You may not need to hear all the way from Edinburgh, Scotland, to know that thank you calls to donors truly do work. But here are some research results from a Scottish charity known as the Thistle Foundation—just in case you need a sharp little poke to get you (or your board members) back on the phone.
From a random sample of 2,000 monthly contributors in the study, half received courtesy thank you calls while the other half did not. By one measure, the results appeared rather ho-hum: 5.4 percent more of those receiving thank you calls increased their level of giving in a fundraising campaign several months later. Make a thousand phone calls for 54 responses?
But wait: There’s another more telling statistic—the difference in total revenue from the two groups. The group receiving thank you calls gave considerably more money in the subsequent campaign—41 percent more. Now we’re talking.
Significantly, the effective thank you calls did not include a solicitation of any kind. The callers reported on recent work by the Thistle Foundation—which helps Scots who have physical and learning disabilities—and thanked the donors for their support.
Research closer to home (in the U.S. and Canada) substantiates the likelihood of positive results from thank you calls. In a survey by Cygnus Applied Research, Inc., thousands of donors were asked how they would be influenced if a member of the board of directors of a charity called to say thanks within a day or two of receiving a charitable gift. An overwhelming 72 percent said they would give more the next time they were asked.
It’s really very simple: The more your donors are appreciated, the more their gifts appreciate.
Pentera’s marketing experts are available to help design and implement marketing strategies for you.
No comments
Post a comment: