There exists a growing cultural dialogue about the power of personality, introversion and the introvert’s role in society. As an introvert myself, I have become intrigued by this emerging conversation. As a fundraising management postgraduate student, this intrigue formed the basis for a recent research project where I sought to answer the question: Is there potential for segmenting our donors based on personality type? In order to answer this question I would need to determine if donor personality has an impact on donor behavior.
I designed and administered a short anonymous survey and distributed it via social media for one week in November 2013. To qualify for the research, a respondent needed to have made a gift of any size to any charity within the past two years. I then had each donor identify with a personality profile that would indicate to me whether they were an introvert or an extrovert. Out of 110 respondents, the number of introverts versus extroverts was split evenly at 50 per cent each.
My research allowed me to compile a data set of donors that could be segmented based on personality type. From this data set I could determine whether or not there are correlations between donor personality and donor behavior. I categorized donor behaviour in the following ways:
Why segment donors based on personality type?
It can be argued that introversive and extroversive tendencies can govern and moderate thoughts and actions more consistently and powerfully than any other personality trait. If we acknowledge our aim to build a truly donor-centric philanthropic sector, then we are obligated to learn more about how personality shapes our donors’ behaviours. In effect, we can begin to treat donors the way they deserve to be treated.
My preliminary research indicates several discrepancies between introvert and extrovert donor preferences and tendencies. When asked how they prefer to be thanked by a charity for making a donation, just over 25 per cent of extroverts indicated that a phone call was ideal. In contrast, introvert respondents were the most uncomfortable with this appreciation method (less than 6 per cent indicated it was acceptable).
While analyzing giving channels, I learned that extroverts were nearly twice as likely to make a donation through a street canvasser. More discreetly, introverts were 15 per cent more likely to make an online contribution directly through a charity’s website. I discovered that with both introverts and extroverts, approximately 80 per cent of respondents were likely to engage with a charity via social media. That being said, engagement platforms differ between introverts and extroverts – for example, approximately 70 per cent of extrovert respondents were regular Twitter users versus only 40 per cent of introvert respondents.
What’s the potential?
The potential for personality based donor segmentation is vast. As it becomes more important to tailor our work directly to the needs of our donor, we must plan to learn more about them and show consideration for their comfort and preferences.
If we, as fundraisers, know how a donor prefers to interact with charitable organizations, the potential exists to establish more effective stewardship, acquisition, and communication strategies. We just need to acknowledge that we have much more to learn.
Zach Zimmel is currently finishing the Fundraising Management postgraduate program at Humber College. With experience working in the community development and programming side of the charitable sector, Zach is currently transitioning the scope of his work to focus on his passion for philanthropy and strategic communication. Contact him at z.zimmel@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @zaczed
