The problem with online donations? We’re doing it wrong.
As The New York Times reported recently, a study performed by Blackbaud Analytics appears to suggest that donors who give online don’t always give online again. Alarming! Especially in the midst of a recession!
But hold on—that sentence is fairly packed with qualifiers. Retaining donors is always hard. Would we be surprised to learn that the experience of making a gift online—pressing a button and watching dollars fly from our accounts into the recesses of the internet—is one donors might not relish? Recall that just a few years ago, retailers struggled to project if and when online purchasing would take off; they predicted that consumer confidence would hinge on seeing UPS packages on their doorsteps. And so it did. Many online donors, meanwhile, receive not so much as an electronic acknowledgement, if one blogger’s experience is any indication.
Yes, spam filters are at work, and opt-outs, and so forth. But those hindrances also tell us how depersonalized giving has become, especially for first-time donors, and doubly especially for online donors. If online giving is to reach its potential as a tool, we need to infuse the experience with personality and humanity. We need to make sure donors receive their receipts, and we also need to make sure they feel thanked.
As social media darling Blue State Digital notes, 40 percent of online donors to the Obama campaign were repeat donors. But they were also seeing daily, if not hourly, reports of the cumulative value of their giving, and the immediate translation of donations into campaign events, rousing speeches, and polling bumps. Why, it was almost as if the donations had…impact.
What do others think? Can fundraising become less of a numbers game, and more of a legit human encounter? Can social media— Facebook, cause Twittering— help?
- Colleen O’Grady, Senior Writer
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COG – there is nothing more I’d like to do than say, “hey you slickster you’ve got it all wrong” but I can’t because you are spot on. I think the most important point to remember when using social media for anything is authentic humanity.
Philanthropy has relied on people feeling like they have enough, so they wouldn’t mind sharing with others. During this economic crisis more people and organizations need to tell their stories. And remember to say thank you.
Thanks for your thoughtful post.