Hello,
Has anyone else experienced the new "service" provided on Legacy.com obituaries that features a Donation Page that appears to be managed by Pledgeling Technologies Inc. dba "Pledge"?
We have had two alumni obituaries appear in the last week that includes a Giving Page at the bottom of the site which appears to have our school's branding, but the would be donor is actually making a gift to a DAF. 

------------------------------
Robert Laity
Stewardship and Development Services Manager
Bard College
laity@bard.edu
------------------------------

Hi Robert,

An alum just brought this to our attention. Yes, the gift goes to the Pledgeling Foundation, which is a DAF and which provides the donor with a receipt. They then forward the net amount (minus a $5 + 3% fee) to Williams. 

It looks like there is a new "feature" that asks the donor to tip Pledge, or I think that is where the tip goes. This is really disgusting, in my eyes, especially for an alum making a memorial gift. The alum who brought it to our attention assumed we were the ones asking for the tip and wasn't happy about it.

We are going to ask legacy.com, pledge.to, and the pledgeling foundation to remove Williams College from all giving widgets and databases. Has anybody else done that?

Thanks,

Victor

------------------------------
ven1@williams.edu
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-22-2021 02:43 PM
From: Robert Laity
Subject: Legacy.com New Feature for Donations

Hello,
Has anyone else experienced the new "service" provided on Legacy.com obituaries that features a Donation Page that appears to be managed by Pledgeling Technologies Inc. dba "Pledge"?
We have had two alumni obituaries appear in the last week that includes a Giving Page at the bottom of the site which appears to have our school's branding, but the would be donor is actually making a gift to a DAF. 

------------------------------
Robert Laity
Stewardship and Development Services Manager
Bard College
laity@bard.edu
------------------------------

Hi Victor,

Sage70 researched this business model, used by Pledge and perhaps most famously by Givebutter, on behalf of a client. I can assure you that donors do not find it disgusting or objectionable. In fact, the overwhelming majority of donors tip, and the average tip is about 12% of the gift. The tip, at Pledge, is framed like this:

I'm not affiliated with any company that offers this service, and I don't benefit from this in any way. That's not why I'm sharing this. I completely understand the initial reaction that makes this feel wrong or disturbing to you, but it is really mostly us, nonprofit pros, who feel this way. We tend to view this as a kind of parasitic business model that monetizes our charitable cause and brand. What I learned from my work in this area is that nonprofits can take a lesson from these companies, and capture more than the 3% donor cover - maybe even 4x or 5x more, with better messaging and better offers. Many donation platforms offer this functionality, and nonprofits can get that revenue themselves. But few do. Businesses like Givebutter and Pledge provide a useful service to nonprofits, they do not charge nonprofits directly for that service, and they do not cannibalize the donation for their revenue. They bring new dollars into the transaction -- and donors respond to it in an enormously positive way. It may still be the right move to ask to delist Williams College, but I thought I'd offer a different perspective for you to consider.

Thank you,
Isaac Shalev
Data Strategy Expert
Sage70, Inc.
(917) 859-0151
isaac@sage70.com

Schedule a 30-minute consultation now:

https://calendly.com/sage70/30min

Hi Robert,

An alum just brought this to our attention. Yes, the gift goes to the Pledgeling Foundation, which is a DAF and which provides the donor with a receipt. They then forward the net amount (minus a $5 + 3% fee) to Williams. 

It looks like there is a new "feature" that asks the donor to tip Pledge, or I think that is where the tip goes. This is really disgusting, in my eyes, especially for an alum making a memorial gift. The alum who brought it to our attention assumed we were the ones asking for the tip and wasn't happy about it.

We are going to ask legacy.com, pledge.to, and the pledgeling foundation to remove Williams College from all giving widgets and databases. Has anybody else done that?

Thanks,

Victor

------------------------------
ven1@williams.edu

Original Message:
Sent: 12-22-2021 02:43 PM
From: Robert Laity
Subject: Legacy.com New Feature for Donations

Hello,
Has anyone else experienced the new "service" provided on Legacy.com obituaries that features a Donation Page that appears to be managed by Pledgeling Technologies Inc. dba "Pledge"?
We have had two alumni obituaries appear in the last week that includes a Giving Page at the bottom of the site which appears to have our school's branding, but the would be donor is actually making a gift to a DAF. 

------------------------------
Robert Laity
Stewardship and Development Services Manager
Bard College
laity@bard.edu
------------------------------

Hi Isaac,

Thank you for your thoughtful and detailed response. I appreciate that.

Here are the problems I have with Plege's tip feature:

1. Pledge is implementing the "tip" feature without our consent. If a non-profit wants to ask for a tip to bump up revenue or to ask donors to cover transaction costs then that is their decision. We don't want to ask our alums and other donors to cover transaction costs so this approach conflicts with our policy.
2. It is unclear where this money is going and how it is being used. The text suggests it is to cover costs, but Pledge is already retaining $5 per transaction + approx 3%. I'm guessing the money is going to Pledge, on top of the transaction fees they retain from the non-profit, but a donor could naturally assume this is going to Williams, which is what the alum who noticed this assumed.
3. A person just died and someone who cares for that person wants to honor them so they decide to send $100 but get asked for $115, come on.

