27 Jan A Tale of Two First-Gift Donors
28 January 2025
By David Allen, Development for Conservation
In May, Carolyn and Marty attended a Conservancy-hosted family-fun day on the Green Preserve with their daughter and her two children. They were responding to a Facebook ad and thought the outing was just the thing to help get everyone outside. They had never heard of the Conservancy before, but they were impressed. The kids sure were energized. Everyone had a great time and probably learned a bit as well. On their way out, they received a giving brochure from one of the staff or volunteers (hard to tell which). When they returned home, they clicked on the QR code and made a $35 contribution.
They received an immediate thank-you for their gift by email. They felt – complete.
On that same day, on a different preserve managed by a different Conservancy, Gabriella and Ramon went with some friends to help clear buckthorn from a hillside thicket. They learned that buckthorn was invasive and bad for the land, so they felt good about the work they did. More importantly, they enjoyed getting outside and working. They had never heard of the Conservancy before, but they were impressed. A few days later, they got a letter in the mail thanking them for volunteering and inviting them to consider a contribution. They clicked on the QR code and made a $35 contribution.
They received an immediate thank-you for their gift by email. Four days later, they received a letter thanking them for making a contribution and advising them that the contribution qualified them as members for the next year. Members receive the quarterly newsletter and invitations to special events. A list of volunteer work events was also enclosed. The letter was signed by … their friends from the work party!
Two weeks after that, they got the Special New Member Newsletter explaining in plain language what a Conservancy is and how it operates. The importance of members and donors was emphasized, and they got the impression that their gift was making a difference. A post-it note on the cover thanked them for volunteering to clear buckthorn. It was signed by the Executive Director. There was a plain, self-addressed envelope enclosed which they ignored.
A week later, they returned home one day to find a voice mail from “Beth” who identified herself as a Board member. She was just calling to say thank you for contributing and offering to help with questions they might have. They felt – included.
In June, Carolyn and Marty received the first of what turned out to be monthly email newsletters. It seemed to be one-third nature education, one-third upcoming Conservancy events, and one-third a request for more money. The lead article was about buckthorn and other invasives. It was attractive and informative, but – what’s an invasive? They glanced through it quickly before deleting it.
Also in June, Gabriella and Ramon received the first of what turned out to be monthly email newsletters. It seemed to be one-third nature education, one-third upcoming Conservancy events, and one-third a request for more money. It was attractive and informative, and they glanced through it quickly. The lead article was about the importance and the challenges of removing buckthorn and other invasives. This, they read with interest. They clicked on a link to sign up for another work party. Then they deleted the E-News.
In late June, they received a mailed newsletter with a big cover photo of buckthorn removal. Someone had written across the photo a message thanking them (again!) for being a part of this successful effort. The newsletter had an envelope enclosed. This time, they mailed a $50 check with buckthorn removal written in the Memo line.
Two days later, they received a thank-you for their gift by email – “You made my day today,” the email said. Four days later, they received a letter thank you, and a week later they got a voice mail from the same Board member – Beth.
In September, Carolyn glanced through another email newsletter, eventually remembering what the “Conservancy” was. Were these coming every month? She deleted it without talking to Marty.
Also in September, Gabriella and Ramon glanced through another email newsletter. Several of the articles felt familiar to them by now – buckthorn removal, a new preserve being dedicated this coming weekend, and a list of work parties and engagement events they could participate in.
In November, Carolyn and Marty received the Conservancy’s Annual Report in the mail. The gist of the report was that the Conservancy had raised money, spent it wisely, and accomplished a great deal of conservation work. Moreover, the money they had raised had been matched by a NAWCA grant. (A what?) After glancing through the report, they left it on the counter for a few days, along with similar reports from a dozen other organizations, and then sent it out with the recycling.
Two weeks later, they received an email asking them to make a Giving Tuesday gift. (A what?) The email was repeated two days later, and then more arrived, each with increasing urgency, on Tuesday. By the third email, they had unsubscribed.
In November, Gabriella and Ramon received the Conservancy’s Annual Report in the mail. The gist of the report was that through their gifts and volunteer work, they had helped raise money, spend it wisely, and accomplish a great deal of conservation work. Moreover, the money they had raised had been matched by a federal grant from money specifically set aside by Congress for wetlands conservation. After glancing through the report, they left it on the coffee table for several weeks and then sent it out with the recycling.
Two weeks later, they received an email asking them to make a Giving Tuesday gift. The email was repeated two days later along with information about a donor who was matching all gifts up to $1,000. They clicked on the link and contributed another $50.
In December, January, February, and March, Carolyn and Marty did not hear from the Conservancy. The Conservancy’s family-fun day on the Green Preserve was prominently featured again this year, but they missed it. They had unsubscribed.
In December, January, February, and March, Gabriella and Ramon received the monthly email newsletters from the Conservancy. They also received paper newsletters in December and March. The buckthorn removal work party was scheduled for May 7. They had the date circled on their calendar.
OK – In April, the two Conservancies mailed essentially identical letters to their respective couples. Each letter thanked them for their $35 gift last year. Each letter asked them to consider giving $100 this year or to choose an alternative number that was more comfortable for them. And each letter included a personalized “lift” note from a Board member. In Gabriella’s and Ramon’s case, the note was penned by Beth, the same Board member who had left thank you messages on their voice mail.
Which letter do YOU think was more effective in securing the renewal of $100?
Cheers and Have a Good Week!
-da
PS: Your comments on these posts are welcomed and warmly requested. If you have not posted a comment before, or if you are using a new email address, please know that there may be a delay in seeing your posted comment. That’s my SPAM defense at work. I approve all comments as soon as I am able during the day.
Photo by Alain Audet courtesy of Pixaby.
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