An equivalency is an example of what a specific sum of money buys for your organization. I have been really surprised when these numbers are not strategically planned and thought through.
If you are going to create statistics please, please use them to upgrade donors. Say things like a gift of $10 will do this and a gift of $25 will do this bigger seemingly greater thing. And when you do this make sure the $25 thing is actually better. I have been a part of too many organizations that have created equivalencies that do a really sad job of this. They will try only to provide greater numbers with each higher equivalency but will not think about the perceived difference. For example do not say it will cost $25 dollars to shelter and feed a homeless man for one night and then say it will cost $100 to buy 5,000 apples for that homeless man to eat. The $25 dollar equivalency is way more appealing that the $100 equivalency.
I always like it when people make equivalencies speak directly to me. When they are written with the word “you.” That draws me in much more than when it is written in third person. How has your organization used equivalencies? Any examples that you can post that you use?
Related posts:
{ 1 trackback }
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
I’ve seen a great idea along these lines recently with an impact calculator
http://www.sofii.org/active%20site/Members%20area/EI225UWcalculator.html
The only other thing I can add to this is that it is better to avoid the counting of ‘heads or beds’ to measure impact and try to really explain the root difference that a gift can make.
Elain