As charity marketers pore over the new marketing rules, most will be scratching their heads over where to start when it comes to ensuring they get right kind of permissions to communicate with donors both legally and ethically.
But help is at hand with the publication of a new guide from marketing insight specialists FastMap which the firm claims will help fundraisers achieve this.
Written by FastMap managing director David Cole, the guide emphasises that each charity will probably need its own tailored permission statement: cut and paste from similar organisations’ statements is simply not good enough.
Backed by the Institute of Fundraising, the guide is not intended to set out current legislation, but Cole explicitly argues that “consent should be seen as a marketing issue, as well as a legal one”.
IoF head of policy and research Daniel Fluskey said: “Of course, you have to comply with the law, but consent statements are about communicating with your donors, the wording you use and the way you use it makes a difference”.
The guide provides a structured approach to writing consent statements and features tips about what does and does not work. Throughout it makes it clear that consent statements need to change to remain fresh and relevant.
Cole argues that the days of a single consent statement for all audiences and marketing channels are long gone. He believes that consent marketing needs a segmented approach “for the same reasons that a charity would never create a mailing pack for use in all circumstances to all prospects”.
He lists 15 attributes which affect consent, ranging from ‘rewarding’, ‘appreciated’, through ‘I’m in charge’ and ‘No over contact’ to ‘trustworthy’ and ‘jargon free’. It is understanding which attributes to apply to which type of supporter that Cole believes will help charities maximise consent.
“Charities can no longer afford to take consent for granted. They must track levels and be poised to review and update permission statements as times and attitudes change,” Cole explained.
For more details and to download a copy of Guide to Creating Charity Permission Statements visit the FastMap website >