Click & Pledge Tech Scoop

Predictable Giving: Best Time To Send An E-Mail Solicitation?

It is Wednesday at 4 p.m. and you have worked for two weeks on an appeal email.  After careful review, you decide that the appeal campaign is ready to go.  But is the timing right?  Is it best if I send the email to arrive late in the week?  Or should I delay the launch until Monday…or late Sunday night?  

We all struggle with questions about the perfect time to launch a campaign.  So, when should you send the email and ask for donations?

Two years of data say “NO” to a launch late in the week.  Here are data that will help guide you with your decision:

Based on our analysis the best time to send a solicitation is Monday and given the statistics shown in the previous posting, perhaps the best time is 9 or 10 a.m.

E-mail solicitations arriving on a Monday at 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. take advantage of the best hours.  You will benefit from the Tuesday and Wednesday higher than average giving potential for those that act on emails a day or two after receipt.Of course your experience might be different.  When do you think solicitation emails or appeals should be sent?

It is 1 p.m. Do you know where your donors are?

So far we have profiled Joe123@aol.com  and tried to decide if going on a blind date with him is a good idea.

Next, let’s use Click & Pledge’s data from the last 2 years determine when Joe123@aol.com is most likely to donate.   Consider the following chart:

Based on total donations given over the last 2 years, one observes an almost normal distribution when most donations are given between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Now let’s consider the giving behavior of Democrats versus Republicans during the same time span.  The following chart provides insight into giving by Democrats:

The normal distribution also appears with Democratic Party supporters.

The following illustrates the giving pattern of Republicans:

Interestingly, the pattern for Republican supporters does not follow the normal distribution.  It appears that Republicans engage the web later at night compared to the Democrats.

Why is this so?  What can we say about the observed patterns and how can it be used effectively in your fundraising campaigns?

Love to hear your take on this.