The Sunny Side Of Mortality
It’s a summer Friday for most of our readers. Happy to share this lighthearted essay — and bit of advice — from Lisa Sargent, fundraising copywriter and donor communications specialist …
The Sunny Side of Mortality
It happened in June.
My husband came home and announced he was going to participate in a motorcycle ride for charity. His buddy invited him, so at first I didn’t think much of it.
Until he said this.
“It’s for a good cause.”
That was when my head spun around like a bad imitation of a Barn Owl. Because said spouse has never before given a hoot – pun intended – about anything to do with helping charities.
Later, when in the midst of one of those what-if-you-won-the-lottery talks (brought on by the boredom of really long car trip) he said, “I’d volunteer at a charity – you know, do something good in the world.”
At this point you should be thinking, Galloping donors, Batman! Find me about a hundred of these guys. No, find me a thousand!
The secret is by no means as simple as this, but I’m guessing it’s close: take a closer look at folks approaching or over 50.
Why?
Because about two or three years ago, we realized we are not immortal.
Up until then virtually every one of us thought we had escaped the real, visible signs of aging – chalking it up to good genes or a quasi-regular fitness routine or just old fashioned denial.
Then one day, after twelve hours at the woodpile, our hips hurt. We started talking about brands of orthonics. Young people no longer understood our references to Seinfeld episodes (no soup for you!).
We even – yes, even the most manly 50+ men around – were spotted wearing our wife’s rhinestone-encrusted cheaters with the zebra print frames in the garage.
Mortality ain’t pretty. But for fundraisers, there sure is a sunny side.
If you can find, engage – and care for – the nifty-fifties among us now, well, leapin’ legacies. You’ve got a bright future, young padawan. (For the record, that was a reference to Star Wars. Fifty-somethings saw the premier. Of the original.)
Lisa Sargent
P.S. Summer, for most fundraisers, is slower than molasses. The perfect time to ruminate on legacies and bequests – the ultimate act of donor loyalty. This week I wrote about how easy it is to start doing bequest marketing in the The Loyalty Letter, my not-yet-ready for prime time e-newsletter. Includes the story of a $10,000 legator who gave because of a donor newsletter. True.
3 responses to “The Sunny Side Of Mortality”
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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bequests and other planned gifts are still the best way to beat death and “live forever” and also lessen taxes – two things we’ve always been told we couldn’t do!
I’m always struck by the fact that in my many years of working along colleagues producing fundraising direct marketing, most, if not all, are far, far away from the “sunny” side of life and therefore often unable to relate to the intangibles as to why people give. As I’ve managed, mentored and taught these copywriters and designers I’ve counseled them to project forward, put themselves in 50+ shoes and remember that when there are fewer years in front of you than behind you, life takes on a very different perspective.
Totally true. One of the best posts on this is Jeff Brooks’ on not getting too excited about “millenials”. Define donors, he says, as people 50, 65, etc. It’s here, and well worth a read: http://www.futurefundraisingnow.com/future-fundraising/demographics/
Another thing: the motivations behind why we give as get older. The benefits aren’t the new NICU unit you funded, it’s the babies who will live to have their first sleepover, go to college, create a new future, the relieved families, that kind of thing.