
- Persuade others to join you for the journey – change is not a solo endeavor.
- Hire great people, as they will in turn hire other great people.
- Communicate openly and regularly — combining facts with inspiration.
- Take calculated risks – it is OK to fail, as long as you learn from it.
- Be patient – change does not (usually) come overnight.
Thank you Vinay for all you’ve done – and will do.
Bravo!
Roger and Tom
3 responses to “The Last From A Fundraising First”
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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Great advice and inspiration to start of the week! All the key elements for being the change you want to see.
Thanks again for another impactful and catalytic article.
La Sridhar
Wonderful! Thank you Roger and Tom — and Vinay.
Roger and Tom, thank you for your kind words. All the best.
Vinay