Re: [Wikimedia-l] Fundraising banner (again)

-- Peter Coombe Fundraising Production Manager Wikimedia Foundation On 3 December 2015 at 17:54, rupert THURNER rupert.thurner@gmail.com wrote: > One feedback I got today is to not display the banner any more if the > person donated. > On Dec 3, 2015 16:37, "Liam Wyatt" liamwyatt@gmail.com wrote: > > > TL;DR - we've reached "peak banner", how do we change the fundraising > > model to be about working smarter, not just pushing harder. This needs > > to be part of a broader process that involves strategic planning > > transparency, endowment discussions, editor-recruitment, etc. Not just > > about fullscreen advertising. > > > > I, along with many here, am dismayed that the banners are now at the > > stage of being fullscreen. However, as others have mentioned, the > > actual text of the request has been adjusted following a reasonably > > collaborative process to identify text that is both effective and > > acceptable to the community. Also, the fundraising team have been > > placed in the difficult position of being told to raise a LOT more > > money without being given more methods to do so.[1] Naturally then, > > there is a point where the existing methods reach their maximum > > effectiveness, and capacity is stretched to the point where awkward > > mistakes happen.[2] > > > > At this point, I suspect we've reached "peak banner". > > > > Rather like "peak oil" - after drilling the same oil reserve for a > > long time, you have to pump exponentially harder to maintain a steady > > flow.[2] Furthermore, the harder you pump today, the more difficult it > > will be tomorrow. I think we've reached that point with the > > fundraising advertising and emails. We know that the donation amounts > > are decreasing, but the budget is increasing. There are many suggested > > reasons for the decreased supply (relevant parables for this include > > "killing the goose that laid the golden egg" and "the boy who cried > > wolf"). So it's now time to talk about pumping smarter, not harder. > > > > An important part of that shift is the recently-opened (but longtime > > mooted) discussion about an endowment. I commend Lisa's essay[3] as an > > excellent start to formulating a long-term plan. There are many > > important questions that would need to be answered as part of that > > strategy. People interested in this really ought to read her thoughts > > on creating a "growing endowment" and the advantages/challenges this > > would bring. Carefully and consultatively addressing the challenges in > > creating an endowment would also go a long way towards fixing other > > related concerns: > > > > - Improving the transparency of the WMF strategy and the way decisions > > are made (see also the discussion about the FDC recommendations[4]) > > - Having the global community, especially the Chapters which have > > local fundraising capacity, involved in the fundraising process - > > rather than being held at arms length. The community should be seen as > > the fundraiser's biggest asset, not the pageview numbers. > > - culturally sensitive communication (to avoid things like the email > > saying "let's end this" being translated into French as the > > *equivalent* of "I challenge you to a fight to the death") > > - Integrating the activities of fundraising as "part of the movement" > > rather than as something that is held/holds itself apart. The WMF > > donor database, for example, has tens of thousands of people who would > > be interested in learning to edit. Why have we never tried to create a > > [privacy-policy-compliant] way of introducing those people to their > > local communities/chapters to help address the other strategic > > challenge of "editor recruitment and retention". > > - Addressing some of the inequities of how money is > > raised/disseminated across our movement which are based on rules > > "grandfathered in" from chapter-fundraising rules prior to the "Haifa > > letter". > > - movement calendars (to avoid things like this year's fundraising > > clash with WikiLovesMonuments) > > > > Some people say that the fundraising goal is too high. Perhaps, but we > > also have a long list of fixes-needed and wanted-features. We can't do > > a lot more with a lot less, although we can certainly increase the > > efficiency/transparency of how the existing WMF budget is spent! > > However, with the increased total budget, also comes a increased > > expectation of results. I think that a lot of my own frustration comes > > from this - I could probably be supportive of a fullscreen banner IF I > > felt the results justified it. But, for just one example, as Andrea > > described today[5], Wikisource has NEVER received any dedicated > > support despite years of that community begging for it. > > > > I've probably written too much now... sorry! > > > > -Liam > > > > [1] Side note: If you'd like to apply for what is think is probably > > the hardest (and therefore very important) job in Wikimedia, WMF > > Fundraising is hiring a community-liaison role: > > https://boards.greenhouse.io/wikimedia/jobs/113040?t=26r71l > > [2] like saying "A year ago, you gave 0.00 € to keep Wikipedia online > > and ad-free." https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T120214 > > [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_oil Yes, I realise the metaphor > > isn't perfect. Oil is a non-renewable resource while donations are > > potentially renewable. > > [3] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Endowment_Essay > > [4] and thank you Lila for your response on that topic thus far > > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2015-November/079940.html > > [5] > > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2015-December/080150.html > > wittylama.com > > Peace, love & metadata > > > > > > On 3 December 2015 at 09:16, Andreas Kolbe jayen466@gmail.com wrote: > > > Article in the Washington Post: > > > > > > > > > https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2015/12/02/wikipedia-ha... > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > > Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > mailto:wikimedia-l-request@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > mailto:wikimedia-l-request@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > mailto:wikimedia-l-request@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe >