leading across generations -- a presentation on focus groups by joe grieco

Donor Perceptions, Young and Old, In The New Media Era

Phoenix, AZRESEARCH

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Focus Group Research SummaryPresentation June 13, 2013

About GRG and Focus Group Research

• GRG has conducted over 8,000 focus groups• Grieco Research Group founded in 1984.• Serving marketers and management as a premium qualitative

resource -- For-Profit... and NFP

INTRODUCTION

The Salvation Army Boy Scouts Of AmericaBoys & Girls Clubs Loyola Marymount University

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• The research study was undertaken using the Focus Group Method of Inquiry:

– Discussion format... opinions shared

openly with variety of viewpoints expressed.

– Qualitative in nature... seeks deeper understanding into Donor and Volunteer mindset

– Session characteristics... Each about 2 hours, audio and video recorded, and observed through a one-way mirror, or closed-circuit TV.

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Long Beach Rescue Mission in Long Beach, CA

Wheeler Mission 2 Groups: Older Donors and Youngersin Indianapolis, IN

Bay Area Rescue Mission2 Groups: San Franciscoand Concord, CA Faith Mission

in Elkhart, IN

HiWay 80 Rescue Mission in Longview, TX

San Diego Rescue Mission in San Diego, CA

2012 Mission Focus Groups...

8 Focus Group Sessions83 Respondents

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INTRODUCTION

• These findings were drawn from focus groups conducted for Brewer Direct and participating Rescue Missions in 2012 in seven cities in the United States... enhanced by dozens of charitable giving focus groups GRG has conducted over three decades.

• Most participants in these Mission studies were:

– Recent Donors who had mailed at least two monetary gifts to their local Rescue Mission totaling a minimum of $25 within 12 months…but less than $500.– Mix of males and females.– By incidence: mostly older (> 55 years old)... – A special session among Youngers in Indianapolis was a mix of Donors/Volunteers/Past Participants of Wheeler Mission’s Drumstick Dash, and were between the ages of 24-36 years old.

Method & Sample

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INTRODUCTION

Focus group discussions are a rich source of qualitative material, valuable in clarifying existing theories, redirecting efforts away from previous expectations, and generating new information and ideas for future research.

Although participants were drawn from the population from whom we seek insights and to whom we wish to appeal, they were not chosen to represent the population statistically. No statistical inferences should be drawn from the findings in this report.

PROJECTABILITY OF FINDINGS

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II. Target Insights: Older Donors vs. Younger Donors/Volunteers

• Older Donors were mostly retired/ semi-retired; Empty Nesters/“soon-to-be.”

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Older Donors Vs. Younger Donors

• Youngers were just beginning a career or settling into their first job.

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TARGET

INSIGHTS

• Older Donors were comfortable with their current income.

• Older Donors were able to discuss motivations clearly.

• Older Donors tended to draw on their belief system when explaining giving motivations.

• Youngers claimed less discretionary income, feeling they had less overall money to give.

• Motivations seemed unformed and difficult for Youngers to articulate.They had not yet made the full commitment to give at this point.

• Youngers tended to draw on their rational criteria and skepticism.

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TARGET

INSIGHTS

• Across all sessions, two motives spiked consistently:

• Tracking eight social motives... Curiosity SpiritualityCreativity KindnessCourage HumilityHumor Leadership

Spirituality1st

Kindness2nd

and

• However, among Youngers, the priority was reversed: Kindness over Spirituality

Humility(Least)

• Interestingly, across all, the least impactful motive was:

-- Underscoring the importance of the recognition, saying “Thank You.”

III. Donor Attitudes & BehaviorsTowards Giving

Younger & Older Giving Motivations• When Older Donors discussed motivations to give money to a charity/cause,

three overall themes emerged:

1. Recognition Of Need... And Being In A Position To Help

There are people less fortunate than I am/“I have been blessed”… and therefore “I want to give back.”

2. Spiritual/Moral Responsibility

“It’s the right thing to do”... “God commands that we give...”

