Putting Donations in Context

One of the things I plan to do with InterAdvocacy is to show different techniques being employed by groups in their online advocacy efforts.  Needless to say, I won't agree with all of the groups or even techniques I feature, but these are ideas that seem worth sharing.

Today, MoveOn.org's contribution page drew my attention.  It tries to put the current plea for money in context for the visitor by showing an ad they are trying to fund, along with still shots from that ad, and even a link to watch the full ad online.

The page also includes a specific financial goal ($500,000) and uses a very compact contribution form to avoid shopping cart attrition.

By providing a tangible reason to contribute, the group should be able to achieve a higher conversion rate -- assuming the message hits home with the site's visitors.

The technique is similar to the TV ads that tell you that for pennies a day you can support a child whose picture you will receive in the mail.  That makes the donation real.  So does the clear linkage with a TV ad buy for political advocacy.