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Don't Let Your Donation Page Suffer from Abandonment Issues

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:05:02 +0000

The last time I did a donating experiment was after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. At that time I donated a small amount to several charities working on disaster relief. I was particularly interested in how they thanked me after my donation.

But, to my surprise, I often ran into difficulties just making a donation. One donation page did not load so I left; another required a registration process before I could donate so I left; and one organization did not have a donation page dedicated to Japan relief specifically, even though it had promoted that very thing.

Big abandonment issues for me on these sites. I wrote about my experience in How Not to Thank a Donor During a Disaster.

Fundraising experts continue to test donation pages and more best practices have emerged.

DonationPay, a crowd sourcing donation site attended the recent NTC conference and presented the 20 Most Important Components of Your Donation Page, using examples of what works on their site.

The slide deck from that presentation is well worth a look, both for the stats - the average donation page bounce rate is 57% (!) - and for the examples of numerous donation pages from all types of charities.

DonationPay also heard about a few other tested practices and included them in another post, The New Best Donation Page Practices, 2013 Edition.

Here are some things that have been found (through testing) to work particularly well:

Preselect desired average gift amount. DonationPay suggests that the average gift be preselected in your group of suggested amounts. Apparently doing so increases the average gift. Certainly a preselected amount is unlikely to deter anyone from donating even if they end up selecting a different amount. Having it preselected does take advantage of the tendency we all have to go with the easiest action. That's why having to "opt out" works so well when getting employees to sign up for retirement programs. If one has to choose an option, it just slows us all down.
Include fewer fields to fill out. Offer short forms that require a minimum of information. You do want more detailed information about donors, but you can get it in other ways. For instance, redirect the donor to another page after they click the submit button where they can get more information and divulge more about themselves. A long, tedious donation form just encourages abandonment. For an example of a simple one-page donation form, see this one at the Surfrider Foundation.
Include large graphic buttons rather than written suggested amounts. This is because many people may be looking at your donation page on their mobile phones. More icons, less text seems to work best in that environment.
Check your own data and perform your own AB tests. Even minor tweaks can sometimes make a big difference. You won't know unless you test and have good metrics. Don't assume anything, even what other people say at conferences.
Make donating a one-click process. As the writer of the DonationPay blog post writes, don't keep asking "Do you like us? Are you Sure? Are you really sure?" Donors should only have to click twice, once on your donate button and then once when they submit their donation.

An earlier study found the elements detailed here were important, plus discovered that one or two columns worked best, trust seals on donation pages added a sense of confidence for donors, and suggested that donation pages should answer three crucial questions for donors and do so quickly.

That information plus examples of a couple of donation pages that converted well can be found in The Final Test: Donor Pages that Convert.

Have you tested your donation page lately? Abandonment really should not be such a big issue given what we do know about what works and what doesn't.

Photo: iStockphoto

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Best Links: IRS Mess, Social Media and SEO, Memorial Giving

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:33:49 +0000

Nonprofit Blog Carnival

Write a Letter to a Nonprofit Board. The Nonprofit Blog Carnival is accepting submissions until May 27th. Erik Anderson, at Donor Dreams, is asking for "Dear Board" letters. What would you like to say to a nonprofit board if you could? Of course, if you have a blog post about best practices for boards, but it isn't a letter, you can send that in too.

Issues

New Study: Low Nonprofit Overhead Does Not = Greater Efficiency - Nonprofit Quarterly. Welcome new light shed on the eternal battle over overhead. Maybe this new info will help free nonprofits from the tyranny of efficiency.
What a week in Washington! And the biggest issue is all about the IRS and nonprofit organizations. For some insight and background on the 503(c)(4) conundrum, check out these posts:
- How the IRS's Nonprofit Division Got So Dysfunctional - ProPublica.
- Trouble at the IRS: What Were They Thinking? - Philantopic, Foundation Center.

Fundraising

What have you tested lately? - Karen Zapp's Nonprofit Blog. Do you have a fundraising lab for testing all of your communications? That's what Karen suggests in this most helpful post. Karen explains just what you should be testing too. A great guide no matter the size of your organization. Testing is within everyone's budget.
Anonymous Giving - How do you thank them? - DoMore Mission. There are always those donors who wish to remain unknown. So how do you make sure that they are thanked anyway? Here are some ideas.
Memorial Giving: Overlooked or a Golden Opportunity? - npEngage. Is your memorial program just sitting there on remote control? Energize it with these suggestions that are easy to implement.

