who's afraid of in memory donors
DESCRIPTION
In Memory Giving presentation, Fundraising Ireland Conference, March 2012TRANSCRIPT
Who’s Afraidof
The Big Bad Wolf ?
In memory
donors
#finfc12
The Rise and Rise of In Memory Giving
In MemoryIn Honour In Lieu of Flowers
Funeral Collections Tribute funds
“Money given… in memory… will outstrip money given through legacies in 10 years’
time, delegates at the Institute of Fundraising’s
National Convention heard”
Just Giving in memory donations
1 2 3 4 5£0
£500,000
£1,000,000
£1,500,000
£2,000,000
£2,500,000
First quarter income
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
The top 5 fundraisers
on mycharity are all giving in memorymycharity.ie 15/3/12
There’s a market for memories…
…and the private sector has recognised this.
What In Memory Donors Want…
How donors relate to charity
With In Memory, it’s a bit more complicated
Family
Friends
Others
In Memory Research 2011
Grieving
Mourning
Supporting
In Memory Research 2011
Grieving
• To provide a positive focus
“For my husband, he wanted something positive out of it, so he said we’ll be pro-active, instead of sitting around in self pity...”
(Female, 40s)
In Memory Research 2011
Grieving
• To keep the relationship alive
“You look at your life, it’s really really weird, I feel, I wouldn’t say it’s guilt, I feel I want to give... I feel I’m giving something to her... she’s not down here for me to give it to her...”
(Female, 40s)
In Memory Research 2011
Grieving
• To combat helplessness
“You feel a bit helpless, and it’s nice because at the end you think I’ve raised all this money now, you push and push people to sponsor you.”
(Female, 30s)
In Memory Research 2011
Grieving
• I want them to be proud of me
“I like to think she’s looking down from heaven, if there’s a heaven, and she thinks ‘good on her’. That’s what she’d say, good on you. You go girl”
(Female, 20s)
In Memory Research 2011
Grieving
• I want them to know I loved them
“I want him to know he was valued so much, that he meant so much to me, to all of us.”
(Male, 40s)
In Memory Research 2011
Supporting
• Make the bereaved feel better
“For her she could see all the names of her friends which I think is lovely... she could say all these people care about me and I can count on my friends when times are rough.”
(Female, 40s)
In Memory Research 2011
How we actually treat them…
…we’re frightened.
/
Donor Benchmarking Research 2011
6 countries x 15 charities each x 3 types of gift
Average speed of response*
Ask Direct/Bluefrog Benchmarking 2011
Ireland
Canada
New Zealand
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
In MemGeneric PostalOnline -1st postal
Average speed of response*
Ask Direct/Bluefrog Benchmarking 2011
Average communication volumes
Aver
age
num
ber o
f com
mun
icati
ons
Pape
r mai
l and
em
ail
*Average volume of communications received between donation and end-Sep 2011
Ask Direct/Bluefrog Benchmarking 2011
Average communications volumes
Ask Direct/Bluefrog Benchmarking 2011
Volumes received by charity – UKN
umbe
r of c
omm
unic
ation
s re
ceiv
ed
Ask Direct/Bluefrog Benchmarking 2011
Volumes received by charity – Ireland
Amne
sty
Inte
rnat
ional
Irelan
d
Barna
rdos
Barre
tsto
wn
Bótha
r
CMRF
Conce
rn
Focus
Irela
nd
Irish
Can
cer S
ociet
y
Irish
Hea
rt Fou
ndat
ion
Irish
Red
Cro
ss
MS S
ociet
y
Oxfam
Tróca
ire
Unicef
Wor
ld Visi
on0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Online:email
Online:postal
Generic postal
In Memory
Nu
mb
er o
f co
mm
un
icat
ion
s re
ceiv
ed
Ask Direct/Bluefrog Benchmarking 2011
Irish In Memory Donors receive almost 20% less mail.46% of Irish charities sent nothing beyond a thank you within first 6 months.
Why are we ignoring In Memory Donors?
54%
46%
Follow up to donation
Yes No
Ask Direct/Bluefrog Benchmarking 2011
Irelan
d
Australi
a
New Zeala
nd UK US
Canad
a0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
% of charities with no follow up
But not as much as some…
Ask Direct/Bluefrog Benchmarking 2011
A bit more detail…
Ask Direct/Bluefrog Benchmarking 2011
Ask Direct/Bluefrog Benchmarking 2011
A bit more detail…
So much for the quantity.What about the quality?
Do In Memory donors get a fitting reply?
