Exploring the Love Language of Fundraising
The team is delighted to announce our signature research project for 2023 – Exploring the Love Language of Fundraising.
A quick glance of the language that is used in the sector right now tells us that the focus of fundraising communications is very much on money, or the impact that money can have on a focal community. That money could be described as a donation, gift, support or even generosity.
Thus:
Your donation can …
Your gift can …
Thanks to your gift of …
Thanks to your support …
Thanks for your generosity …
On one level, the choice to focus on the language of money makes good financial sense. At the point of acquisition we know that donors are concerned with the impact their financial support has achieved. Being clear on that (e.g., through the use of appropriate dollar handles) can often boost response rates and initial ROI.
On another level though it can prove problematic, particularly when it is adopted as a universal norm. In those circumstances it orients the relationship that donors have with their charities toward one that is inherently exchange in nature. The relationship is built as follows: “we need more money for the mission, you care about the mission, so you give us money and we will tell you the impact you make in return.”
Research tells us that these exchange relationships do not have the same longevity or quality as relationships that are oriented towards the genuine care of each party. An alternative approach might thus be to stress the love that is at the core of the decision to donate: “you love the people, animals or environment our charity seeks to help and so the charity loves you for loving them.” To be powerful, that love should be unconditional. The charity loves you before you make a gift AND even if you can’t make a gift at the present time. You can still experience the love for who you are, what you represent, and the love you have for those you have helped.
If love is at the core of philanthropy (i.e., philanthropy is defined as ‘love of mankind’) – love should be at the core of how we communicate with donors about that philanthropy.
We think the reason why people do not presently do so is because as a sector we have not yet perfected the science of how this could be done.
So this year, thanks to our generous sponsors, we want to build the body of knowledge for how best to build love in fundraising.
We’re excited by the project because:
· Love in fundraising has received very little attention;
· Love lies, quite literally, at the core of IFSP’s mission - but most importantly;
· Love has a HUGE potential to grow supporter well-being through their giving.
So, What Will We Do?
Our new study will explore:
· How organizations currently communicate with their donors about love.
· Who and what are typically the focus (or targets) of love in donor communications.
· How donors experience and express their love.
· How feelings of love might be deepened.
· The relationship properties associated with that love.
· The contribution of love to supporter well-being.
· The relationship between the foregoing and donor behaviour at different stages of the supporter lifecycle.
But We Need Your Help
To address these issues we will be working with a minimum of six nonprofits who would be interested in participating in the study. If you would like to be one of the organizations in the study please contact us as soon as possible. The project will be capped at a maximum of 12 participating organizations, so please reach out early to secure your place. There is a fee for participating in the project.
We will work with each partner to conduct:
· A communications audit to identify the love that is already present.
· A donor survey to pinpoint the nature of love experienced and expressed in the context of the focal charity.
· A set of 6 digital tests to explore the best way to build this love through giving and to grow giving as an expression of this love. These digital tests could be conducted in email, on donation pages, on pop-up windows, or through any channel that would be most convenient for the charity.
· A follow-up data analysis on actual retention 12 months after the project completion. In that way we hope to be able to track the impact of our changes.
A HUGE THANK YOU
A huge thank you to our lead and project sponsors, who made this project happen. We are immensely grateful for your vision, support, and (of course) love!
Project sponsors: Donor Republic, Ask Direct, Donor Search, and Pursuant.