Donor responses to out-group beneficiary profiles in direct mail solicitation over time: A case study

Christopher N. Dougherty; Kirk Schmidt; Crystal Mahon

Donor responses to out-group beneficiary profiles in direct mail solicitation over time: A case study

Christopher N. Dougherty, Kirk Schmidt, Crystal Mahon

Management (Business School)

Research output: Contribution to conference › Abstract › peer-review

Abstract

We examine the use of visibly out-group service beneficiaries in a single organization’s direct mail solicitations. Despite a 2016 end of year test with 230,000 households (response rate = 3.26%, n = 7502) suggested donor bias against out-group beneficiaries in solicitation material, and market research that suggested that the donor base was socially conservative, a fall 2018 test showed no significant variations in donor response between an in-group control beneficiary profile and an out-group test beneficiary in a randomized trial with 121,000 households (response rate = 11.48%, n = 13,900). Possible reasons for 2018’s negative results are explored.

Original language	English
Publication status	Published - 6 Jun 2019
Event	12th Annual ANSER-ARES Conference - University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada Duration: 5 Jun 2019 → 7 Jun 2019 http://www.anser-ares.ca/annual-conference/

Conference

Conference	12th Annual ANSER-ARES Conference
Country/Territory	Canada
City	Vancouver
Period	5/06/19 → 7/06/19
Internet address	http://www.anser-ares.ca/annual-conference/

1 Article

Donor responses to out-group beneficiary profiles in direct mail fundraising: a Canadian case study
Dougherty, C. N., Schmidt, K. & Mahon, C., 10 Oct 2022, In: Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing. 36, 2, p. 123-144 22 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Cite this

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title = "Donor responses to out-group beneficiary profiles in direct mail solicitation over time: A case study",

abstract = "We examine the use of visibly out-group service beneficiaries in a single organization{\textquoteright}s direct mail solicitations. Despite a 2016 end of year test with 230,000 households (response rate = 3.26%, n = 7502) suggested donor bias against out-group beneficiaries in solicitation material, and market research that suggested that the donor base was socially conservative, a fall 2018 test showed no significant variations in donor response between an in-group control beneficiary profile and an out-group test beneficiary in a randomized trial with 121,000 households (response rate = 11.48%, n = 13,900). Possible reasons for 2018{\textquoteright}s negative results are explored.",

author = "Dougherty, {Christopher N.} and Kirk Schmidt and Crystal Mahon",

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T1 - Donor responses to out-group beneficiary profiles in direct mail solicitation over time: A case study

AU - Dougherty, Christopher N.

AU - Schmidt, Kirk

AU - Mahon, Crystal

PY - 2019/6/6

Y1 - 2019/6/6

N2 - We examine the use of visibly out-group service beneficiaries in a single organization’s direct mail solicitations. Despite a 2016 end of year test with 230,000 households (response rate = 3.26%, n = 7502) suggested donor bias against out-group beneficiaries in solicitation material, and market research that suggested that the donor base was socially conservative, a fall 2018 test showed no significant variations in donor response between an in-group control beneficiary profile and an out-group test beneficiary in a randomized trial with 121,000 households (response rate = 11.48%, n = 13,900). Possible reasons for 2018’s negative results are explored.

AB - We examine the use of visibly out-group service beneficiaries in a single organization’s direct mail solicitations. Despite a 2016 end of year test with 230,000 households (response rate = 3.26%, n = 7502) suggested donor bias against out-group beneficiaries in solicitation material, and market research that suggested that the donor base was socially conservative, a fall 2018 test showed no significant variations in donor response between an in-group control beneficiary profile and an out-group test beneficiary in a randomized trial with 121,000 households (response rate = 11.48%, n = 13,900). Possible reasons for 2018’s negative results are explored.

M3 - Abstract

T2 - 12th Annual ANSER-ARES Conference

Y2 - 5 June 2019 through 7 June 2019

ER -

Donor responses to out-group beneficiary profiles in direct mail solicitation over time: A case study

Abstract

Conference

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Research output

Donor responses to out-group beneficiary profiles in direct mail fundraising: a Canadian case study

Cite this