|
|
|||||
|
|||||
| Path: Main Street : Resources & Library : Research Articles : Feature Article |
Canadian Cancer Society used automatic telephone charges in its 60th anniversary fundraising drive
January 27, 1999; Canadian FundRaiserNumbers beginning with 1-900 may have had a somewhat unsavory reputation some time back, being best known as connecting with phone sex operations. However, that reputation is well into the clean-up phase, as the automatic-charge system is put into play for a growing number of innovative fundraising drives.
One of the latest examples of 900-number use is the Canadian Cancer Society, which celebrated its 60th anniversary by, among other things, asking people to donate an automatic $60 via their home phone. To donate, people called 1-900-565-6060 for service in English, or 1-900-565-6061 to make their donation in French. They heard this message: "Thank you for helping the Canadian Cancer Society celebrate our 60th anniversary with your special gift of $60. By staying on the phone past the beep, your donation of $60 will be automatically charged to the phone number from which you are calling and the tax receipt will be issued to the name of the telephone subscriber."
Those under 18, or anyone who perhaps called the number by mistake or changed his or her mind, were encouraged to hang up, and a pause was provided to allow them to do so. If they stayed on the line, they were thanked for their contribution. If someone charged a call mischieviously to someone who might not have chosen to make the contribution, or the subscriber changed his or her mind after making the call, the Society would accept the subscriber's denial, says Lee Angus, manager of revenue development. Since the CCS does not issue the tax receipt until the donation has been received, the issue is moot.
System was inexpensive
Since the CCS was among the first nonprofits to sign on, it took advantage of a deal for low set-up charges. Maintenance of the lines was a mere $10 a month, Angus says. In addition, there is a surcharge taken off each $60 donation.The donation opportunity was not heavily promoted immediately after its launch last May. At first, marketing was primarily internal, but the effort increased and several divisions carried out external promotions during the fall. "It's a new thing, quick and easy," says Angus. "We have to be conscious of technology and what's available to donors to make it more and more convenient for them to make their contribution." In addition, all CCS e-mail messages carried a signoff message encouraging use of the line and it was promoted on the society's web site (www.cancer.ca).
The donation lines have not been flooded with callers -- fewer than 100 gifts have been generated directly from the line. However, Angus sees the 900-line as an important extension of options for donors. She also sees it as a way of promoting a certain giving level: "It will be interesting to see how many $60 cheques we receive," she said of the 900-line and their other anniversary promotions. While automatic-charge systems may still be in their infancy, they're slowly becoming another part of the fundraising mix.
For more information: Lee Angus, Manager, Revenue Development, Canadian Cancer Society, (416) 961-7223, langus@cancer.ca.
|
|||
