Trump … The Fundraising Apprentice
For all his asserted business prowess, one business Donald Trump has not mastered is direct mail fundraising.
I find this a bit surprising, as conservatives and farther-out right-wingers are historically very good at direct mail. Remember the name Richard Viguerie?
However, as reported in DMNews, the latest campaign reports show that Trump has raised an estimated $155 million in small donations in the three months ended 30 September ($100 million of that in September), compared to Hillary Clinton raising $154 million in September!
Not only did Clinton raise far more, her team was more efficient at it.
Overall, Trump’s money was raised at a cost of 28 cents per dollar raised (his main vehicle, Trump Make America Great Again Committee, spent 37 cents to raise a dollar). Clinton spent 20 cents for each dollar raised.
Hmmm … maybe the Clinton team has an apprenticeship they can offer.
So far, Trump and supporting super-PACS have raised $423 million; Clinton has raised $911 million. Seriously, aren’t these amounts obscene?!
Tom
P.S. Easiest place to track this, for political fundraising junkies, is here at Bloomberg.
6 responses to “Trump … The Fundraising Apprentice”
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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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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Can fundraising be rigged:)
Let’s not forget the estimated $2 billion in free media attention Trump has received.
The difference is striking here in our mailbox. The Trump campaign seems to be sending the same material over and over and over. My husband is a registered Republican (alas, a house divided), and has received the “Oversized Survey” package three times in 4 weeks. As far as I can tell, it’s the very same package, just mailed thrice. On the other side, I get a minimum of four emails a day from the Clinton campaign, but nothing in my mail.
$1.3+ billion raised so far for the campaigns? And you *still* aren’t willing to stake a claim that *this* election is having widespread impact on charitable giving? Hmmm.
Harry – Of course president campaigning impacts fundraising. For years, we’ve shied away from heavy mailing for non-profit clients around election time because donations drop off. (Is it a chicken or an egg?) Whatever the reason, distraction, uncertainty or money going to political causes, there is most definitely an impact.
Cindy – Thanks so very much for that response. I was starting to feel like I was a lone voice and I am grateful! I personally think it’s a no brainer. But many nonprofit leaders with whom I speak are quoting recent the Blackbaud analysis of the 2012 campaign season (highlighted here on this blog several weeks ago) making the case that the impact is very slight. I have countered with this:
http://bit.ly/2bGf3iu
But to my amazement — and frankly my frustration — the myth seems to live on!