*Beate Sørum added Claire Kerr to the chat*
Simon
Yes
John
No
John
lol
Beate
you’re not on the driver’s side so you’re fine
John
I’ll do my best
Claire
Here!
John
Claire!!!!
Simon
CK!
Claire
?
Beate
Did you remember your lobster fact this time, Simon?
If not you have two minutes
Simon
Oh fuck
Beate
one minute
though it doesn’t have to live up to Jen’s standards of being relevant to topic, I don’t know when that started being a rule
?
Find me a digital lobster
Simon
OK sorted
Claire
The only lobster fact I have is that Pinchy deserved better
Simon
Pinchy
???
Beate
Sooo Simon, wanna start us off before John has to jump through security?
Simon
Yep let’s go
We have a guest lobster
Claire
Hello!
Simon
Can’t remember who she is replacing
Hello Claire Kerr!
Beate
One of the canadians
John
?
Beate
they’re all the same
Simon
The interchangeable canadians
Claire
We blend together like maple syrup and snow
Beate
Initials JL I believe
Simon
Ha
So Claire is a good guest this week because she’s a digital legend
And it’s the week that Blackbaud’s stats came out
Beate
??????
Claire
You have to be careful with the number of Canadians you invite to a group before they derail the convo to that one time they backpacked through Europe
Simon
With a flag on their rucksack
Claire
Yes we love to point that out. Ok sit down Jacques Cousteau
Beate
hah
Well. The stats are out.
Claire
STATS!
Beate
Cue the annual cool-fest of dunking on digital
Simon
I have put their main digital stat in to graph format
Claire
I think this proves we should stop fundraising online immediately.
Simon
Well I’m not sure it’s a dunk-fest as such. Maybe. But it’s more kind of “look! Can we realign our priorities now!”
Claire with a curve ball
Beate
It’s a bit of a dunk-fest.
Simon
Yes a bit
John
Guys… sorry just moving through the airport…
Simon
Uh-oh…now I’m outnumbered by digital gurus
Claire
I’m suggesting all clients throw effort into asking for change at the cash register. Those plastic boxes aren’t going to fill themselves.
Beate
It’s a yes-and thing I think
Yes, of course you need to figure out your actual fundraising first and just shifting to digital isn’t going to fix those glaring issues of not recognising donors or talking a language they like/understand
Simon
It’s a yes-but so many other factors
Beate
AND no one is actually suggesting that
Simon
I think some people are
Beate
no serious people are saying it?
Only “gurus”
Claire
I think we should also give a shoutout to Canadian orgs with the higher growth rate in online fundraising (more opportunity to grow?) at 9.23% vs 3.11%
?
Simon
Stick a flag on it
Beate
I believe the stat also lies quite a bit (lies damn lies and statistics)
Simon
I think there is an actual pressure to shift to digital and be everywhere
Beate
Because it tracks digital conversions, if I understand it correctly. But it doesn’t track how many first-time donors came through digital, who ended up donating on their next DM. Or signing up to a direct debit. Or getting to know you and responding when they in some other way ended up in your file.
Simon
Correct…that’s a flaw. But of course it works the other way too. People who see offline and then donate online.
Beate
Absolutely!
Beate
which is why I think the whole digital vs the rest debate is bonkers
Claire
Yes I think this is confusing to track for many organizations. I hear from folks all the time especially if they have multiple systems with data in them.
Simon
The stat that I always find interested is from the private sector…where apparently only abotu 12% of purchases are online
Which I think is incredible
Beate
is that across all industries?
Simon
Yeh…so obvs massively skewed in some industries
Beate
I would think so
Claire
Retailers also know the power of digital marketing to equal sales in person. You don’t have to explain that to Nike, etc.
Beate
exactlhy
Claire
There are many charities who have a well known brand “offline” – like a brand name essentially, and market on non-digital channels, so online all they have to do is direct marketing (Donate Now) vs. explain the value of their org. When I see other orgs compare themselves to their digital success I have to SMH
Simon
OK what about this…what percentage of a nonprofits spend should be on digital? (And you can only answer with a number and no other caveats or I will eject you from chat)
Beate
I wanna caveat and explain so bad
?
*Simon Scriver removed Beate Sørum from the chat*
*Simon Scriver added Beate Sørum to the chat*
Beate
I DIDN’T!
Claire
LOL we removed you
Simon
ha
Claire
LOL I think the stat everyone remembers from marketing classes is 8% of revenue to marketing
Simon
Yeh we do forget that…that digital is so much more than donating
Claire
But underneath that you can segment digital
However – Not all of a charity’s mission is marketing
Organizations doing program delivery should be spending on digital too
There are are so many ways that digital channels can help an organization complete their goals whether or not fundraising is included in the mix.
Simon
Maybe it’s because we have the wrong impression that digital is social
Like it’s hard to even classify email as digital
Claire
And often they work together —- The Measuring People Power report by MobLabs that just came out actually explains how orgs can quantify the power of online movements, advocates, volunteers
Simon
Ooh I have to read that
Claire
Care2 also sponsored – they survey 500 (!) organizations and grassroots groups.
Beate
It is asking “how much is a car”. It’s going to be very different for different orgs, wether they have big databases or not, what kind of giving they are after, and how digtially mature their target audience is
And we have the idea that digital is “free”
It’s weird how no one minds paying €1200 for a street recruited regular donor, but balks at paying €800 for a digitally recruited one
Simon
Hmm…I think people balk at all donor recruitment spend…but you’re right
Beate
one zero too many in those numbers
?
Simon
There is an unreasonable demand on what digital should return immediately
Beate
For the love of god balk if it costs you €800 to recruit a donor
Simon
Norwegian numbering – K$€5.000,00Ó per donor!