Social Media

21 Social Media Tips for Nonprofits from Top Experts - The Fundraising Coach. Marc Pitman seeks out great advice from the experts. My favorite tip here is "Create a Volunteer Social Media Corp."
Social Media and Myers Briggs [INFOGRAPHIC] - Social Media Today. Are you into Myers-Briggs? If so you'll love social media through that lens. Intuitives like to use LinkedIn and Twitter. Who knew?
Simple Steps to Creating an Effective Social Media Strategy - Search Engine Journal. This article is for businesses, but the steps outlined here can be adapted very easily to nonprofits. The main thing is to understand that we're not just doing social media for fun and games. It is fundamental to our Search Engine Optimization (SEO). If you don't know what SEO is, then start by reading up on it. Here's a good basic article: What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?

Communications

Nonprofits and the News: Getting the Media Coverage You Need - The INS Group. Most people still hear about your nonprofit through the traditional media. Make sure that you are there.
How to make your landing page a place that welcomes people - Future Fundraising Now. Have you really looked at your website's front door? The place where people first enter is where first impressions are made. Make it simple, obvious, and easy.
How to Write Better Fundraising E-Mails for Your Non-Profit - The Fundraising Authority. Email is still your best friend. Joe Garecht explains how email fundraising and direct mail are both alike and different, plus offers priceless tips for success.

Upcoming Webinars

The Care and Feeding of the Small-Dollar Donor - NTEN - July 9. This looks very interesting. The presenter is Megan Kashner, the creator of a new crowdfunding site called Benevolent, that features small scale needs from ordinary people who need temporary help. Kashner will discuss how to involve donors who give small amounts, and how to bring them back again and again.
Fundraising with Social Media - GuideStar, June 26. What campaigns work well online and how to set them up.

Photo: Getty Images

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Why High Brow Doesn't Work for Fundraising

Wed, 15 May 2013 01:05:21 +0000

I've been reading the most recent book by Jeff Brooks, The Fundraiser's Guide to Irresistible Communications: Real-World Field-Tested Strategies for Raising More Money (Emerson & Church, 2012).

I'm not surprised that I agree with him about everything.

I follow Jeff's blog religiously, and you should too. It's Future Fundraising Now. Jeff's blog is infuriatingly plain. So is his book. Really, his core advice for direct mail fundraising, "make it plain, make it corny, make it obvious," is a sort of mantra for everything he does and writes.

That's because it works. How does he know? Because he tests everything! That's the difference between someone who really knows what he's talking about when it comes to fundraising and lots of other so called experts who just "theorize."

By the way, Jeff walks the talk. He is the creative director at TruSense Marketing and has been helping nonprofits for over 20 years. He's worked with some of the biggest nonprofit brands.

Jeff says that our biggest mistake in fundraising is thinking that what we like is what works. We're self-centered, rather than donor-focused. And, frankly, we are soooo off the mark.

My favorite thing about Jeff is his insistence on the literal. He says that people like to beat around the bush when they ask for money or when explaining the problem they are addressing.

He gives the example of a group of people in a small community who want to stop a big box store from coming to town and messing with the local merchant based economy. So they swing into action and put out yard signs that read: Buy Locally, Build Responsibly, Build Community.

Jeff suggests the direct approach would be a sign like: No MegaMart! Rather than name the enemy directly and ask for a very direct action, the group, in Jeff's words, "...promote the philosophichal underpinings of the argument against large national chains in city neighborhoods in general."

It didn't work. People weren't able to read between the lines and get the true message which was "stop megamart."

Jeff says to always be "literal." People understand literal. They get it. They don't have the time to decode more abstract messages.

Well, Jeff hit right on my problem with most nonprofit communications, not just fundraising letters. We all want to sound good, as though we are thinking big ideas, are in favor of big principles. But really none of us can really visualize what those things are.

One clue to when an abstraction is in the air for me is when I can't easily see a picture in my mind for what I'm talking about. What is the image for community, responsible, buy local? If you can't visualize it, it's hard to take action.

I call this the abstract vs the concrete. But I like Jeff's use of "literal" even better. Unfortunately, nonprofit communications is riddled with this stuff. Impressive, high brow words that just pass through our heads like so much wind.

Ok. I'm done. But here's my call to action: buy Jeff's book! And then start looking for the abstractions in your communications, and go for the literal instead.