3. Personal Feeling of FulfillmentGiving makes me “feel good”... “I love to give.”

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ATTITUDES & BEHAVIORSGIVING

Younger & Older Giving Motivations• When Youngers tried to discuss their motivations to donate, they resorted to

their criteria and revealed their skepticism:

1. I’m selective/wary of scams/I do lots of research prior to giving

2. I only choose organizations that are personally meaningful and trusted

3. I only choose local organizations that improve the community “in a real way”: this includes animals, environmental causes as well as homelessness.

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• Youngers speculated about volunteering vs. giving monetary donations:

-- “Broke student syndrome”... I volunteer/give my time instead of money

“A lot of it has to do with your situation in life; right now I have a lot of time to give but I don’t have a lot of money to give.”

Younger VolunteeringThe tangibility of volunteering is appealing: doing and helping without financial risk. Added bonus: socializing with peers, and “fun.”

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In light of the recent recession, three giving patterns were fairly evenly represented.

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The Effect Of The Recession

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I give less money/I give less frequently

No change in the total amount I give

I give more money/I give more frequently... because the need is so great

But almost all Donors said they had altered their behavior to reflect more focus in their giving due to the economic decline.

Constant Sum: “Let’s say you have $100...”

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• The Rescue Missions topped the list among Olders in every market...

-- The local Mission won an average of $26 out of every $100- But dropped to a low of $16 out of every $100 among Youngers

(in Indianapolis, Animal Shelters outpulled the Mission)

• The closest competitors for The Rescue Missions’ Share of Wallet in each market showed consistent patterns:

-- HiWay80 Rescue Mission... The Salvation Army, House of Hope, Gospel Charities-- Wheeler Mission... Gleaner’s Food Bank, Red Cross -- Faith Mission... The Salvation Army, Northern Indiana Food Bank-- Bay Area Rescue Mission... Local Food Banks-- Long Beach Rescue Mission... The Salvation Army, World Vision, Red Cross-- San Diego Rescue Mission... Local Food Banks

• Also: Teen/Child Welfare, Veterans Assistance, and Medical/Disease Research

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Click icon to add pictureClick icon to add picture

IV. Perceptions of The Rescue Missions

The Missions Personified

Compassionate, Caring, Concerned For OthersSupportive, Loving, Kind, Warm

Giving, Generous, Selfless

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THE RESCUE MISSIONSPERCEPTIONS OF

Goal-orientedSpiritual, Moral, Ethical

HonestNon-JudgmentalA Good Listener

Hardworking, DedicatedDown-to-earth

Inspiring and Empowering

• Known most for providing basic immediate needs of food and shelter

• Local visible presence and longstanding service to the community

• Positively viewed as “proactive” and “competent” at handling issues of homelessness in the community

• Tolerant and patient... “no time limit on duration of care,” “does not force a Christian decision” (among non-faith Donors)

• Especially high regard for the Rescue Mission among volunteers who had participated in toy drives, kitchen duty, donation drop-offs, and events linked to local churches

• Lower/inconsistent awareness of longterm services: drug rehabilitation, job preparation, live-in arrangements, and spiritual counseling

• Often vague knowledge of programs for women, children and families... “For men only?”

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Priorities

• Donors felt that feeding, housing and clothing impoverished men was the most vital and important Rescue Mission priority:

-- Physical needs first, other needs later.

“If you’re not getting enough to eat, you can’t concentrate on learning a trade, you can’t concentrate on anything.”

“First is feeding the hungry; I’m not going to want to go into an alcohol program if I’m hungry.”

• Secondly... the Rescue Mission should help save, sustain, and solve problems of homelessness over the long haul.

“It provides hope, meaning and an outlook where they can go and increase their self worth... The thought that you can be a better person. When [a client] walks out the door and their self worth is increased you realize there is more to life.”

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SOCIAL NETWORKS

EMAIL

MAIL SMARTPHONES

V. Methods Of Solicitation And Giving

• Almost all Donors had a computer and an email account.

