Donors would give more if you showed them…
- Fri, June 22 2012
- Filed under: Fundraising essentials
... Results.
This, according to a study written up in the Chronicle of Philanthropy yesterday. The Cygnus Donor Survey found in a survey of 15,000 donors that just crying need won’t do it in 2012. Fundraisers need to “do something wonderful” that will carry a message to donors that the charity is fulfilling its mission, says the study’s author, Penelope Burk.
I always look at surveys of donors with a dose of skepticism. What people say they feel and do with respect to giving doesn’t necessarily reflect their true actions. But these results ring true to me. It’s not enough to say times are tough and you need money:
Middle-age donors are demanding results from nonprofits in exchange for their gifts, the study found. They want to be offered a clear idea of where the money is going, and they want to know that the charity is the best of all organizations working on that mission. Donors under age 35, while also concerned about results, are interested in building a community of like-minded givers: They want to get their friends and family to support a cause they believe in. They are also more apt to give to new causes.
The bottom line: The same thing I always say on this blog. Saying you need money is not fundraising. Fundraising recognizes that giving is a person, emotion and social act. Tell people about the exact change they can effect—and how they can rally support for it. That’s fundraising.
Among the other findings:
-Donors hate being asked for money over and over. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stop asking. But be sure you’re thanking - and reporting on impact - at least twice as much.
-Young donors say they plan to give more this year. But you need to reach them digitally. “They often don’t read fundraising mailings—because they’re the least likely of all adults to get mail. They also don’t get many telemarketing calls, because they use their cellphones rather than landline phones.”
-The number one source for checking out a charity? The charity’s website. This backs up the Money for Good research. Make sure your website is fantastic. It’s the single most important thing you do online.
-People plan their giving - but still give impulsively when something moves them. That could mean you!
-Recurring giving gets dissed in the study, but I disagree. The study said recurring givers are less likely to become major donors. But is that because of the nature of recurring giving or because charities don’t do a good job heaping praise and reports on impact to those donors? I’m a recurring giver to a great charity - but I don’t get thanked every month.
The full study is here.
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Comments
While recurring donors may not be future wealthy individuals, they can still supply an important revenue stream. Ignore them at your own risk.
I guess you don’t really have to ask when your donors know when the funds are going. And I totally agree with you that saying, “Thanks!” after all is said and done goes a long way. Cheers!
Katya, as a recurring donor yourself, do you want to be reminded at the end of the year about how much you’ve given to the organization over the course of that year?
I’m working on a new strategy for the sustaining donor program at the international humanitarian organization I work for, and there seems to be conflicting advice about whether we should be telling recurring donors what their cumulative impact has been on the organization’s programs or not doing so out of fear they’ll be reminded how much they’ve given and stop supporting the organization as a result. I know there’s a smart A/B test we should be doing on this but, before committing the time and resources it would take to do it properly I thought I’d dig a little deeper into the experiences of donors themselves as well as other organizations with sustaining donor programs.
Personally, I’m inclined to believe that we SHOULD be telling donors what kind of impact their sustaining support has had on the organization—not some standardized form letter that says “you matter!” but a more personalized account of how their dollars donated translates to children fed, water taps constructed, and disasters alleviated…with a smart upsell encouraging them to increase their commitment and further their impact.