Challenge Archives - FundraisingForce

Challenge

8 Jan 2019

Stephen Mally Challenge, Challenge gifts, Charitable organisation, Charities, Christmas appeal, Donation, Double, Matching, Matching gifts, Non-profit, tax appeal

Double their donation, double their impact

In the US, the last week of December is also the last week of the US financial year. Australian charities should imagine combining their Christmas and Tax Appeals in one. This is the scenario encountered for US charitable organisations!

Most US charities use matching challenges for the follow up wave to their year-end Appeal. This creates a sense of urgency where donors are encouraged to double their donation and to double their impact. Like Australian non-profit organisations, US organisations use count down clocks and every other means to add to the sense of urgency.

On 29 December, I received 17 appeals via email from various US-based non-profit organisations. Each of the emails asked me to give a last minute tax year-end gift. 15 of the 17 appeals offered a matching challenge whereby my donation would be matched and have double the impact. The emails came from universities, cultural institutions, hospitals, and health organisations. On 30 December and 31 December, the reminder emails continued with as many as 30 being received on each of the two days.

Donor History Embedded in Year-End Emails

One such email referred to the fact I had not given a donation this year. This email came from Mount Sanai Healthcare in New York City. Embarrassingly, the email reflected I had not given a donation once in 2018. While I was embarrassed, I was also impressed at the accuracy of the donor records. Emails showing any sort of donor history require good record keeping and testing.

Matching Challenges

Matching challenges work to bring in new donors, renew existing donors, and renew lapsed donors, like me. In this case, the charitable organisation added an extra push by reminding me I had not given a single gift this year. Some emails showed my giving history across the year and asked me to boost my year-end giving by an additional gift to match my average donation.

Australian charities conduct direct marketing appeals really well. Adding matching challenges and adding giving history for the existing financial year to tax appeals will make the Tax Appeals that much stronger. Happy New Year!

2 Dec 2015

Stephen Mally 2016, Challenge, Charities, Charity, GivingTuesday, Matching gift, Matching gifts, Nonprofit

GivingTuesday has come and gone

The volume of charities I give to in the US is minimal compared to the number of charities I give to in Australia. Australia is my primary country of residence, so I guess it makes sense I am giving to in a larger way in Australia. That said, I was a bit disappointed at how few Australian nonprofit organisations I support reached out to me on #GivingTuesday compared to the large amount of US charities I supported in years past who reached out to me on #GivingTuesday. Snip20151202_28

Charities in the US used #GivingTuesday far more effectively to do the following:

Set a financial target.
Encourage active involvement in the campaign.
Provide Email updates throughout the day.
Post updates on organisation’s website throughout the day.
Create a matching gift challenge to prospective donors and demonstrate a doubling of their gift.
Tell Email recipients a story about how their gift will make a difference.
Encourage donors to give on a day set aside to remind us all of the importance of giving and volunteering.
Used #GivingTuesday as a marketing component of and wrapped into their end of year (Christmas) appeal.

PayPal announced a boost of everyone’s gift, using their platform, by 1%. #GivingTuesday sought to exceed the world record for giving in one day in the Guinness Book of World Records. I was pleased to see Blackbaud and GoFundraise amongst suppliers promoting #GivingTuesday locally.

I recognise #GivingTuesday is a new campaign in Australia compared to the US. But, I am hopeful more charities will see its value and will jump on the bandwagon in 2016. You have 12 months to prepare. Perhaps we can encourage the suppliers and fundraising peak bodies to get involved to create a cohesive effort in the New Year? Let’s see how well the campaign does worldwide and if we can get any statistics on Australia’s piece of the campaign. Those results may be a motivator for more to join the campaign.