Consider What Went Wrong … Then Fall On Your Knees
With all your online solicitation programs firing away like an AK-47 on auto-pilot until January 1, I don’t think fundraisers are doing much heavy lifting today or tomorrow … unless it’s setting big presents under the Xmas tree.
But maybe — over some spiked punch at the office Christmas party — you are contemplating and chatting about your year’s performance — yours individually and your organization’s.
I hope there’s plenty of good cheer … lots of success to celebrate. And if you’re being honest, maybe some post-mortems on what went wrong.
So this post keeps it simple … relying solely of the profound wisdom of Dilbert.
Were your ‘sales’ (donors, especially retained ones) up?
Was your strategy sound?
Did you learn from any mistakes you might have made?
Now, back to the party!
And before the party’s over … fall on your knees and sing along to The Agitator’s favorite hymn.
Once again, for our ninth Christmas, and into our tenth year, we invite you to share our most enduring Agitator tradition … enjoy this unforgettable rendition of O Holy Night.
As we’ve noted before, this performance makes Tom weep, as it takes him back to Midnight Mass and his Catholic grammar school choir days. And Roger gets chills down his spine thinking you might be singing along.
We guarantee this experience will make you fall on your knees too. But you must listen to the entire performance to feel its full power. No irreverence intended.
Happy Holidays … we hope this magnificent effort inspires you to hit the high notes in 2016.
Roger and Tom
6 responses to “Consider What Went Wrong … Then Fall On Your Knees”
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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I did fall on my knees- when I fell off my chair laughing!
Thank you for another amazing year of challenges, humor, education and agitating. What a gift you are to us all!
It would not be Christmas without this tradition. Thanks for a great year, Tom and Roger. You are at the start of almost every day for me!
Thank you, thank you for this “divine” holiday tradition. I laugh until I cry every year…
And thank you for the inspired posts all year long, Roger and Tom.
Wow. Somehow I’ve missed that inspiring version. Thank you. Thank you for agitating in all ways forever. Please keep it up.
Was that Roger or Tom singing O Holy Night? I couldn’t tell.
I don’t know how I missed this blog prior to Christmas but thankfully it’s popped into my inbox today – all I can say is thank you thank you thank you for being so completely fabulous, for continuing to agitate, for making us ‘keep it real’, and for your fundraising insights. Oh yeah, and for making me think that my singing in the shower might not be that bad afterall!