WU Projects: Using impact communication and social media to increase donor retention and new donor acquisition in charity marketing

WU Projects

Many charities are nowadays struggling with declining donor acquisition and retention rates, thus making it necessary to identify new ways to better attract and retain donors. This research project aims to investigate whether informing donors about the specific usage of their donation (specific impact communication) has the potential to improve retentions rates and drive positive word of mouth in private and public social media channels. This research further aims to shed light on the underlying psychological mechanisms that drive these behaviors and identify individual donor characteristics that may serve as contingency factors. The insights on the specific impact communication generated in this pilot study will provide the foundation for two subsequent field experiments which will be conducted in collaboration with two major Austrian charities.