Comments on: Charities quite simply destroying themselves

By: Ben Young

Ben Young — Thu, 21 May 2009 23:25:36 +0000

@Stacey It is the result of systemised processes – they know they get the most out of people that have already donated so once you have they chuck you in a system that pesters you forever. Knowing that on average you will donate more. It’s the same around the world unfortunately. Causes such as Kiva avoid this and in the long run it is those that cater to our needs that will get the funds.

@Rich They are probably right – under their operating model. If they changed the value proposition as Kiva have that may change. As the highly engaged / motivated will give much more. It’s a result of average service offering to the masses. As you say if they segmented the market more.

By: Rich@getfrank

Rich@getfrank — Thu, 21 May 2009 02:42:20 +0000

I thought the same, and put that to World Vision – ‘Starving children’ vs. ‘Seeing value added communities built / smiles etc.’

They responded that they had tried & it didn’t deliver, the old business adage that there’s more money in a pain killer than a vitamin seems to hold in charities as well.

Handing over a $1, kills that guilt.

I still believe there’s a solid % of the market, and with the ability to segment your approach they’d gain more, was interesting though to here that when taking the whole market in one shot/branding approach World Vision has to shoot low to bring in the most.

By: Stacey

Stacey — Thu, 21 May 2009 02:29:53 +0000

I definitely think there is not only something in the cheeriness of the charities you mentioned, but also something on a human level which connects with us. A few years ago, I gave a fair sum of money to oxfam, the result of a slick marketing campaign. Ever since then, every month without fail, I get a letter in the mail, which I transfer straight to the recycling, shaking my head that there goes that money I gave thinking it was a goat for a family in Africa. I haven’t given to them since, but do make sure I give to charities with faces of volunteers. Even greenpeace hires people to talk you into donating, and I think this misses the point of giving to a deserving cause. You do it because they need you to.