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July 25, 2008

Few Charities Wow Donors During Process of Giving

While most charities are doing a good job of meeting donors’ expectations, few are actually exceeding them, according to a new survey.

The Great American Donor Survey, conducted by Campbell Rinker, a marketing research company in Valencia, Calif., that specializes in nonprofit work, found that 83 percent of charitable donors consider the giving experience to be what they expect. Only 13 percent say the charity they supported went beyond their expectations.

The finding is important because donors talk, says Dirk Rinker, president of the survey firm. “How much donors are communicating about their giving is just astounding to me,” he says.

Of the 3,400 donors surveyed, 66 percent said they occasionally recommend one of their favorite charities to a friend or family member, and 19 percent said they frequently do so.

Says Mr. Rinker, “Word of mouth is your best form of advertising.”

The donor survey was conducted online and by telephone in February

Mr. Rinker released preliminary results of the study at a conference in Washington sponsored by the Direct Marketing Association of Washington and the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Washington chapter.

— Sue Hoye

Friday July 25, 2008 | Permalink

Comments

1. Similarly, nonprofit board members will give more – in terms of expertise and making introductions and contributions – if they have a productive and positive experience on the board. This is why it is so critical for boards to function well! www.korngoldconsulting.com

   — Alice Korngold    Jul 25, 02:26 PM    #

2. The level of “customer service” a nonprofit provides is part of its brand. If donors and other stakeholders have WOW brand experiences, the word spreads and good things happen.

   This means that the organizational culture must be customer focused, with ongoing training, performance evaluations and rewards for living the brand.

   www.solutionsmc.net

   — Elaine Fogel    Jul 25, 10:38 PM    #

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