ROACHES ARE FOREVER

Here’s the story of one of my all-time favorite giving campaigns, which features an unlikely hero.

Back in 2011 the Bronx Zoo in NYC struck fundraising gold with a hilarious and compelling Valentine’s Day appeal: Make a gift, name a Madagascar hissing cockroach after your ex.

It got attention! In social media, from mainstream media… and from donors far beyond Bronx Zoo’s existing base. Folks who had never even visited the Bronx made gifts.

“Name a Roach” was a big hit. It has been raising $ for 14 years and counting!

The campaign keeps evolving over time, as Bronx Zoo experiments with new ways to keep the creepy crawly magic alive.  These days, donors still get to name a roach… scorned lover optional. But they also get a whole lot more.

Here’s how “Name a Roach” succeeds – and how YOU can tap into this mojo, no matter what your mission is:

• Provide levity — especially in heavy times.
  
  In the social-good sector we’re solving real problems and meeting real needs. Our missions are serious. But we don’t always have to take ourselves so seriously — and our donors don’t need to feel the weight of the world every single moment.
  
  Chances are, you can find a feel-good hook or a lighthearted angle related to your cause. By bringing surprise and delight, just one ray of sunshine, into your supporter’s day: You may see a giving surge. You’ll feel joyful about asking. And you’ll contribute to your donors’ wellbeing.
  
  

• Pair your ask with a memorable OFFER.
  
  What can your donor’s gift make possible? Tell them!
  
  For bonus points, make your offer vivid with sensory details — something they won’t soon forget.
  
  For this campaign, Bronx Zoo offers an array of offers the donor can enjoy: You can name a roach, have a Valentine’s Virtual Encounter, or receive token gift packs tied to giving levels.
  
  But your offer doesn’t need to be fancy or complex to be great! Your ask string might simply tell the donor what different giving amounts can do for those you serve. (E.g., $5 can put a pair of warm, fuzzy socks on an unhoused person’s cold feet. $10 can put a warm meal in a hungry belly and a cup of hot cocoa in weary hands.)
  
  Your offer just needs to light up your donor’s imagination and touch their heart.

• Don’t be afraid to write creatively.
  
  Remember, instructing and educating your donors doesn’t grow their giving. Human emotion does.
  
  And your donor’s emotional range isn’t limited to the feelings our appeals often tap into — like concern, compassion, or outrage. Your donors also want to feel joy, amusement, excitement, serenity, and contentment.
  
  If you can bring surprise and delight, a feel-good moment, you’ll achieve something powerful: breaking through the bland drone of most fundraising writing.

If all this goodness wasn’t enough to win you over… I leave you with the below feedback from a Bronx Zoo donor.

This says it all:

What’s your “Name a Roach”-level idea for the year ahead? Just brainstorming with your team could bring some much-needed levity in this heavy time.

I’m rooting for you,!