Also, as a policy, we want donors to come directly to us or via vendors with which we contract so that we can make sure acknowledgments and receipts follow our branding and policy.

We have asked Pledge to remove Williams College from its database. I can let others know how that goes or if anybody else has done that please let me know.

Victor

Hi Victor,

Sage70 researched this business model, used by Pledge and perhaps most famously by Givebutter, on behalf of a client. I can assure you that donors do not find it disgusting or objectionable. In fact, the overwhelming majority of donors tip, and the average tip is about 12% of the gift. The tip, at Pledge, is framed like this:

I'm not affiliated with any company that offers this service, and I don't benefit from this in any way. That's not why I'm sharing this. I completely understand the initial reaction that makes this feel wrong or disturbing to you, but it is really mostly us, nonprofit pros, who feel this way. We tend to view this as a kind of parasitic business model that monetizes our charitable cause and brand. What I learned from my work in this area is that nonprofits can take a lesson from these companies, and capture more than the 3% donor cover - maybe even 4x or 5x more, with better messaging and better offers. Many donation platforms offer this functionality, and nonprofits can get that revenue themselves. But few do. Businesses like Givebutter and Pledge provide a useful service to nonprofits, they do not charge nonprofits directly for that service, and they do not cannibalize the donation for their revenue. They bring new dollars into the transaction -- and donors respond to it in an enormously positive way. It may still be the right move to ask to delist Williams College, but I thought I'd offer a different perspective for you to consider.

Thank you,
Isaac Shalev
Data Strategy Expert
Sage70, Inc.
(917) 859-0151
isaac@sage70.com

Schedule a 30-minute consultation now:

https://calendly.com/sage70/30min

Hi Robert,

An alum just brought this to our attention. Yes, the gift goes to the Pledgeling Foundation, which is a DAF and which provides the donor with a receipt. They then forward the net amount (minus a $5 + 3% fee) to Williams. 

It looks like there is a new "feature" that asks the donor to tip Pledge, or I think that is where the tip goes. This is really disgusting, in my eyes, especially for an alum making a memorial gift. The alum who brought it to our attention assumed we were the ones asking for the tip and wasn't happy about it.

We are going to ask legacy.com, pledge.to, and the pledgeling foundation to remove Williams College from all giving widgets and databases. Has anybody else done that?

Thanks,

Victor

------------------------------
ven1@williams.edu

Original Message:
Sent: 12-22-2021 02:43 PM
From: Robert Laity
Subject: Legacy.com New Feature for Donations

Hello,
Has anyone else experienced the new "service" provided on Legacy.com obituaries that features a Donation Page that appears to be managed by Pledgeling Technologies Inc. dba "Pledge"?
We have had two alumni obituaries appear in the last week that includes a Giving Page at the bottom of the site which appears to have our school's branding, but the would be donor is actually making a gift to a DAF. 

------------------------------
Robert Laity
Stewardship and Development Services Manager
Bard College
laity@bard.edu
------------------------------

Hi Isaac,

Thank you for your thoughtful and detailed response. I appreciate that.

Here are the problems I have with Plege's tip feature:

1. Pledge is implementing the "tip" feature without our consent. If a non-profit wants to ask for a tip to bump up revenue or to ask donors to cover transaction costs then that is their decision. We don't want to ask our alums and other donors to cover transaction costs so this approach conflicts with our policy.
2. It is unclear where this money is going and how it is being used. The text suggests it is to cover costs, but Pledge is already retaining $5 per transaction + approx 3%. I'm guessing the money is going to Pledge, on top of the transaction fees they retain from the non-profit, but a donor could naturally assume this is going to Williams, which is what the alum who noticed this assumed.
3. A person just died and someone who cares for that person wants to honor them so they decide to send $100 but get asked for $115, come on.

Also, as a policy, we want donors to come directly to us or via vendors with which we contract so that we can make sure acknowledgments and receipts follow our branding and policy.

We have asked Pledge to remove Williams College from its database. I can let others know how that goes or if anybody else has done that please let me know.

Victor

Hi Victor,

Sage70 researched this business model, used by Pledge and perhaps most famously by Givebutter, on behalf of a client. I can assure you that donors do not find it disgusting or objectionable. In fact, the overwhelming majority of donors tip, and the average tip is about 12% of the gift. The tip, at Pledge, is framed like this:

I'm not affiliated with any company that offers this service, and I don't benefit from this in any way. That's not why I'm sharing this. I completely understand the initial reaction that makes this feel wrong or disturbing to you, but it is really mostly us, nonprofit pros, who feel this way. We tend to view this as a kind of parasitic business model that monetizes our charitable cause and brand. What I learned from my work in this area is that nonprofits can take a lesson from these companies, and capture more than the 3% donor cover - maybe even 4x or 5x more, with better messaging and better offers. Many donation platforms offer this functionality, and nonprofits can get that revenue themselves. But few do. Businesses like Givebutter and Pledge provide a useful service to nonprofits, they do not charge nonprofits directly for that service, and they do not cannibalize the donation for their revenue. They bring new dollars into the transaction -- and donors respond to it in an enormously positive way. It may still be the right move to ask to delist Williams College, but I thought I'd offer a different perspective for you to consider.

