Increasing Donor Loyalty by Improving Their Experience MAJOR GEORGE HOOD, CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER, THE SALVATION ARMY

Transcription

1 Increasing Donor Loyalty by Improving Their Experience MAJOR GEORGE HOOD, CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER, THE SALVATION ARMY 1

2 WHO AM I? 2

3 WHAT S MY CAUSE? 3

4 APPLYING SYSTEMS THEORY TO DONOR RELATIONS Open systems are organizations that receive input from the environment and adjust themselves in response to that input. Closed systems are organizations that do not receive input from the environment and as a result, they are less likely to be able to adapt to environmental changes. 4

5 A symmetrical worldview incorporates the ideas of negotiation, conflict resolution, and compromise in an organizations operating procedures. 5

6 A symmetrical worldview incorporates the ideas of negotiation, conflict resolution, and compromise in an organization s operating procedures. The organization is not only self-oriented, but also oriented on satisfying the interests of strategic publics. Such as donors. 6

7 An asymmetrical worldview is one in which an organization s goal is to get what it wants without having to change the way it does business internally. This worldview focuses almost exclusively on the goals of the organization, and the culture is to resist change. Power in decision making tends to remain on the side of the organization and is not shared with strategic publics. 7

8 2000: Why do we want a website? 2001: Why do we have 200+ websites? 2002: Why do we have a recorded voice answering system for Sal.Army? 2003: Why are donors constantly calling us with complaints? 2004: How could we possibly go through an entire year with zero net gain new donors?? 2005: Why are we processing all online donations from a United Kingdom environment? 8

9 2000: Why do we want a web site? 2001: Why do we have 200+ web sites? 2002: Why do we have a recorded voice answering system for Sal.Army? 2003: Why are donors constantly calling us with complaints? 2004: How could we possibly go through an entire year with zero net gain new donors?? 2005: Why are we processing all online donations from a United Kingdom environment? We had morphed into an asymmetrical worldview organization, and the damage was becoming extremely evident. 9

10 WHAT WAS GOING ON AROUND US? 24 Hour News Blogsphere 10

11 It was an all out digital revolution, and we were being caught sleeping at the high-tech keyboard. How can we improve the donor experience and gain loyalty? 11

12 Welcome hour live operators taking inbound phone calls Focus Group Findings Good bye PR firm and Advertising Agency Hello 12

13 OUR GREAT DISCOVERIES People want to hear from us at multiple points of contact; some have a single preference, others multiple preferences An improved donor experience begins with data and quality research Establish a brand personality the donors can relate to Don t try to be everything to everybody 13

14 OUR GREAT DISCOVERIES Make giving as simple and as easy as you can Create a place where constituents can share their stories Story telling online is best accomplished in video form clients speaking directly to our donors Surprise our donors 14

15 DONOR SATISFACTION IS THE KEY DRIVER TOWARD DONOR LOYALTY Tracked two groups that were acquired in FY08 Control group was new donors who were simply placed in the regular mail stream without any special recognition. The test group was new donors who were placed in a special mail track identified as the Donor Loyalty Series. Grizzard s 2-Year Study The test group was acknowledged as a new donor and were intentionally educated on the work and mission of The Salvation Army. 15

16 HERE ARE THE RESULTS Retention for the Donor Loyalty Series test group was 14% higher! The Donor Loyalty Series test group gave 9% more gifts! Each donor in the Loyalty Series test group gave on average $36 more than the control group over the 2-year study! Grizzard s 2-Year Study 16

17 A FINAL WORD ON SOCIAL NETWORKING Not a significant channel for generating revenue yet A great tool for elevating the donor experience listening and sharing important information A powerful resource for understanding what your donors are thinking about you and what they are actually saying about you 17