Your website is for the masses - not for the wealthy!

Apologies for the prolonged absence. Work and life sometimes get in the way of blogging :-)

I actually have a number of blogs in the works right now, but Andrew left a comment on the last one I posted that I disagree so strongly with that I decided to dedicate a new blog to it LOL

"I can see why Princeton may have removed that section of the website. Nothing technically wrong with talking about what those donations "buy," but there's nothing inspiring there. It's kind of like saying, "Your gift will help us buy more light bulbs." I believe the research shows that people -- at least the people who want to give transformational gifts -- don't give because of need but because they want to make the world a better place. They want to give to hope.

So, yes, we need to do a better job of telling the right story to encourage those gifts to something that is hope-inspiring."

Now, I get what Andrew is saying but I disagree strongly with a few of his premises:

1) There's nothing inspiring about what small gifts can do: Anyone who has been following Barack Obama's campaign and his incredible fundraising success would disagree with that. I think there's nothing more inspiring than illustrating that small gifts matter because they can add up to huge success. I think this is particularly important for younger alumni who may want to give but don't think that a $25 gift means anything. Personally, I think it's very inspiring when someone tells me that even a small gift matters (probably why I've given so much money to Obama at this point). I can't afford a lot, but I can afford $25 here and $50 there. I don't think they expect that $25 to stretch to the moon and back but you still need to show them that every little bit helps. If you get them in the habit of giving now, as the last graph clearly shows, they will be more inclined to give later when they're making more money to give at higher levels.

2) People who give transformational gifts don't give because of need: Well first, I would argue that your website isn't for people who want to give transformational gifts, as the title of the blog implies. It's for the masses. Show me the last time your university received a $1,000,000 gift online? A $500,000 one? A $100,00 one? It's just impractical to think that someone is going to put that on their credit card. People who are giving at this level don't need your website to be convinced - they are already being personally handled by a fundraiser in your office who's helping them through the process. (I would also disagree that they don't give because of need - at least to colleges. I think that people who make large donations give to their college because they are asked and are shown how it will impact something they have a personal affinity towards. Also, let's not completely discount the ego factor here - it's always nice to have your name on a building.)

I think this is a classic example of assuming the web is the end-all, be-all answer to everything. I think you're in for a rude awakening if you think it's the best way to woo major donors. That requires a personal touch that you just can't get over a computer. You'll have much more success if you use it to focus on those at the bottom of the fundraising pyramid.