Fri 8 Feb 2008
What I’d Really Like to See: Improving the give2williams Website
Posted by Jonathan '05 under Charity/Fundraisers, Williams Website
Posted at 12:04 amSo I just got poked by my good friend, cribbage nemesis, and class agent/secretary Zach who reminded me I hadn’t given to Williams this year yet. To get my attention, he actually joked that I earmark my donation for everything David Kane decries, and furthermore said he’d specified his go towards restoring the Odd Quad to its pre-Neighborhoods glory. Unconventional as it may seem, he got my donation . . . but when I popped over to give2.williams.edu I got to thinking . . .
As I sat there for an inordinate amount of time wondering which digit to put in the ones column, I came up with an idea that I’d really like to see implemented on the giving site: live-updated, humorous, cleverly chosen giving levels based on my intended gift. If you’re into fundraising, web development, or just (self-proclaimed) cool ideas, read on!
You know how there are giving levels that allow you to do certain things? Like, I believe it is $1 million to endow a professorship? (I think I saw this in an AlumNotes or something, but can’t recall) Well, I really like that idea, and I’d like it even more if there were some figures in the same spirit but more in my ballpark . . . or league . . . or universe.
So here’s what I’d like to see, and it would actually be an awesome project for the Alumni Relations office’s intern or any other cool, creative staff member that the college is willing to trust with detailed budget information: calculate giving levels from 1 dollar all the way up to that million. Go soup to nuts. Get creative. So maybe $10.37 plants a tulip bed next to the Geosciences Building. Maybe $15 allows the de-icing of the sidewalk to Thompson Chapel.
Now create a quickly-searchable database—and it should be a huge database—of those figures mapped to the things they enable, and work it into the giving website. Go ahead and check out give2.williams.edu. See how the first thing you type in is the amount of your gift? But the website is seriously bleak-looking, and it doesn’t respond at all to me no matter how much money I throw at it. It’s kinda uninspiring.
But what if, through the live querying that I think Ruby scripts enable, my entering a number caused a list of items around that number to pop up next to the box? So at first it’s the whitespace there now, but then typing in “10.00″ caused me to see:
- $10.23: one crate of frozen hamburgers for Mission Dining Hall
- $11.34: work-study wages for one student to hand deliver mail to Bronfman Science Center
- 16.87: seven course Harvest Dinner at Dodd Dining Hall for one student
- 23.29: rebinding for 50 pages of a single rare book in the Chapin Library Archives
and so on. Do you see the possibilities?
- The script reminds me of why I love Williams, and it makes me smile. It is clearly playing with me a little, and I think this is just fine for those of us giving around these levels.
- The website shows people giving at any level what their amount does—none of this vague “every gift is valuable.” I’d find this genuinely interesting, and it is name-dropping things from the Williams I remember.
- The website creeps up my dollar amount, it tempts me to give more. A good script could set clever increments based on the first number offered, and pick values mostly (all?) above that amount.
- The script could make each figure a link that, when clicked, fills the giving box with the new figure and re-runs the script
- A smart script would work from a huge database with a lot of duplication at the same level, so I don’t get the same answers too often, but can’t see too many answers in one sitting.
- A smarter website would remember my gift last year, and when I logged in show me some cool options around my previous gift, a little higher perhaps.
- A smart database would also allow assigning categories to the gifts within. Did I choose a level corresponding to planting those flower bulbs by Clark Geosciences? The website might be wise to remember this, and next time I log in suggest options more skewed towards “Geosciences” and “Landscaping” categories.
These are the sort of services paid staff members do for high roller donors, but which is not financially wise to devote time to for the little guys. Web scripts are cheap and work 24/7! I am really in love with this idea, all it takes is a lot of hours with some budget documents, and a little webdev knowledge (that I do not have). David, how about you help me suggest this to the right person? Tell me who, and I’ll send them an email with a link here. I’ll even do what work I can for the project.
Ken or Eric, your thoughts? This should be technically pretty easy, right?
February 8th, 2008 at 12:49 am
Jonathan, I agree with what you’re saying in terms of finding ways to remind donors of what their money means and using some kind of tangible/emotional appeal as an effort to get more.