Oh by the way, you will also start underlining, highlighting, and generally getting less pretty but very explicit in your fundraising materials...because testing shows that it works.

Image: Courtesy of Emerson & Church

Disclosure: I was provided a review copy of this book by the publisher. For more on About.com's ethics policy, click here.

A Love Letter to My First Board of Directors

Tue, 14 May 2013 01:05:28 +0000

There is a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth when it comes to the subject of nonprofit boards. And it's true that many nonprofits have woefully inadequate boards that don't understand their fundraising duties nor even want to engage in helping with fundraising.

This month's Nonprofit Blog Carnival host, Erik Anderson of Donor Dreams, challenged us to write a letter to our board members (or a fictional board) that expressed all that we ever wanted to say...good or bad...to them.

I am lucky. The boards I've worked with have been pretty terrific, especially that first one when I was new to nonprofit work and was still learning the rules of staff/board relationships.

I have decided to put my gratitude into a love letter to that board for teaching me so much.

Dear Board,

After many years, I'm writing to tell you how much I learned from you. The lessons have stayed with me my entire career, and when I was in tough situations later, I often have recalled you with great affection. Here's what I'm grateful for:

--for understanding the relationship between board and staff and for following proper protocol. You worked so well with all of us who staffed your board meetings, committee meetings, retreats, and events. You never crossed the line by micro-managing, or forgetting that we reported to the ED; and you always respected our time and place within the organization.

--for being willing to get up very early for those committee meetings. Loved that restaurant where we met, and I appreciated your attention to the materials that I sent out in advance. I prepared like I was giving a TED Talk, and you listened, participated, offered suggestions as well as contacts and introductions when needed.

--for recruiting the best minds around for our board. You took your recruiting duties seriously and either took your turn serving on the recruitment committee or was always willing to feed information to those who were on it. As a result, we had some of the best community and croporate leaders on our board with a myriad of skills and expertise. Thank you too for finding the best on-the-ground volunteers that we had and bringing them onto the board.

--for your unfailing courtesy even when one of us, the staff, stumbled in our reports, and for asking intelligent questions. You set a high standard through your own meticulous attendance at meetings and your diligent preparation for them. As staff, we all rose to the occasion and brought you our best work.

--for your pride in the organization and willingness to open doors, make introductions, and ask your contacts, friends, and family to support us.

--for your generosity. Even though we had no minimum gift requirements for board members, you understood your fiduciary responsibilities fully and gave generously year after year without needing nudges or reminders.

--for getting along among yourselves. I don't rememer any infighting, backbiting, or political maneuvers. You probed, questioned, and challenged each other, but always with grace and good will. When one board member became overly critical or even slightly abusive, you handled it yourselves without drama.

--for always being willing to back us up when the chips were down, publicly and privately. And for always making time for us when we needed it outside of regularly scheduled meetings. It made handling our crises so much easier, knowing that you trusted us and were willing to share your expertise when it was needed.

--finally, thank you for finding, recruiting, and grooming two of the best board presidents I've ever worked with. They were rock stars, luminaries in the community, articulate about our organization's mission, and totally gracious and easy to work with.

Forgive me for taking so long to say thanks. At the time I thought all boards would be like you. I took you for granted. But I learned eventually just how lucky I was and what an exemplary board you truly were. As Dr. Seuss said, "You'll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut." Fortunately, my eyes are now wide open.

Your admirer forever....

What do you want to say to board members? Write your letter and submit it to the Carnival. Here are the details.

You will also want to see the series of letters that Erik has been running all month.

More About Boards:

Photo: Barry Marcus/Getty Images

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Older Americans Month and Volunteerism

Mon, 13 May 2013 01:05:03 +0000

May is Older Americans Month (its 50th anniversary!), a great time to thank your older donors and volunteers, and to simply appreciate the rich diversity that older people bring to our organizations.

This year's slogan for the month-long celebration of older people is "Unleash the Power of Age." How will you do that? Check out the official website (sponsored by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Administration for Community Living) for lots of ideas that you can jump into immediately.

Volunteerism is one of the hallmarks of aging. People simply do more of it as they age. Plus, volunteering is steadily becoming more popular for this age group as we learn about its benefits to our physical and mental health.

AARP, the premiere advocacy organization for older Americans, has become an ardent promoter of volunteering by older people. AARP, which does significant surveying, found that volunteering is becoming steadily more popular, In 2003 62% of older adults volunteered. That number rose to 69% in 2009, and in 2012 stood at 76%.

