The Annual Giving Exchange

Seth Godin was the head of direct marketing at Yahoo in the 1990s and is thought of by many as the father of permission marketing.  As an author and blogger, he writes about tribes – the idea that effective marketing requires organizing people into groups around issues that they care about.

This idea of tribes should not seem new to us in annual giving.  Our marketing strategies have always sought to segment people into groups based on affinity (giving history, age, class year, athletic teams, clubs, geography, etc.)  In doing so, we push customized messages through direct mail, e-mail, and phone hoping that it will inspire them to support our cause.  While this strategy is certainly better than a generic appeal, I think we need to take it further.

Look around and you’ll see evidence that mobilizing people into groups can have a dramatic effect.  We all watched a former community organizer organize his way to the White House and everyday we see the emergence of social networking websites as a way for people to identify and connect with others who have like interests.  I hope this does not get lost in the annual giving profession.

Click here to watch a 15 minute video of Seth Godin talking about tribes.  While you’re doing so, consider how the idea of tribes could be applied to your annual fund.  Think about the impact of marketing through people instead of marketing at them.  While this idea may require a shift in thinking, it really shouldn’t seem radical.  To paraphrase Shakespeare’s 59th Sonnet, there is nothing new under the sun.