The Hidden Problem Facing Direct Marketing Fundraisers Today

((Note: this is an edited version of a previous post. I saw areas needing editing or further explanation...so I made them! -BD))

In a recent article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, it pointed out how divided the country really is...and how that division created a major problem for fundraisers.

The headline focused on how charities face a dilemma. "...Charities Split Over Whether to Return to Mar-a-Lago for Winter Galas," and continued, saying, "A Chronicle analysis shows nonprofits from across the country have hundreds of thousands of dollars at stake as they decide whether they will face fundraising or image risks in returning to the Florida resort owned by the president."

And that begs the question: how deeply does the red vs. blue dichotomy affect our daily lives professionally AND personally? Would those who had attended (and given generously) to a specific charity choose not to attend because of their political POV?

Are marketers now faced with the ultimate A/B test for their product or service, and forced to add "political party" to the mix as one of the matrices being tested prior to any product/service introduction or rollout? And what are the consequences besides a change of venue for a charitable event?

Of course, your costs would increase, because you'd likely lose any reservation monies you'd already spent to hold the venue for that specific date.

And here's why: given the current political situation, voters nationwide have crossed over to the other party; even the Governor of West Virginia switched parties from blue to red at a recent, nationally televised rally! That means your list rental costs will skyrocket because you'll have to rent the most current 'hot' list; a list updated before last November won't be as accurate.

One list broker told me,"Our lists are based on [voter] history [in the] past election - then updated against the NCOA (National Change of Address) Database every 90 days." That makes it "hot," and that means more cost to the marketer for snail mail or email lists.

So when you use any kind of voter list, your first questions have to be,"how clean is your list," and, "does it include data from the 2016 Presidential election?" Because failing to ask those two, critical questions could make the difference between a successful marketing campaign and one that fails miserably.

And you know who those above you on the Org. Chart will hold accountable!