Why? One reason is that volunteering just keeps older people in the pink. A recent study by Volunteer Canada incorporated much of the research on this topic from recent years and found that volunteering does these things for older people:

improves physical functioning
enhances emotional health
provides social advantages, and
is good for brain health.

All of those factors are turning out to be key to longevity, and not just existing but living an energetic and engaged life well into old age.

So what are you doing to recruit, engage, and grow your nonprofit or charity with the help of older people?

Here are some resources about older adults and volunteering:

Image: Courtesy of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

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Grants Expand Crowdfunding Site for People Down on Their Luck

Tue, 07 May 2013 01:05:34 +0000

Benevolent's mission is simple. Help people who just need a modest helping hand to dig out of a tough spot. And do it through online crowdfunding.

There are so many crowdfunding sites that have sprung up in recent years that it is truly daunting to keep up, but this one caught my attention almost instantly.

So what's so special about it?

Its Relevancy. Everyday now we hear about the long-term unemployed, about families in need, and ordinary people who have fallen on hard times through no fault of their own. Benevolent offers a simple way to help individuals, not an organization, for a reasonable cost.

Its Backstory. Benevolent was launched in 2011 by Megan Kashner, a social worker and experienced nonprofit professional in Chicago, who grasped the power of crowdfunding and of focusing on one individual and one specific need. Kashner's pilot program raised more than $35,000 for more than 70 people in just 15 months.

Its Safety. People like to give to people, but they want to make sure that their donations are safe. That's why Benevolent works with nonprofits who have to "vouch" for an individual and verify that their need is legitimate and reasonable. The money goes to the nonprofit and then to the person. Benevolent says that the average donation at the site is $50 and the average need is $470.

Its Backers. Kashner was invited to present her idea at last year's White House Forum on Philanthropy Innovation. The keynote speaker was Jean Case of the Case Foundation and she liked Benevolent, calling it one of the best programs presented.

Now, Benevolent has received $285,000 in grants from two major foundations, the John S. and James L Knight Foundation and the Marjorie S. Fisher Fund of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. The new money will help fund the expansion of Benevolent into three new cities, Detroit, Charlotte, North Carolina, and San Jose/Silicon Valley.

Its Simplicity. Online, potential donors see profiles of people in need with a very specific request. For instance one man needs to get his car repaired so he can go to his new job; a woman needs a computer so she can work from home even though she is disabled; and a mother with a two-year old needs some furniture for their apartment.

Needs tend to be just a few hundred dollars at most, and donors can make small contributions. The website is simple, almost austere, but it works well. One person's story at a time, one simple need, amount needed, progress toward completion. Click, fill out simple form, done.

Having proved its worth in Chicago, now the organization is set to expand. The three new cities were chosen because their low income residents face some unique challenges.

For instance in Detroit, the median houshold income decreased more than a third in recent years and half of the city's household have to manage with less than $25,000 annual incomes.

In San Jose, the properous tech industry has brought in a tide of transient workers who often work for low wages while living in an area with one of the highest cost of living rates in the country.

In Charlotte, census figures show that the percentage of families in poverty has nearly doubled between 2000 and 2010.

I like this crowdfunding site very much. As one of its new funders, Mrs Fisher of the Marjorie S. Fisher Fund, said, "This is not charity, it is neighbors helping neighbors."

Benevolent feels that way to me too. That's why I gave.

Photo: Courtesy of Benevolent.

Every Matching Gift Counts

Mon, 06 May 2013 01:05:49 +0000

Most of us would never think of passing up our employer's matching contribution to our 401(k) or other retirement account.

Yet, many people never apply that reasoning to their charitable gifts, even though many employers offer a match for our donations to our cherished causes.

There are many reasons why this happens, and we may all wish that companies did a better job of publicizing their matching gift programs in house. But the fact remains that sometimes charities themselves must take an active part by identifying companies in their areas that do match and then reminding donors to take advantage of that opportunity.

The Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona knows how important it is to promote matching gift opportunities. See its instructions above and at its site.

Adam Weinger of Double the Donation, has resolved to help educate both donors and nonprofits about the money (one estimate is that $10 billion in matching funds go to waste each year) we all, donors and charities, leave on the table, untouched.