• Most Donors had visited a charity Web site or researched a charity online, but only a few of the Olders had made an actual donation online, indicating that their Internet usage was primarily for information purposes.

• About half of Older Donors owned a smartphone.

-- Just a few Donors had ever used “text-to-donate,” mainly for disaster relief.

• Almost half of Older Donors said they had their own Facebook account, while all but one of the Youngers were on Facebook.

-- Olders were using Facebook mainly to “keep in touch with grandchildren” ... often reluctantly.

-- “Liking” organizations for Older Donors seemed to them a risk of potential tracking/invasion of privacy.

-- Twitter and Instagram were “up-and-coming” among Youngers.

Donors In An Increasingly Digital World

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SOLICITATION & GIVING

• In discussing digitization, we observed extreme mindsets at both ends of this study:

Those staunchly resistant to a digitally-advancing world...

....And those who were technologically-savvy, digitally-active, and embraced a “smart” world.

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• Not donating online, not making purchases/shopping online, not using their credit card online

“An auto withdrawal from my account? [I would feel that] I have lost control of my money.”

• Rationally, check writing provided a “paper trail”/ “receipt”... “easy to track.”

• Emotionally, check writing provided a comfort zone of control... “a ritual.”

-- “Touch elements” delivered personal involvement

-- Mail felt safe and familiar.

Most Olders did not want to venture headfirst into social networks and mobile digital activities.

Those resistant to a digitally-advancing world...

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• Several (mainly under age 50) had made the jump to automatic monthly giving or bill pay for charitable donations.

• Actually preferred the convenience of giving by credit card, debit card, or PayPal account.

• Internet-savvy Youngers were using Facebook and other up-and-coming social networks (Twitter, Instagram) regularly as news formats, and to communicate within their network about important events.

“Twitter is a social thing but if you use it as a news outlook, it’s very effective, concentrated and directed. That’s how I get my news.”

• Paperless transacting was viewed as the “least wasteful” and “least costly”-- An “unpressured” way to give

-- “Without leaving my chair,” “less of a hassle” and therefore “I’m more likely to give.”

-- Little-to-no fear regarding online identity theft...

....Those who were technologically-savvy, digitally-active, and embraced a “smart” world.

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• Older Donors recognized that Social Media was becoming an important part of New World – an important tool to reach Younger generations.

• But Older Donors advised not to isolate their generation by getting rid of mail/letters.

“We still prefer mail, or something we can hold in our hand. We’re the generation that’s giving the bulk of the money.”

• Expanded diversity of reaching out to people.

“You have to do it all... If they’re looking to recruit younger donors, you have to have a full range [of communication/solicitation].”

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• Conditionally, some Older Donors said they would maybe feel compelled to give online, by credit card, in the future if:

1) it’s for an immediate, urgent need 2) it’s easy 3) it’s secure (encrypted)4) it’s from a known and trusted organization

5) it’s clear there is no charge to the Donor, and efficient for the organization

6) it’s clear the Donor will not be bombarded with requests after donation.

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• Testimonials, stories and emotional involvement are triggers for Older Donors.

-- But Youngers said they did not need testimonials, and just wanted to know about the need and the facts.

• For Youngers it was primarily about quick and to-the-point requests for what was needed... “keep it simple.”

-- Analytically, it’s not just about simplicity, but about productivity:“what am I giving to?”... and “what’s being done with the money?”

Solicitation Techniques & Trendspotting

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• QR is a good example of new technology but Youngers felt the scanning might be “too much work.”

Solicitation Techniques & Trendspotting

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• Facebook and other social networks are good examples of passive interaction: the organization does most of the work: sending out notifications, updates, and information.

• Youngers also look within their social network(s) for peer-to-peer recommendations about important events and causes.

“That’s how I get my news... “

“The last couple of things I gave to was because I saw stuff on Facebook, Twitter... It was a suggestion, or a friend would say, check this out. It comes up in your feed [from a friend or organization] not off on the side [like the ads].”

