Why You?
I was reading this article on FundraisingSuccessMag.com about lessons from Haiti fundraising.
The article is useful to read in its own right, but one comment in particular caught my eye and set me puzzling in a different direction.
The comment, by Amanda Seller of the UN Refugee Agency:
“People are so informed that we are not necessarily in a position of trusted experts. Don’t think the dynamic is there the same way. Ask questions. You have to earn trust. That does change the relationship.”
OK, so your prospects, given their online access to instant and limitless information resources, know as much about your world as you do, including the work of your competitors (whether your turf is cancer research or global warming or international relief). You can’t get by anymore with simply being the “trusted expert.” And certainly not by posing as the only one.
So why give to you? What makes you special? And will your claim stand up to online validation?
Tom Belford
One response to “Why You?”
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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The only way to prove how special we are is to measure our impact (or outcomes) in society and demonstrate why we are worth supporting ahead of anyone else. There was an excellent article on this very thing from Ken Berger at Charity Navigator today… link follows.
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