Weinger's latest guest article for About.com explains just what your charity can do to remind your donors of matching gift programs. Don't miss How to Promote Employee Matching Gifts to Your Donors - 5 Strategies That Work.

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What the Heck Is a SOFII?

Thu, 02 May 2013 11:31:00 +0000

That awkward set of letters actually stands for "The Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration." It's a British thing I think. Kinda awkward, a little bit frumpy, but James Bond sharp.

If you've been into recent British dramas such as Mr. Selfridge, Call the Midwife, and The Bletchley Circle, then you'll love SOFII.

SOFII is the swipe file of all swipe files, where people who work in fundraising spill their secrets like foreign spies shot up with truth serum by MI-5.

And the content isn't all British. SOFII is really global, with only one idea -- to make fundraising better, smarter and, I'll say it, more fun.

What I love the most is the history. Ever wonder where the adopt-a-pet idea started, or what the great fundraising campaigns of yore looked like? SOFII is the place.

Using SOFII and not promoting it enough has been nagging me forever. So here is my make up. Go check out SOFII, sign up for the emails, and start swiping.

Image: The cartoon above is actually part of a downloadable bookmark that SOFII uses for promotion.

Other Resources I Like:

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Is Facebook Worth the Hassle for Smaller Nonprofits?

Wed, 01 May 2013 01:05:11 +0000

I don't even think we're waiting for the verdict on this question. It's been in for a while. Facebook and other types of social media do work well for nonprofits.

But smaller organizations that are pressed for time, money and know how still resist setting up a Facebook Page for their organizations. Are you being left behind?

I won't say that Facebook is easy for nonprofits or for anyone setting up a brand page. But I do think that we are at the same point we were some years ago when there was still considerable doubt about setting up websites.

The fact is that social media is not going away, and it's likely that the major players we see today are going to be around for a while. Plus, in a multichannel world, where people get their information from a variety of sources, playing the social media game is just as important as setting up a website, sending out press releases, and mailing out fundraising appeals.

But Facebook should be your first stop if you have to choose where to start your social media journey. That's because your supporters are probably already there.

If you're not already convinced, maybe 7 Reasons Your Nonprofit Should Be on Facebook, by guest author Julie Welles, will help tip the balance.

If you do take the plunge, be prepared for a long road of hard work, learning, and experimentation. But it will be worth it and maybe even pretty exciting.

Photo: Getty Images

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Are Nonprofits Good Employers?

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 01:05:24 +0000

Every year "The NonProfitTimes" comes up with a list of the Best Nonprofit Employers to Work For. The list is not only a wonderful benchmark for other nonprofits, but it also provides excellent guidelines for anyone who desires a long-term career in the sector.

The annual list of best nonprofits is the result of a competition by "The NonProfit Times." After being nominated for Best Nonprofit Employer, NPT gathers information about that organization's benefits and employment practices.

Then a confidential survey is provided to the nominated organization's employees. That survey covers eight categories ranging from leadership and planning, to work environment, to employee engagement.

Each organization is assigned a score based on the data gathered. The top 50 nonprofits are ranked, irrespective of size; and then sublists are compiled for small, medium and large employers.

Check out the cover story about the 2013 list that appeared in "The NonProfitTimes" in April. It provides a quick glance at who placed where and includes intriguing specifics about some of the top-ranked organizations.

So what are the characteristics of great nonprofits? Here are three that pop out from this year's report:

Caring about employees. The number one nonprofit for two years running, the Wounded Warrior Project, listened to its employees about burnout. They call it "compassion fatigue," and developed a workshop to address it. People who work in nonprofits often work long hours and on heart-breaking causes. They need to be nurtured. Nonprofits are in a perfect position to both understand and do something to bolster the spirits of their employees.
Offering flexible benefits. The Alzheimer's Association in Chicago, which ranked in the top 10 of this year's best nonprofits, was a leader in including elder care in its benefits package. More sensitive than most to this emerging need, the Association made it a hallmark of its approach to making it easier for employees to work and also care for loved ones.
Living the mission. People who work in nonprofit organizations usually have a vested interest in that particular cause. If they don't initially, they do eventually. That leads to longer tenures, as workers find fulfillment by combining passion and work. Great nonprofits live their missions. A good example is the Natural Resource Defense Council. It inhabits "green" buildings, employees drive "green" cars for work, and the organization's offices recycle ardently. NRDC is among the top 20 best nonprofits to work for.

Read more about nonprofit jobs:

Photo: Getty Images