NOTHING's Changed EVERYTHING's Different - September 2021 / Tom Ahern 2021 Ahern
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NOTHING’s Changed
EVERYTHING’s Different
September 2021 / Tom Ahern
©
2021
Ahern
1
Source: Philanthropy & Fundraising International (Alan Clayton and team), January 2021 © 2021 Ahern 2
Wikipedia is not unusual
Late July 2020: “...we humbly ask you to defend
Wikipedia's independence. 98% of our readers don't
give; they simply look the other way. If you are an
exceptional reader who has already donated, we
sincerely thank you. If you donate just $2.75, Wikipedia
could keep thriving for years. Most people donate
because Wikipedia is useful. If Wikipedia has given you
$2.75 worth of knowledge this year, take a minute to
donate.”
© 2021 Ahern 3
And that’s just problem #1...
First-year donor retention (offline)
29%
I.e., 7 of 10 first-time donors do NOT make a 2nd gift.
Blackbaud 2020 Giving Report
© 2021 Ahern 4
So ... today’s question:
Are your donor communications
speaking in ways that DISCOURAGE
further donations?
©
2021
Ahern
5
Donor-OPTIONAL:
“We did this. We did
that. We were amazing.
Oh, by the way, thanks.”
How many nonprofits still talk
©
2021
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6
Donor-CENTRIC:
“With your help, all
these amazing things
happened. And without
your help, they won’t.”
This way raises more money faster
©
2021
Ahern
7
THE DAY EVERYTHING
CHANGED
© 2021 Ahern 8
ORG.-proud newsletter
DONOR-loving newsletter
© 2021 Ahern 9
DOCTORS LIKED THIS
ORG.-proud newsletter
DONOR-loving newsletter
DONORS LIKED THIS
© 2021 Ahern 10“How great the ORG. is” = $4,470 in gifts
“How great the DONOR is” = $49,600 in gifts
2007
1,000% INCREASE!!! (yum)
© 2021 Ahern 112017
$2 million a year
from the print
newsletter alone
Donor-
centricity
© 2021 Ahern 122021 Donor- centricity © 2021 Ahern 13
Charities began treating donors as people with feelings, not simply as: © 2021 Ahern 14
NOTHING’s Changed
©
2021
Ahern
15
Your thanks & your
newsletters & your social
posts are your HUGS!
© 2021 Ahern 16And why do you
want to hug them
hard, a lot & often?
“Kiss 8 out of 10 goodbye.”
~ Tom Belford, commenting in 2014 on the average
(and deplorable) “first-time donor” retention rate.
Source: Fundraising Effectiveness Project, with 8,000
responding charities.
© 2021 Ahern 17What their research confirmed:
When you like your
donors, they like you back.
They’ll express their fondness through increased giving.
Doubling donations is common in tests.
© 2021 Ahern 18Julie -
You know ... you do write the BEST “Thank
You” notes of just about any charitable
organization in which I've been involved.
This is wonderful stuff!
[a United Way donor in South Carolina, to the UW ED; $100,000 gift enclosed]
Source: Julie Capaldi, United Way Pickens County, 2020
© 2021 Ahern 19“Mom was wrong. Research
shows that even when
people perceive that flattery
is insincere, that flattery
can still leave a lasting and
positive impression of the
flatterer.”
20
©
2021
Ahern
© 2021 Ahern 21
EVERYTHING’s Different?
©
2021
Ahern
22
Don’t thank me
for my gift.
Thank me for
who I am.
Source: you & your organization & the Institute & I’m pretty sure Lisa Sargent
© 2021 Ahern 23“For the donor, your thank
you is the most important
communication.”
--
Dr. Jen Shang
© 2021 Ahern 24EMOTIONALLY these are VERY different
“Your donation counts.”
“You count.” SPEAKS TO MY “SELF”
© 2021 Ahern 25© 2021 Ahern 26
“Donors are staggeringly
ignorant of the causes
they support.”
--
Richard Radcliffe
© 2021 Ahern 27DONORS MAY BE IGNORANT, but what they DO have in abundance are their own personal values, interests, beliefs, connections, experiences, upbringing, lost loves, secret passions, regrets, fears, angers, hopes, and built-in empathy... © 2021 Ahern 28
NOTHING’s Changed
©
2021
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29
Some simple tests
Digital, print: Doesn’t matter
© 2021 Ahern 30Draws attention to
THE
self; keeps people in
the picture and
reading; “you is glue”
YOU Vitamin Y
TEST
© 2021 Ahern 31The reader’s eye
should never be more
than an inch away
from the next “you.”
32Brought in 35K+ NEW Donors for an Institution © 2021 Ahern 33
EVERYTHING’s Different?
©
2021
Ahern
34
THE EASY TEST Vitamin E © 2021 Ahern 35
We’re #1!
The first gift you ask
for is my attention.
The average attention
span of an adult human in
2013 was 8 seconds.
© 2021 Ahern 36Source: Agents of Good © 2021 Ahern 37
ANTHROPOMORPHISM RAISES MORE
Source: Kevin Schulman, DonorVoice, Aug. 2020
Be goofy!