However, from a technical standpoint, I’m not sure it would be that easy. Williams uses SunGard Advance and Advance Web Community to manage their donations. So what you’re asking them to do is either get SunGard to customize the site (and their product brochure doesn’t mention customization at the level you’re talking about) or link up with a whole new donor management company and start from scratch. Here’s SunGard’s website:
http://www.sungardhe.com/Products/Product.aspx?id=918
Interestingly, the list of private schools that uses their products is pretty short, and while it includes a number of major private universities, places like Amherst, Middlebury, Swarthmore, and Wesleyan don’t make the list. I wonder what they’re using? (I checked and didn’t find an easy/quick answer, but on those sites only Middlebury offered levels of donation). So maybe when you reach out to the Alumni Office you can have them first do an audit of other small schools’ sites.
You’re absolutely right though, a school like Williams could really benefit from a system that enhanced and personalized the donation experience. In the meantime, kudos to Zach for getting us both to give today!
February 8th, 2008 at 1:06 am
That just might be the best idea I’ve ever heard on ephblog. It’s not exactly a high threshold to exceed, but you’ve done it. I wish I could help but I am absolutely positive that you know more about programming than I do.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:48 am
Jonathan– I love the idea, too.
On the institutional/political side, it would probably most likely gain adoption by “not affecting existing systems” (mentioned above) in any way.
To drop into tech-speak, I’d think it best implemented via jQuery (the replacement of JavaScript): a “script” queries the input box each time you type into it, and based on your input, updates another part of the page with items pulled from a simple database (security concerns aside).
Generating and maintaining the database of possibilities, technically and politically, is another matter, but I’d think it’d be fine to have fewer options than you make think. The point is to ‘concretize’ the value of the gift– right?– and, perhaps, to allow students and others to communicate a vision of Williams, via concrete ‘line items’ of what the contribute may achieve for someone else?
Caveat: those security concerns raised by VeraCode. (Discussion truncated, but willing to address).
Kudos, Jonathan. As with your bridge post, you remind me of how deeply I love Williams and why–
–and if only I could address Wick’s concerns in the same breath!
February 8th, 2008 at 4:50 am
I see two drawbacks:
1) I might give less after seeing “frivolous but expensive” uses to which my money might be put (I have to choose amongst competing demands and it won’t favor Williams to be presented with a choice between funding our meeting’s teacher in Kenya or planting tulip bulbs in Williamstown); and
2) Williams might be opening itself up to mockery for the things it funds and the amounts spends on them. I should note, however, that I never go to that website.
February 8th, 2008 at 8:17 am
It’s a lovely idea, Jonathan. And one with loads of potential. It makes the giver feel like their “drop in the bucket” is more like a pearl.
I do think Larry has a point. But the right presentation can serve to “aestheticise” the choices. Balance would be important; a couple of humorous choices, a couple of artsy ones…a few with more weight to them….and the choices could change occasionally, depending on the needs of a given year.
Check out: http://www.Heifer.org
I know we aren’t talking cows and chickens here, but their website does a wonderful job of making the $20 gift as significant as the $10,000 one. And, you can “build” your own package as well.
February 8th, 2008 at 8:38 am
Darnit. That was supposed to go to a different page. Oh well.
Once you get to the site click on Gift Catalogue in the upper right corner to see the layout I was talking about.
February 8th, 2008 at 8:40 am
1) This is indeed a great idea, as is anything that more closely connects alumni to the College.
2) This reminds me of my (genius) Ephs Choose suggestion. Surely there is a student reader out there who wants to work with me on that . . .
3) As long as we are dreaming, even better would be a system that cross-referenced against the alumni database for a list of your activities at Williams. So, a football player would see, along with the generic items that Jonathan mentions, something football specific. Even better, there would just be one of these items (don’t want to be too obvious) and it would be for substantially more than the initial amount that you input.
4) You might consider providing various “anchoring” information as well. For example, I bet that showing someone a history of their own giving would increase the chances that they give at least as much as the maximum that they have given before. This might also be structured to depend on pass giving history. If the person is a big giver, show her the amounts of the largest gifts from her class this year. Will she be able to resist being in that grouping?
