THE IMPORTANCE OF TESTING YOUR THEORIES

The process of testing can be frustrating – it can take several months to receive complete results, and even then, it may take subsequent tests to ensure results are reliable enough to roll out in full. The instinct to move forward quickly with ideas is understandable, but the long term outcome may lead in the wrong direction.

Organization A wondered about leaning into the current trend of fewer donors giving more dollars. A series of tests over three months of Additional Gift mail appeals placed a traditional gift ladder beginning with the donor’s last gift amount against a gift ladder with a higher starting position than the donor’s last gift. The results were clear. The standard gift ladder brought in 9% more responses and 8% more dollars than the elevated ladder, and the overall average gift also didn’t measurably improve in the test package.

Organization B wondered if they could improve their ROI by reducing expenses in acquisition mail. The longtime control package included an insert. We knew (from testing!) that an insert often doesn’t garner greater response in acquisition. The test results told another story. The long-time control package including the insert received 31% more responses and 42% more revenue than the same package without the insert, proving the extra expense of the insert was still a worthwhile investment for this organization, even if not for others.

Taking the time to test takes patience, but also delivers confidence that results and data – not assumptions – are moving our programs forward.