Ask Direct/Bluefrog Benchmarking 2011
Ireland New Zealand Canada0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Got nothing
In Mem Thank You
Generic Thank You
Num
ber
of c
harit
ies
Do In Memory donors get a fitting reply?
Ask Direct/Bluefrog Benchmarking 2011
Breaking it down – in the UK
Gift-specific thank you In Mem focus Hand signed Hand written Mention cousin Mention flowers Offer tribute Offer support Offer to tell family
Amnesty ü ü ü û ü ü ü û û
Greenpeace ü ü ü ü û û ü û û
Macmillan ü ü û û ü û ü ü û
CRUK ü ü ü û ü û û û û
GOSH ü ü ü û ü û û û û
NSPCC ü ü ü û ü û û û û
Red X ü ü ü û ü û û û û
RNLI ü ü ü û ü û û û û
SA ü ü ü û ü û û û û
STC ü ü ü û ü û û û û
UNICEF ü ü ü û ü û û û ûWorld Vision ü ü ü ü û û û û û
BHF ü ü û û û û û û ü
RNIB ü ü û û û û û û û
Oxfam û û û û û û û û û
Ask Direct/Bluefrog Benchmarking 2011
Breaking it down – in Ireland
Gift-specific thank you In Mem focus Hand signed Hand written Mention cousin Mention flowers Offer tribute Offer support Offer Condolences Offer to tell family
Amnesty û û û û û û û û û û
Barnardos ü ü û û ü û û û ü û
Barretstown ü ü ü û ü û û û ü û
Bóthar û û û û û û û û û û
CMRF ü ü ü û ü ü û û ü û
Concern ü ü û û ü û û û û û
Focus Ireland ü ü ü û ü û û û û û
Irish Cancer Soc ü û û û û û û û û û
Irish Heart Fnd ü ü û û ü û û û û û
Irish Red Cross ü ü û û ü û û û ü û
MS Ireland û û û û û û û û û ûOxfam ü û û û û û û û û û
Trócaire ü ü û û ü û û û û û
Unicef ü ü û û û û û û ü û
World Vision û û û û û û û û û û
Ask Direct/Bluefrog Benchmarking 2011
Amnesty International IrelandBarnardos
Barretstown
Bóthar
CMRF
Concern
Focus Ireland
Irish Cancer SocietyIrish Heart Foundation
Irish Red Cross
MS Society
Oxfam
Trócaire
Unicef
World Vision
0
5
10
Quality of Response - Ireland
Ask Direct/Bluefrog Benchmarking 2011
In more detail
Ask Direct/Bluefrog Benchmarking 2011
Gift sp
ecific
In M
em fo
cus
hand
sign
hand
writ
ten
cous
in
flower
s
offe
r trib
offe
r sup
port
Condo
lenc
es
tell f
amily
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Ireland
New Zealand
Canada
In more detail
Ask Direct/Bluefrog Benchmarking 2011
Time for some examples…
Possibly the worst…
Tax Receipt?!
No personalisation.No mention of
In Memory.
MS Ireland:
No personalisation.No mention of
In Memory.
Personalised.
But no mention on In Memory
Concern.Is a tax reminder appropriate?
That’s enough about you.Let’s talk about me.
Children’s Medical & Research Foundation
Good. But Slow.
MSF Canada: Sympathy card… then thank you letter.
The personal touch…
Entirely handwritten
Personal. And information gatheringRef to relation to bereaved, but also, to the flowers. No other charity did the latter.Hand signed card from Director. No other charity did this.Option to leave message online. (Relationship development AND meeting donor needs)
Hand signed
GOSH comes close
Charity giving itself invitation to ask on anniversaries
Meeting even more donor needs
Offer of bereavement support
Almost there. But would this jar?
New-donor prospecting
Nice touch. If it were appropriate for a £10 donation.
Almost there. But would this jar?
A bit much?
Very few calls
Pre-call post card from the Australian Salvation Army
The British Red Cross called three times in five days. None of the callers had any record of the previous. All said exactly the same thing – talking at, not with.
The Canadians were better at calling…
Four things you can do.
1: Collect, care for and use data appropriately
Donor surveys:Gather data.
Begin the conversation.
Is this gift in memory of someone?
If yes, perhaps you’d like to tell us their name.
2. Stop. Listen. Think.
€ arrives Fundraising Dept checks
Specials flagged for attention
Thank You issued
Data recorded on database
Money to accounts for processing
3. Be Human
“You know when it’s a computer saying thank you and when it’s a person.
And, quite frankly, I prefer if it’s a person.”
(Female, 62)
Source: After the love has gone. Bluefrog 2008
4. Put the donor in control. Of everything.
THANK YOU
#finfc12