Comments on: The Donor Pyramid Lie – III http://www.theagitator.net/communications/the-donor-pyramid-lie-iii/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-donor-pyramid-lie-iii Fundraising and advocacy strategies. Trends, tips ... with an edge Mon, 21 May 2012 15:58:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: John Whitehead http://www.theagitator.net/communications/the-donor-pyramid-lie-iii/comment-page-1/#comment-19123 John Whitehead Fri, 29 Jan 2010 02:54:15 +0000 http://www.theagitator.net/?p=1336#comment-19123 The pyramid is invaluable in understanding donor commitment and engagement and helping decide the amount of effort to be applied to their further cultivation. In terms of development, and in order of effectiveness, most charities do focus on legacies, encouraging donors to increase their regular gift commitments, encouraging non-financial supporters, e.g. campaigners, to give, converting occasional cash donors to regular givers and prompting cash donors’ to raise their cash gift levels. In my experience the last one, although almost universally used, has least success. Cash donors seem to have a very clear idea of the level at which they support any particular charity and stick to it. In the 1990’s several UK charities were recruiting donors using a £2 or £3 cash ask with a coin carrier cut out to hold the requested coins. Few of these donors ever budged from their initial low gifts on subsequent asks. John Whitehead wateraid.org The pyramid is invaluable in understanding donor commitment and engagement and helping decide the amount of effort to be applied to their further cultivation.

In terms of development, and in order of effectiveness, most charities do focus on legacies, encouraging donors to increase their regular gift commitments, encouraging non-financial supporters, e.g. campaigners, to give, converting occasional cash donors to regular givers and prompting cash donors’ to raise their cash gift levels.

In my experience the last one, although almost universally used, has least success. Cash donors seem to have a very clear idea of the level at which they support any particular charity and stick to it. In the 1990’s several UK charities were recruiting donors using a £2 or £3 cash ask with a coin carrier cut out to hold the requested coins. Few of these donors ever budged from their initial low gifts on subsequent asks.

John Whitehead
wateraid.org

]]> By: Nancy Withbroe http://www.theagitator.net/communications/the-donor-pyramid-lie-iii/comment-page-1/#comment-19007 Nancy Withbroe Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:54:30 +0000 http://www.theagitator.net/?p=1336#comment-19007 No arguments here! A colleague and I wrote a white paper last year on engaging major donors online - yet another way in which direct marketers and major gift officers can work together to maximize a DM file, deepen relationships and make the transition from 1:many to 1:some to 1:1. Our paper can be downloaded here: http://www.npcdivision.com/downloads/WP_Engaging_MD_online.pdf No arguments here! A colleague and I wrote a white paper last year on engaging major donors online – yet another way in which direct marketers and major gift officers can work together to maximize a DM file, deepen relationships and make the transition from 1:many to 1:some to 1:1.

Our paper can be downloaded here:
http://www.npcdivision.com/downloads/WP_Engaging_MD_online.pdf

]]> By: Rick Malchow http://www.theagitator.net/communications/the-donor-pyramid-lie-iii/comment-page-1/#comment-19002 Rick Malchow Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:01:34 +0000 http://www.theagitator.net/?p=1336#comment-19002 Tom, No disagreement on the numbers side. Each time I analyze an organization's file, I pull out all multiple gift $1,000 plus donors and look at their giving history. Generally speaking, I find that 30-40% of major, multiple gift donors start with a gift of $1,000 plus. Usually 50% or more started with a gift of $100 or less. Those starting with a gift of $25 or less can make up about %10 of the file. The lower the gift, the longer it takes to move up the ladder. A $20 join might take seven years to move up, and a $250 join might take two or three years to become a major donor. Thanks to all for the excellent discussion on this hugely important topic. Rick Tom,
No disagreement on the numbers side. Each time I analyze an organization’s file, I pull out all multiple gift $1,000 plus donors and look at their giving history. Generally speaking, I find that 30-40% of major, multiple gift donors start with a gift of $1,000 plus. Usually 50% or more started with a gift of $100 or less. Those starting with a gift of $25 or less can make up about %10 of the file. The lower the gift, the longer it takes to move up the ladder. A $20 join might take seven years to move up, and a $250 join might take two or three years to become a major donor.
Thanks to all for the excellent discussion on this hugely important topic.
Rick

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