Urgency in Emergency

How CRS increased emergency revenue by 25%

The Objective

Urgency language is a widely used tactic in fundraising, designed to prompt immediate donor response. While it can effectively drive quick responses, urgency may also create pressure, leading to donor fatigue or even resentment, especially when it feels manufactured or unnecessary. ​

However, in the context of a true emergency, emphasizing the need for immediate action can be both appropriate and beneficial. This case study explores the impact of urgency language on giving in appeals tied to real and pressing needs, such as during emergencies.

The Test​

Working with Catholic Relief Services, we used their “prepare for emergencies” email appeal to test the impact of urgency language on donations across two emails: an initial appeal and a follow-up. ​

The control group received the standard messaging that emphasized the need for support. The test group received a version with added urgency language highlighting the immediate need for action and support e.g. “the need for immediate assistance is critical” and “the urgency to act now cannot be overstated.”

The Creative

donorvoice crs
test the donor voice CRS

The Results

The results suggest that urgency might play a role in driving donations in the face of true emergencies. Across both emails, the urgency messaging led to a 25.76% overall increase in revenue. More specifically,​

  • In the first email, the urgency messaging led to a 31.6% increase in revenue. This was driven by a 28.57% increase in response and a 18.3% increase in average gift.​
  • In the follow-up email, the effect of urgency was still positive, but less pronounced, leading to a 15.4% increase in revenue. This was driven by an 8.33% increase in response and a 9.2% increase in average gift.​
  • We also saw a few unusually large gifts in the urgency group. While it might seem logical to exclude these from analysis, they could indicate the test’s effectiveness in prompting higher donations. And since our focus was mainly on increasing response, these outliers remain relevant to the case study.​

These results highlight an important trend. They suggest that urgency could effectively enhance donor response when there truly is an emergency. All this warrants further testing to confirm these findings in your context and understand their implications better.

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Bonus Insight

The more pronounced effect of the first email suggests that initial donor communications present a crucial opportunity for any intervention. ​

When donors are first introduced to an appeal, their attention is at its peak, making them more likely to respond to compelling messaging or calls to action. Over time, donor attention may wane due to factors like fatigue or because the novelty has worn off, reducing the impact of follow-up communications. ​

All this suggests that the initial contact is crucial for setting the tone. Therefore, maximizing the effectiveness of the first touchpoint is essential for driving donor engagement and outcomes.

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