5) Ken Thomas has better stories to tell than I do, but who thinks that the incredibly insular and technologically backward alumni office is going to jump on this? Hah! Of course, some of my best friends . . .
6) Given that insularity and backwardness, if you really want to see something like this in the next decade, you’ll want to work with me on Ephs Choose. More coming on that, I hope.
February 8th, 2008 at 11:59 am
current eph says:
February 8th, 2008 at 1:06 am
Oh, you were doing so well with you fine compliment until you used it to insult everyone who posts here. Right back at ya!
February 8th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
nothingbutnets.net kiva.org
Given the recent ephblog discussions on giving money directly to causes of your choice rather than through the college, the size of the endowment and its uses, and the very nice thought from FM about a drop in the bucket being a pearl, may I suggest peeking at these two urls which need no more on-site hype than their simple premise.
nothingbutnets.net
kiva.org
February 8th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Neil– ;)
February 8th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
I also love this idea. As someone unable to give in amounts worthy (according to our alunni office) of personal attention or even much acknowledgement, this would encourage me to give - and I think encourage more recent grads generally. Anything would be better than insulting mailers with check boxes for $1000, $5000, etc. and nothing else.
Most of the options could still go to the general fund as they are “what your gift can do” and not really restricted. I would, however, also like the opportunity to give to more directed funds - at least something as broad as “Student Affairs” or the Multicultural Center.
And for anyone concerned that our donation processor would have to give a customized site or something - I’m willing to be Williams gets enough business for it to be worth it for the contractor. If not, there are likely other companies who would think such personalized attention was worth the effort.
And finally, since I am rambling on here…as far as opening ourselves up to ridicule, Williams was always famous for the style of its admissions bulletin with fun facts. This would be in the same spirit and likely do much more positively than negatively. The Alumni office would still have control over what is out there to ensure it is appropriate.
February 8th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Ha, JG, it’s amazing that you mentioned the “fun facts” in the student prospectus, because I meant to and forgot! I still have mine! And there is no question that I remember the fun “numbers” facts that were part of the inspiration for this idea. Those facts and the prospectus’s opening header of “We know you are busy. That’s why you’ve come this far” really struck a cord with me. Again, I liked that they were playing with me. They knew who I was, that I wasn’t going to read the fluff they filled the glossy pages with, and that it was probably a good thing I wasn’t going to. There is no question that my idea is in the same spirit.
Concerns raised by Larry George are valid. I probably have a more sardonic sense of humor, and if I made the dataset it ought to be vetted by someone not like me. But even I would change the nature of the gifts I chose as the amount went up. The reality is that the College spends a huge amount on cosmetics—$1 million for yearly grass maintenance is probably a conservative estimate—but you’re right, I that’s not what I’d have in the table. This can be handled smartly.
The key, though, is don’t try to snow me. I am giving you (say) ten bucks. It will hardly be more impressive to me to tell me that that pays for 1/10,000th of an impressive thing like a professor’s salary. It won’t do to lie to me either. But we can talk about small things, and we don’t have to talk about toilet paper: a harvest dinner at Dodd, batter for the Waffle Club, these are the minutia that will inspire the little guys to give more.
David, you and I agree on the Alumni Office’s track record with web development (someone over there is the key to making Willipedia work for alums again, too), but criticism I know already won’t help me. You’re a good go-to guy for knowing whom to email. Help me. Whom should I talk to about trying to do this, if I truly am serious? That’s the question I was hoping you’d answer. We can talk about EphsChoose in your later post, unless you want to merge it with this project.
Really well put, FM.
February 9th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Jonathan,
Please pursue this and keep us posted. As a fundraiser, I would be very interested to see how it develops.
And just to add a thought; Keep your humor and wit a part of it. Remember the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalogue? I’m not sure if it is still being done, but it was basically, a high-end dept. store catalogue that always included a few novelty items…some were outrageous (very$$$), some were just funny and/or clever, but these items were the reason many people bothered to open the catalogue. And of course, once there…..
You can incorporate the same idea into your site, and if the ‘novelty’ items changed yearly, providing new ‘bait’, well, you get them ‘in the door’, so to speak. And once there…..
Oh, and you’ve got to have some visuals…but that is a whole other conversation….