Beate
?
Simon
Depends on the ROI
Beate
dønor
Claire
I think what is happening here is that face to face and direct mail use trusty formulas that many development professionals recognize as reasonable long term investments. When it comes to digital, there’s a trust gap. I’m not saying the gap makes sense but you can feel it in the concern many professionals have about proving to the board that they should invests in online acquisition.
Beate
YES!
Simon
IS there a Norwegian agency called dønor?
Beate
“dø” means die, so no.
Simon
Which is weird because digital is easier to track over the longterm
But so many times it’s one facebook post or one email and the “It doesn’t work”
Beate
But many are not willing to even DO longterm
exactly
Claire
And as a sector, we are not great at sharing results with each other. So many orgs feel they aren’t confident that THEIR program will be the “successful one”
Simon
So is our problem that we treat online and offline too differently? There’s a big divide but in reality not so much
Beate
And all experience shows that you have to invest in longterm, always-on digital for it to yield the real results. And invest in testing and learning
Simon
Like what we say in the Donor Love Academy…your donor isn’t online or offline. They’re a human being who sometimes goes online
Beate
“sometimes”
not sharing *my* screen stats…
?
Claire
Thankfully in Canada I’ve seen some great multi-channel case studies that show how digital can work with other channels. Because monthly giving is such a buzz right now, this is a great time to talk about these issues because successful recurring giving programs integrate lots of different things.
Simon
That’s important
Phone boosts email, email boosts events, everything boosts everything
Beate
I wish we could say fundraising digital instead of digital fundraising
Simon
“Fundraising Digital”…interesting
“Screen fundraising”
Claire
I think that many professionals see digital as unknowable or unreliable and it creates a fear factor that stops them from learning more.
Simon
Maybe there’s too much info out there
Let’s stop reading these reports
Beate
One org I know well here, recruits 5-10.000 regular donors a year on facebook alone
those are volumes previously only thought to be possible face to face (remember only five million norwegians all together)
Simon
What’s 10.000 ?
In English
Beate
10,000
ffs
?
Simon
lol
That’s a lot
Beate
that IS a lot
times €20 a month times 5-10 years
Simon
That’s like Eøøøøøø! krone!
Claire
I love all the reports in aggregate! You also have to look at who is included, who is excluded, and what kind of vertical the orgs are in.
Simon
Yeh good call…the Blackbaud report is only their customers
Beate
And is it US/Canada only?
or all markets?
Simon
It’s mainly US but they have little sections on UK, Canada and NZ/Oz
Which aren’t too different
Beate
So basically the least digital markets out there
they still use checks ffs
Simon
Yeh I mean it would be interseting to see Norway
So far ahead in terms of money
Ireland is so chequey and cashy
Beate
Depends on how you count, but we’re approaching 100% of our transactions already being digital
When you receive a DM, you’ll open your banking app and pay from your account
We wouldn’t classify that as a digital transaction though – channel is still offline
Simon
But it would be recorded as digital prob?
In a databse I mean
Beate
No
Simon
You know I’ve never seen Norwegian cash?
Beate
can’t remember the last time I was in possession of cash
like for real
Simon
lol
Simon
Give a man a fish
Claire
I think the most money-digital forward place I’ve ever been was Kenya
I wish we could do all payments so easily as through phones. But Canada is not there though
Simon
Yeh when whatsapp roll out money transfers it will be a gamechanger
Beate
We already have that
not whatsapp, but similar
I open it, type in someone’s phone number and whoosh money out
instantly transferred
however – those apps don’t share ANY data
Which poses it’s own set of problems of course.
Simon
I liked Revolut until I got banned for money laundering
Oh our time is up! Give me a conclusion each please
What should we learn from these stats?
Claire
I also find that some professionals worry too much about the payment side – which is the end of the transaction. They have weird or elaborate donor journeys set up to accommodate an existing payment gateway or CRM configuration instead of accommodating the donor
Beate
yeah
“my database has this shitty form so i must use it”
no
invest in better
Claire
These stats shouldn’t discourage you from building out your growth plan or 2020. The scarcity mentality hits us when your online channels have a smaller ROI & nobody at the org is clamouring to invest more if you can concentrate on major gifts (for example). But with forward thinking you can plan to have that solid annual giving foundation. Also – digital marketing supports relationship building like major gifts / legacy!
Beate
Yep! Invest in infrastructure, and invest in your advertising program
Simon
That’s a good conclusion
OK…lobster fact
Beate
If you sent out DM’s with no way to pay, you also would receive no money
Which is the equivalent of what happens online so many times
Simon
Claire are you excited? Your first live lobster fact
John
Ok. I made it
Beate
hahaha!
Simon
Fucks sake John
We’re wrapping up
John
What???
Claire
LOL yes!! I’m ready
Simon
It’s a myth that lobsters scream when you put them in hot water – they have no lungs and no vocal cords. The lobster’s only voice is kind of a crackly noise some people compare to violins
Beate
wtf
Simon
Unfortunaytely not like Jen
Claire
how do they make the crackly noise then!
Simon
They actually have a little violin
Claire
that makes sense
Beate
and.. how do you compare a crackly noise to a violin
?
John
It’s their soul leaving their bodies
Beate
☹️
Claire
they heard my grade 3 lessons obvs
Simon
OK that’s it…lovely to chat. And thanks again Claire x
Beate
Thanks for joining Claire!
John
Sigh
Thanks Claire!
Simon
Thanks for joining John
?
Claire
Thank yoU!!!
*Beate Sørum removed Claire Kerr*
Beate
Time zone check: everyone ready in fifteen?