{"id":21539,"date":"2020-12-10T16:05:29","date_gmt":"2020-12-10T21:05:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/?p=21539"},"modified":"2021-08-03T17:30:56","modified_gmt":"2021-08-03T21:30:56","slug":"the-ghosts-of-christmas-fundraisers-past","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/the-ghosts-of-christmas-fundraisers-past\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ghosts of Christmas Fundraisers Past"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Once upon a time, a fundraiser dozed in front of a fire when she was startled awake by a booming voice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI AM THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS FUNDRAISERS PAST,\u201d it said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surprised and irritated, she looked up to see a frazzled-looking ghost clutching what looked like several drafts of a fundraising appeal and a cup of coffee. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI HAVE COME TO SHOW YOU WHAT ONCE WAS CORRECT AND NOW IS WRONG,\u201d it continued. \u201cBUT WE HAVE TO HURRY; I HAVE TO HAVE THIS TO PRINT IN LIKE THREE HOURS.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you sure we have to do this now?\u201d she asked. \u201cIt\u2019s the busiest time of year. I need a nap.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI DON\u2019T MAKE THE RULES, LADY,\u201d the ghost said. \u201cTHE BOARD DOES. LET\u2019S JUST GET THIS OVER WITH.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fundraiser rolled her eyes. \u201cFine,\u201d she said. \u201cWhatever, just hurry up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The First Ghost: One-Page Donation Forms<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWHOOSH!\u201d <\/em>said the ghost. The fundraiser saw herself sitting in her office building a donation form for the 2018 Christmas campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDid you actually just say \u2018Whoosh!\u2019?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDON\u2019T ASK QUESTIONS,\u201d said the ghost. \u201cBEHOLD! THE FIRST OF THREE OUTDATED BEST PRACTICES\u2014THE ONE-PAGE DONATION FORM.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You see, the one-page donation form used to be best practice, but it\u2019s no longer exclusively the most effective way to accept donations online<\/a>! Before, the idea was to let donors complete their donation all at once without clicking through different screens that collected different pieces of information. Donation amount, personal information, billing information, and other fields were all displayed on one form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Best practice used to dictate that donors be able to complete their gift all on one page<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

But donor preferences and behaviors evolve and so must we! Now, donation forms that are split across multiple steps often outperform forms that are all on one page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a few reasons for this, but the most important one is that moving donors from step to step helps them solidify their decision to give. When someone indicates a gift amount and is taken to a new screen to finish their transaction, their decision to give has been finalized. The subsequent steps of providing their information are just a formality. On a one-page donation form, there is no sense of closure or finality after a donor has chosen to give. Because it\u2019s all on one page, the decision to give feels more open-ended, and donors are more likely to navigate away from the page before completing their donation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On this new form, a donor chooses their gift amount and is moved to the next step in the donation process.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSEE?\u201d boomed the ghost. \u201cSPLIT UP YOUR DONATION FORM.\u201d It shuffled through its papers and made a show of checking something off. \u201cOKAY. ON TO THE NEXT ONE.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Second Ghost: Tax<\/strong>–Deductibility Language on Donation Forms<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWHOOSH!\u201d <\/em>said the ghost again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fundraiser snorted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t even move,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re literally standing exactly where we were a minute ago.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYOU TRY PLANNING THESE TRANSITIONS WITH MY BUDGET,\u201d boomed the ghost. \u201cPAY ATTENTION. THE SECOND GHOST\u2014TAX-DEDUCTIBILITY LANGUAGE ON YOUR DONATION FORMS.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fundraiser squinted. Her past self had just pasted a few lines of text into the content at the top of her donation form. \u201cThis organization is a 501(c)(3) with tax-exempt status. Your donation is 100% tax deductible,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Including language on your donation form about a donation’s tax deductibility is still common, but it’s not as compelling as it used to be.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Adding a note about donation’s tax deductibility used to be common. But, as we learn more about donors\u2019 motivations, the more we realize that highlighting a nonprofit\u2019s IRS status doesn’t necessarily boost conversion rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we surveyed 1,300 nonprofit donors for our Generational Giving Report, we asked them how motivated they were by tax deductions. Only 4.6% said it was \u201ca big motivator,\u201d but 51.6% said it wasn\u2019t a motivator at all. Instead, donors were motivated by impact statements that told them exactly how their gift would make a difference. If you want to boost conversion rates on your donation forms, focus your energy on showing donors how their money will be used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Swap out your tax deductibility content for a solid impact statement. Your donors are much more compelled by making a difference than they are by tax deductions.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

If you want to include information about tax deductions, try including a (very short) bit of copy at the end of your form near the submission button, or even below your form. You can always include it in your website footer or in your email receipts! It’s also easy to send donors a summary of their transactions<\/a> for the year, so those who want to file itemized deductions can do so easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOKAY, TAX DEDUCTIONS. CHECK,\u201d said the ghost. \u201cONE MORE STOP.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Third Ghost: Businesslike Receipts<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWHOOSH!\u201d <\/em>said the ghost. \u201cHARK! THE FINAL SPECTER OF BEST PRACTICES PAST\u2014THE BUSINESSY RECEIPT!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWho even says hark anymo-\u201d began the fundraiser. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSILENCE,\u201d interrupted the ghost. \u201cPAY ATTENTION. WE\u2019RE BEHIND SCHEDULE.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ghost stretched its finger toward past-fundraiser\u2019s screen. On it was a draft of a receipt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn behalf of the CEO and our Board of Directors, thank you for your donation of %AMOUNT%. At our nonprofit, our mission is to serve our community efficiently. Below, please find the details of your transaction. Maintain this email for your records.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSeriously? Could you not be bothered to come up with a decent-sounding example mission statement for this?\u201d asked the fundraiser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI HAVE TO DO THIS PRESENTATION A LOT,\u201d replied the ghost. \u201cWRITING EXAMPLE COPY THAT WORKS FOR LOTS OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF NONPROFITS IS HARD. KEEP READING.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vague mission statement aside, this formal-sounding receipt falls far short of current best practices that emphasize good donor experiences. Yes, a donation to your nonprofit is technically a financial transaction. But it\u2019s more than that! It\u2019s an investment in an important cause from an individual (or business) that connected with your mission on an emotional level. Referencing that emotional connection is an absolutely critical part of a good donation receipt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Your receipts should absolutely contain the donor\u2019s gift information. But it should also contain an impact statement about what their money will achieve, a note about how thankful you are for their support, and an overall air of heartfelt gratitude. Leave the formal receipts to the banks and utility companies; to make a good impression on your donors, create receipts that are genuine and celebratory<\/a>, not cold and transactional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWHOOSH!\u201d <\/em>cried the ghost a final time, and the fundraiser found herself back in front of the fireplace. \u201cI\u2019M SUPPOSED TO CONCLUDE MY PRESENTATION WITH A SUMMARY OF WHAT YOU\u2019VE LEARNED,\u201d said the ghost, and handed the fundraiser a list. On the paper, it said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n