Category: Uncategorized

Ripples in the pond I’ve argued that total net donor lifetime value is the one true metric you would want to take with you to a deserted island.  It’s a measure that balances short and long-term, investment and return, invest to retain and bless and release. Yet on yesterday’s Science of Influence webinar with Professor...

Three digital metrics nonprofits can value too much by David Schwab, Digital Strategist By now, as a metric-savvy marketer, you probably already know to discount vanity metrics like Facebook likes or web site visits.  But there are some digital metrics that can be valuable… but only to a point. Return on ad spend (ROAS).  The...

Why your data need a reference check The headlines blared “How Much Weight Did We Gain During Lockdowns? 2 Pounds a Month, Study Hints” (New York Times) and “Americans have piled on the pounds during the COVID-19 pandemic.” The reference is to a study by the American Psychological Association asking about weight gain or loss...

Your mileage may vary: the story of 2020 donors The Blackbaud 2020 Charitable Giving Report is chockablock with good data on which to benchmark your direct marketing program.  But reading through, there was one statement that brought me up short: “Analysis of the data shows that, in April, May, and June of 2020, nonprofits of...

Let’s save donor acquisition by Gretchen Littlefield, Moore CEO Too often, the First Amendment is looked at as freedom of speech alone. But it guarantees more than that—the ability to bring our voices together. Whether part of a house of worship, a media organization, or simply bringing people together, from our founding, we’ve recognized that...

We need your voice to avert a ruinous postal price increase by Gretchen Littlefield, Moore CEO It is a truth universally acknowledged that the most successful business strategy is higher prices plus worse service. Wait a second: it’s actually the opposite! And yet that’s the Postal Service’s new strategy.  After a December with the worst...

The latest on donor-advised funds For those of you who have been following donor-advised funds (DAFs), you all know that they have been experiencing tremendous growth in funds for the past few years. In fact, the National Philanthropic Trust reported that at the beginning of 2019, the available funds had increased to $142 billion, an...

Planning for independence In 2015, the Girl Scouts of Western Washington received a donation for $100,000 to help them support poorer scouts with a significant string attached: no support for transgender girls.  The Girl Scouts rejected this assault on their values, returned the donation, and launched #forEVERYgirl, an effort to make up the difference in...

How cultural institutions are entering monthly giving Yesterday, the American Alliance of Museums put out an interesting piece on how cultural institutions are entering monthly giving.  On the one hand, these organizations tend to lag the average nonprofit on monthly giving adoption, with some of the earliest programs starting only in 2015. On the other...

The magic metric: 2.6 gifts Blackbaud’s Charitable Giving Report for 2020 just came out; it’s well worth a read.  Of course, I turned right to the retention numbers: 29% first-year and 59% multi-year retention for offline-only donors; 25% first-year and 66% multi-year retention for online-only donors. These are the numbers that ripple through your direct...