Top 10 Things Fundraisers Should Monitor
From our archives. Happy Holidays!
For fundraisers managing reasonably complex fundraising programs, there's always a danger of missing the forest for the trees. You're awash in data and deadlines. Your messengers — CEO, program staff, board members — have lost your phone number. Your mail shop has just gone bankrupt and closed its doors with your inventory locked inside. And so, your planning horizon is this week …
Are we ready for tomorrow's six-figure pitch to Ms. Big?
Is the proposal ready for The Huge Grant Foundation's Friday deadline?
Why is our latest prospecting package sucking eggs?
Fair enough understandably, this week's agenda always presses to top of mind.
But if you're a fundraiser who doesn't like surprises (or you have a boss with this phobia), what is the most critical information you should be tracking if you want to stay ahead of the curve? We've prepared a DonorTrends White Paper discussing our recommended Top 10 List. The ten items are previewed below. Since fundraisers think numbers first, we've started with a few “hard data” items. But the “soft” items farther down are no less important
indeed they're probably more important in terms of fashioning long term strategy.
Top Ten Things Fundraisers Should Monitor
1. Renewal/retention rate for first year donors.
2. Lifetime value by source of donor.
3. Cost of funds raised.
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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