© 2021 Ahern 38NOTHING’s Changed
©
2021
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39
As marketing guru Seth
Godin once blogged, our
target markets are often
“lazy people in a hurry.”
Network for Good
© 2021 Ahern 40THE FASTER TEST Vitamin F © 2021 Ahern 41
Things learned at The Inch 2020
“Gotcha! I made you feel
something.” This is your
main donor-comms goal.
~ Dr. Adrian Sargeant
© 2021 Ahern 42“We have gut reactions
in three seconds or less.”
Dan Hill, Emotionomics
© 2021 Ahern 43BUILT TO SUCCEED Opening 4 paragraphs ~
Reading ease: 96 of 100
Grade level: 2
Dear ,
I'm not afraid to tell you ...
Your fellow Parkie, Camryn ... well, she needs you.
And she's not alone.
Will you come to her aid?
Last semester, during spring break, Camryn Viola was watching her
roommates film their theses.
She was struck by how passionate they were about their craft and by the
opportunities made available to them as Parkies.
© 2021 Ahern 44BUILT TO FAIL Opening paragraph ~
Reading ease: 45 of 100
Dear , Grade level: 11
Last semester, during spring break, Camryn Viola was watching her
roommates film their theses. She was struck by how passionate they
were about their craft and by the opportunities made available to them as
Parkies. Their combination of creative expression and technical expertise
was captivating.
Like it was for many of us, that week in March would be Camryn’s
last moment of normalcy.
In a whirlwind of events, Camryn would learn that spring break was
extended. Students would be required to stay away from campus and
were encouraged to return to their family homes for the remainder of the
semester. Remote instruction would become the norm. Camryn’s on-
campus jobs were terminated. Her immediate fear was that she would
only be able to stay in her apartment until her funds dried up, and then
she’d be forced to go back home—leaving the life she’s built in Ithaca
behind forever.
© 2021 Ahern 45THE ME/NOT ME TEST Vitamin M © 2021 Ahern 46
Things learned at The Inch
“By the time you get to 3 ‘not
me’s,’ you’ve lost their heart
(and their money).”
~ Psychologist Jen Shang
© 2021 Ahern 47“LOCAL” is me
Source: TrueSense Fundraising Field Guide
© 2021 Ahern 48
NOT ME
ME
ME NOT ME
NOT ME ME
NOT ME
NOT ME
ME
ME
ME
© 2021 Ahern 49ME
ME
ME
ME
ME
ME ME
ME
The Better Fundraising Co. 8-point e-appeal formula, April 2020
© 2021 Ahern 50EVERYTHING’s Different?
©
2021
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51
% of total fundraising given online
Blackbaud 2020 Giving Report
© 2021 Ahern 52Average age of U.S. donor
64
Blackbaud 2020 Giving Report
© 2021 Ahern 53Median donation amount
for gifts below $1,000
$20
Blackbaud 2020 Giving Report
© 2021 Ahern 54To raise more? Put presumptions in their graves. © 2021 Ahern 55
Q. How long does the average
donor stick around?
[ ] 1-3 years
[X] 4-6 years
Please note:
[X] 7-10 years Monthly donors last longer
[ ] More than 10 years
© 2021 Ahern 56Where to find tomorrow’s major donors “...when we review the data, the source of a majority of major donors came through a direct-response mail appeal where they gave a gift of $25!” Richard Perry, Veritus Group, Jan. 2020, via Chad Barger © 2021 Ahern 57
NOTHING’s Changed
©
2021
Ahern
58
The Golden Mantra of marketing The right offer in front of the right person at the right time... © 2021 Ahern 59
OFFERS =
ANYTHING I CAN RESPOND TO
© 2021 Ahern 60This is an
offer...
Stay Focused
Creators: Jeff Brooks, Andrea Hopkins; The Case Writers
© 2021 Ahern 61Offer...
Anthropomorphism
Offer...
Offer...
Lift note
Stay Focused Creators: Jeff Brooks, Andrea Hopkins; The Case Writers
© 2021 Ahern
4-page letter 62Offer...
Stay Focused
Reply
device
Creators: Jeff
Brooks, Andrea
Hopkins; The Case
Writers
© 2021 Ahern 63Donor comms 101
Digital, print: Doesn’t matter
© 2021 Ahern 64THE ONLY PURPOSE OF DONOR COMMS
Thanked beyond
expectations!
Deeply appreciated! On a journey!
Pleased!
Wanted!
“Proud of what I did!”
To make your Happy! Discovering!
donor feel good!!!
Needed! Entertained!
Important!
Surprised!
© 2021 Ahern 65© 2021 Ahern 66
Source: Better Fundraising Co., July 2020; donor image: Bluefrog (Mark Phillips) © 2021 Ahern 67
ASKING does not operate in isolation. It is part of a system. The real treasure hides inside your thanks and reporting. © 2021 Ahern 68
What their research found:
People give for their own
reasons. Each donor is on a
personal journey.
Your org. either helps with that journey. Or
doesn’t bother. Helping with someone’s personal
journey yields far more giving.
© 2021 Ahern 69EVERYTHING’s Different
©
2021
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70
Booster statements © 2021 Ahern 71
© 2021 Ahern 72
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free I subscribe!
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© 2021 Ahern 73You can also read
