Comments on: Dead Wrong, And Dead Right http://www.theagitator.net/dont-miss-these-posts/dead-wrong-and-dead-right/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dead-wrong-and-dead-right Fundraising and advocacy strategies. Trends, tips ... with an edge Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:21:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Charlie Bernstein http://www.theagitator.net/dont-miss-these-posts/dead-wrong-and-dead-right/comment-page-1/#comment-19012 Charlie Bernstein Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:33:59 +0000 http://www.theagitator.net/?p=1334#comment-19012 The fundraising pyramid is "right" in another way: It's healthier to seek many sizes of donations than to just focus on big or small donations. The pyramid isn't just about moving people up, though that's part of it. It's also about providing a wide range of opportunities and ways to give, from a dollar raffle ticket to (depending on your organization's mission and community) donations sporting one or two commas. Unlike the pyramids of Giza, a fundraising pyramid should allow easy entry at every level. Of course, giving patterns will always yield pretty strange-looking pyramids. But the idea that most healthy nonprofits that depend on fundraising to meet their budgets receive many more small donations than big ones is certainly valid, and working the bottom, middle, and top of that pyramid makes sense. The fundraising pyramid is “right” in another way: It’s healthier to seek many sizes of donations than to just focus on big or small donations.

The pyramid isn’t just about moving people up, though that’s part of it. It’s also about providing a wide range of opportunities and ways to give, from a dollar raffle ticket to (depending on your organization’s mission and community) donations sporting one or two commas.

Unlike the pyramids of Giza, a fundraising pyramid should allow easy entry at every level.

Of course, giving patterns will always yield pretty strange-looking pyramids. But the idea that most healthy nonprofits that depend on fundraising to meet their budgets receive many more small donations than big ones is certainly valid, and working the bottom, middle, and top of that pyramid makes sense.

]]> By: AnneP http://www.theagitator.net/dont-miss-these-posts/dead-wrong-and-dead-right/comment-page-1/#comment-18793 AnneP Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:52:27 +0000 http://www.theagitator.net/?p=1334#comment-18793 Great rebuttal! Thanks for sharing! Great rebuttal! Thanks for sharing!

]]> By: Rebekah http://www.theagitator.net/dont-miss-these-posts/dead-wrong-and-dead-right/comment-page-1/#comment-18781 Rebekah Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:08:08 +0000 http://www.theagitator.net/?p=1334#comment-18781 I agree with you that more often than not, $1,000 donors are persons who have given to the organization previously, but I don't call these persons "major" donors. And we do the giving pyramid or gift range chart a disservice when we misuse language in this way. The top of gift range charts are made up of truly major gifts -- 6 figure gifts or more. These almost always come from peer to peer solicitation. I agree with you that more often than not, $1,000 donors are persons who have given to the organization previously, but I don’t call these persons “major” donors. And we do the giving pyramid or gift range chart a disservice when we misuse language in this way. The top of gift range charts are made up of truly major gifts — 6 figure gifts or more. These almost always come from peer to peer solicitation.

]]> By: John SauvĂ©-Rodd http://www.theagitator.net/dont-miss-these-posts/dead-wrong-and-dead-right/comment-page-1/#comment-18755 John SauvĂ©-Rodd Mon, 25 Jan 2010 07:56:41 +0000 http://www.theagitator.net/?p=1334#comment-18755 The donor pyramid *as a genuinely pyramidal structure* most definitely does not exist. I've done extensive data-based research that proves the true structure of donor giving to be non-linear (so no constant sloped sides as pyramids are) but logarithmic - that is, with sides that have a 1 > 10 > 100 > 1000 > 10000 and so on ..slope. But conceptually the donor pyramid idea is pervasive and will not die. Well, not in North America anyway for in the UK (I am British) and Europe the donor pyramid is little used as a model or paradigm for donor development. Personally I find the donor pyramid of no practical use but as seasoned US and Canadian fundraisers fold me in my research 'It is useful to explain what we do to Board members who then leave us alone to get on with what we do'. The donor pyramid *as a genuinely pyramidal structure* most definitely does not exist. I’ve done extensive data-based research that proves the true structure of donor giving to be non-linear (so no constant sloped sides as pyramids are) but logarithmic – that is, with sides that have a 1 > 10 > 100 > 1000 > 10000 and so on ..slope. But conceptually the donor pyramid idea is pervasive and will not die. Well, not in North America anyway for in the UK (I am British) and Europe the donor pyramid is little used as a model or paradigm for donor development. Personally I find the donor pyramid of no practical use but as seasoned US and Canadian fundraisers fold me in my research ‘It is useful to explain what we do to Board members who then leave us alone to get on with what we do’.

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