“I think it’s an effective way [to ask for a donation]... When friends are sharing it on your feed.”

“Yeah social media [is my preference for requests] but it does have to be a personal thing [and not an ad].”

• Respondent Handout: The Lexicon...

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SOLICITATION & GIVING -- LEXICON

A visual composite of the most impactful wording in the Lexicon:

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Provide meals

Shelter

Compassionate

Caring

Serv

ice

Reci

pien

t

• Fundamentally, lexicon choices were similar between Olders and Youngers.

• Align the Mission and the Donor with active human values.

• Help the Donor visualize the basic services, rather than using terms that neutralize.

Supply Meals

Lodging

Plig

ht/N

eed

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Not This...This...


Homeless men, women and children

Homeless neighbors

Hopeless

Hungry

The Needy

Needy Person

The Homeless

Lost

Addicted

Disadvantaged

• Communicate the diversity of the humanity, rather than generalize as “The needy” or “The homeless.”

• Portray the danger in terms of solvable “problems.”

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SOLICITATION & GIVING --PHOTO EXPLORATION

Images were shown to respondents to gauge visual giving motives:

• Insights From The Photo Exploration:

• Images of perceived “homeless men” were central to the giving motive.

• Elderly men who were perceived as “down and out” but looked “hopeful,” effectively showed the impact of the Rescue Mission’s help, and “the face” of the Rescue Mission.

• The young child, pictured alone with food, perceived as “helpless” and in need of protection/“he needs help more”... “we need to protect their innocence.”

• Images of women and children were considered atypical recipients of the Rescue Mission, but were emotionally captivating for all age groups.

-- Perception: possible battered women, “recently came upon hard times...” but “they’re happy and together” because of the Rescue Mission.

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• Insights From The Photo Exploration:• Attention to the details and cues in the pictures — cues tell the story:

-- food (on plates) cued perceptions of hunger-- long tables indicated capacity to serve-- crowded tables indicated a need for more space-- cots indicated shelter

• Black and white photos stirred dramatic effects in the imagination... “[in color] it almost takes away from the person.”

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• Insights From The Photo Exploration:

• Among photos not successful in gaining support were those perceived to be young enough, healthy enough, and “capable of work.”

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• The two men in this photo did not pull as powerfully as other photos, possibly because these men did not seem “so alone”…

• The two young girls in this photo looked “like a yearbook picture: perceived as not lonely, not in need of protection, not hungry...

-- Therefore not effective in triggering the giving response.

VII. What We Think We've LearnedAnd Actionable Next Steps

Begin to cultivate Youngers where they live, and drive visits/volunteers to the Rescue Mission.1.

2. Where applicable, strengthen awareness and community involvement through Recue Mission thriftstore: Gen Yers are into vintage clothing, recycling and bargain hunting.

-- And consider opportunities for Youngers that tap into

animals/animal rescue... kindness.

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WHAT WE THINK WE’VE LEARNED

-- Through “open houses”; short term visits for volunteers; organized community events and activities.

-- Be more proactive in stratifying donation method/connection preference by asking on all communications... How would you like to hear from us? Include social networks and texting as options.

4.

Raise online visibility through social networking: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., or the next new communication magnet.

3.

But “don’t trade analog dollars for digital dimes”: build and diversify revenue streams, but protect the motherload of Older Donors who give by mail.

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- Reach out to Youngers through social posting or emails, but not through “ads.”

- Peer-to-peer electronic word-of-mouth: turn Younger prospects into Social Network Ambassadors.

- Brief, specific, and direct social posts/e-appeals directly from the Rescue Mission (e.g. specific items needed, how donation will impact someone today, make it easy: one click, provide a PayPal option).

5. Keep your focus on those activities which people believe you do best:

6. Compassion is the core emotional word in your lexicon.

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-- The basic human necessities of food, shelter, clothing.

-- In marketing parlance, your direct competition is The Salvation Army and Local Food Banks

leading across generations -- a presentation on focus groups by joe grieco

Government & Nonprofit