[Theforum] community vs. corporations (was: funding options)

Martin Burns martin at easyweb.co.uk
Fri May 24 12:53:49 CDT 2002


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On Friday, May 24, 2002, at 06:32  pm, Marlene Bruce wrote:

> Of course we can't ask for taxes, but we can ask for financial
> support in other ways. One is to ask people to contribute what they
> *can* for meo space. I'm just throwing ideas out here, but perhaps
> the thing to do is not to set a gift amount, but to *suggest* a gift
> amount (starting at something really low).

If you're asking for gifts, you *always* do this btw - offer a range of
choices of course, and always add an 'other' option - but always always
always suggest amounts.

Reason being that the biggest reason why people don't respond is they
don't get round to it - they don't make the choice if it's anything but
the easiest thing possible, and if you don't push the choice (including
the yes/no choice, so they're not forced to give!) on them. Anything
which sparks the 'will do later' response is a big problem, because
later never arrives.

Things which seriously help/hinder:
1) Working out "How much should I give?"
2) The way of responding is a PITA (that's why dead tree donor requests
include a pen and a response-paid envelope to save you looking for a
pen, addressing an envelope and finding a stamp)
3) There was a fantastically effective Amex DM campaign which enclosed 3
response cards (and I've seen it work for fundraising too btw, but the
Amex one was lovely). Each had an appropriately expressive Dutch master
portrait on. One (beaming) said "Yes, I want it". One (frowning) said
"No, I don't want it and don't contact me again". One (quizzical) said
"Not right now but maybe in a few months". Yes, they got more Nos than
Yesses, but more Yes responses than normal. It also helped them weed out
a lot of people who weren't worth targeting again.

(more info in http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0749431210/ and
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0787960896 )

So here's what we do if we're looking at any kind of donations:
1) Work out how much people are likely to give most often (the modal
gift)
2) Give 5 options, and the modal gift should be between the lowest and
second lowest
3) Give a space for 'other'
4) Give an option (ideally checked) for it to be a regular (monthly?
Quarterly?) gift.

If we're particularly smart, once we have some kind of a giving history
for each person, we'd use *their* average gift instead of the general
one, so that suggested amounts always tie into their ability/willingness
to give. That way, a $100 ($1000?) donor doesn't get insulted by being
asked for $2.50, and someone who can only afford $2.50 doesn't get
pressured into $100.

Cheers
Martin
_______________________________________________
email: martin at easyweb.co.uk             PGP ID:	0xA835CCCB
	martin at members.evolt.org      snailmail:	30 Shandon Place
   tel:	+44 (0)774 063 9985				Edinburgh,
   url:	http://www.easyweb.co.uk			Scotland
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