Convert the Next Wave of Rage Donors into Lifelong Supporters
Now that the votes for the 2024 election in the U.S. have been cast, nonprofit organizations should be prepared for a new wave of donations from voters whose candidate (or candidates) did not win.
Data from recent elections shows rage donors take their candidate’s loss in a presidential bid as inspiration to donate more to causes associated with the candidate’s party, while the winning team’s incoming gifts drop off.
Post-election rage giving:
- +57.55% increase in gifts to nonprofits associated with the opposite political ideology of the winning presidential candidate
- -2.9% drop in gifts to organizations associated with the winning candidate
In addition to the millions of dollars individuals give to the two major political parties, rage donors also donate millions to organizations associated with liberal and conservative causes. And while the presidential election gets the most attention, voters cast their ballots for offices at all levels – congressional, governors, statewide legislators, local, and even ballot referendums – for which the outcomes may make them feel inclined to donate regardless of whether their party won the presidency.
If your organization was the recipient of rage gifts in the months leading up to the election, you might notice a change in giving levels in the aftermath, depending on your mission and how closely it’s associated with the winning or losing candidates or issues. The good news, however, is that research indicates giving overall remains steady in an election year, despite the volatility of the election cycle, so your organization has an opportunity to keep donors engaged with your mission.
Regardless of whether they donated before the election or in response to it, don’t treat rage donors as one-and-done. Take steps to engage with them to build a committed relationship and convert them into lifelong supporters of your cause.
Who Is a Rage Donor?
Rage givers are not typical one-time donors, nor do they resemble crisis donors, who are moved by empathy to help in an emergency. Rage donors are not feeling charitable; they’re feeling reactionary. They are driven by fear, anger, or a sense of injustice. They often are triggered to donate by a cultural event, international conflict, or legal decision. In an election year, of course, divisive politics fuels rage giving, both before and after the winner is announced.
How can you pinpoint a rage donor among your many first-time spontaneous givers? Unless the donors send a note of outrage in the comments section of your donation form, you might not have definitive proof that theirs is a rage gift. But you do have evidence in your fundraising CRM.
- Did they make their first (only) gift during the election cycle?
- Did they donate in the days or hours after a motivating event, such as a convention, debate, or speech?
- Are they active with election- or issue-related social media: likes, dislikes, shares, comments?
- Have they given recent donations to organizations similar to yours?
- Do they show civic engagement—volunteerism, advocacy, voting, protests?
The window of opportunity to engage more deeply with rage givers is relatively small, so consider conducting a short donor survey via email or social media. Ask them their reasons for giving, then use the insights to plan your communications with them in the months after the election.
Prioritize the Rage Donors Most Likely to Give Again
Online giving makes “fury philanthropy” easier than ever, taking a donor just a few minutes to register outrage with a credit card and the click of a donate button. But that single act is not the same thing as activism or commitment to a cause. You need to know who among those rage donors is likely to give again and to advocate for your mission over the long run.
Before you can qualify a rage donor, ask a few important questions:
- Are they inclined to be philanthropic—or just likely to use one-time donations to express their anger?
- What is their capacity to give?
- Do they have the wealth and propensity to give more?
- What are their interests beyond politics?
- Has the rage donor responded to any of your communications?
Qualifying has one goal: to turn your pool of rage donors into a curated list of potential long-term supporters.
Transform Fury into Real Philanthropy
Initially, converting rage donors into lifelong supporters might have less to do with money than with channeling their anger into positive action. They want to feel heard. They want to do something. A responsible cultivation plan can help your organization become the catalyst to change their agitation into generosity.
- Thank them properly. An auto-response acknowledgment is not enough. Send a powerful thank-you message that links to content rage donors are likely to care about (an events page, a report, a compelling first-person story), plus an invitation to upgrade to a monthly gift.
- Pick up the phone. Call rage donors to thank them for their gift of any size, explaining the impact it has made on the mission.
- Mail something memorable. A postcard or a personalized invitation to an event with a handwritten signature sets your organization apart.
- Add them to your welcome series of emails. Focus your welcome series on hot-button issues and how donors can make a difference.
- Respond to their social media posts. A heart emoji can be meaningful to an outraged citizen.
- Educate them about your mission. Rage donors are not in research mode. Tell them what you do and why you do it.
- Send updates. Rage givers might think their gift is one and done. Remind them why their ongoing support remains critical, well beyond the election.
- Encourage action. Outrage can be an opportunity to nurture advocates, members, and volunteers. Ask them to join your advocacy network or participate in an upcoming walk/run—maybe even help plan it.
Create a Compelling Request
Your cultivation plan should build trust and make a strong case for the rage donor’s continued support. To request a post-election gift, rely on data in your fundraising CRM, your relationship with the donor, and your experience as a gift officer to determine the right ask amount, the right timing, and the right messaging.
If your donor is a well-qualified prospect for a larger gift or a major gift, take these seven steps to solicit their next donation:
- Make your request specific. Rage givers want to know how their gift will be used. Give them details, such as “$15,000 will allow us to…”
- Ask in pairs. Doubling up (especially with a passionate volunteer) can be an effective strategy to convey a sense of collective activism.
- Know your numbers. You don’t want to recite a list of statistics, but sharing the facts about your mission and your outcomes—plus the work still to be done in non-election years—grounds your pitch in reality, not outrage.
- Respect their capacity to give. Use your prospect research to ask neither too little nor too much. If you’re not sure, the suggested gift amount is a good question to ask AI, which can analyze a vast amount of data very quickly.
- Personalize the request. Identify the messaging the donor has responded to in the past and mirror that language.
- Craft a solid pitch. If you’re going to meet the rage donor in person, prepare talking points and practice your delivery and pacing.
- Deal with objections like a pro. Even the perfect pitch can be met with resistance from a rage donor galvanized by an issue. Prep a list of potential objections and responses. And plan to listen more than you speak.
Provide Opportunities for Advocacy
Stewardship of rage donors takes persistence. Even if they have not yet made an additional gift or volunteered, keep promoting ways for them to be involved with your cause:
- Ask them to subscribe to your newsletter
- Share news articles and research reports on the topics they care about
- Remind them about matching gifts from their employer
- Send a one-pager showing tangible outcomes and impact metrics
- Invite them to webinars and meetings on the issues they care about
See Rage Giving as a Call to Action
Turning rage givers into sustainable supporters can be challenging, particularly after the election when tempers begin to cool. If you implement strategies to flip negativity into hope and frustration into action, you can help your organization turn an onslaught of small, anger-fueled gifts into real change.