Thank you,
Isaac Shalev
Data Strategy Expert
Sage70, Inc.
(917) 859-0151
isaac@sage70.com

Schedule a 30-minute consultation now:

https://calendly.com/sage70/30min

Hi Robert,

An alum just brought this to our attention. Yes, the gift goes to the Pledgeling Foundation, which is a DAF and which provides the donor with a receipt. They then forward the net amount (minus a $5 + 3% fee) to Williams. 

It looks like there is a new "feature" that asks the donor to tip Pledge, or I think that is where the tip goes. This is really disgusting, in my eyes, especially for an alum making a memorial gift. The alum who brought it to our attention assumed we were the ones asking for the tip and wasn't happy about it.

We are going to ask legacy.com, pledge.to, and the pledgeling foundation to remove Williams College from all giving widgets and databases. Has anybody else done that?

Thanks,

Victor

------------------------------
ven1@williams.edu

Original Message:
Sent: 12-22-2021 02:43 PM
From: Robert Laity
Subject: Legacy.com New Feature for Donations

Hello,
Has anyone else experienced the new "service" provided on Legacy.com obituaries that features a Donation Page that appears to be managed by Pledgeling Technologies Inc. dba "Pledge"?
We have had two alumni obituaries appear in the last week that includes a Giving Page at the bottom of the site which appears to have our school's branding, but the would be donor is actually making a gift to a DAF. 

------------------------------
Robert Laity
Stewardship and Development Services Manager
Bard College
laity@bard.edu
------------------------------

Victor,

What was this process like?  We are thinking about having Pledge turned off for our organization as well.  We have some data record issues with Pledge's model, and would much rather have people donate directly to our organization as opposed to a third party, especially since that is what the obituary requests.

Dariel

Hi Isaac,

Thank you for your thoughtful and detailed response. I appreciate that.

Here are the problems I have with Plege's tip feature:

1. Pledge is implementing the "tip" feature without our consent. If a non-profit wants to ask for a tip to bump up revenue or to ask donors to cover transaction costs then that is their decision. We don't want to ask our alums and other donors to cover transaction costs so this approach conflicts with our policy.
2. It is unclear where this money is going and how it is being used. The text suggests it is to cover costs, but Pledge is already retaining $5 per transaction + approx 3%. I'm guessing the money is going to Pledge, on top of the transaction fees they retain from the non-profit, but a donor could naturally assume this is going to Williams, which is what the alum who noticed this assumed.
3. A person just died and someone who cares for that person wants to honor them so they decide to send $100 but get asked for $115, come on.

Also, as a policy, we want donors to come directly to us or via vendors with which we contract so that we can make sure acknowledgments and receipts follow our branding and policy.

We have asked Pledge to remove Williams College from its database. I can let others know how that goes or if anybody else has done that please let me know.

Victor

Hi Victor,

Sage70 researched this business model, used by Pledge and perhaps most famously by Givebutter, on behalf of a client. I can assure you that donors do not find it disgusting or objectionable. In fact, the overwhelming majority of donors tip, and the average tip is about 12% of the gift. The tip, at Pledge, is framed like this:

I'm not affiliated with any company that offers this service, and I don't benefit from this in any way. That's not why I'm sharing this. I completely understand the initial reaction that makes this feel wrong or disturbing to you, but it is really mostly us, nonprofit pros, who feel this way. We tend to view this as a kind of parasitic business model that monetizes our charitable cause and brand. What I learned from my work in this area is that nonprofits can take a lesson from these companies, and capture more than the 3% donor cover - maybe even 4x or 5x more, with better messaging and better offers. Many donation platforms offer this functionality, and nonprofits can get that revenue themselves. But few do. Businesses like Givebutter and Pledge provide a useful service to nonprofits, they do not charge nonprofits directly for that service, and they do not cannibalize the donation for their revenue. They bring new dollars into the transaction -- and donors respond to it in an enormously positive way. It may still be the right move to ask to delist Williams College, but I thought I'd offer a different perspective for you to consider.

Thank you,
Isaac Shalev
Data Strategy Expert
Sage70, Inc.
(917) 859-0151
isaac@sage70.com

Schedule a 30-minute consultation now:

https://calendly.com/sage70/30min

Hi Robert,

An alum just brought this to our attention. Yes, the gift goes to the Pledgeling Foundation, which is a DAF and which provides the donor with a receipt. They then forward the net amount (minus a $5 + 3% fee) to Williams. 

It looks like there is a new "feature" that asks the donor to tip Pledge, or I think that is where the tip goes. This is really disgusting, in my eyes, especially for an alum making a memorial gift. The alum who brought it to our attention assumed we were the ones asking for the tip and wasn't happy about it.

We are going to ask legacy.com, pledge.to, and the pledgeling foundation to remove Williams College from all giving widgets and databases. Has anybody else done that?

Thanks,

Victor

------------------------------
ven1@williams.edu

Original Message:
Sent: 12-22-2021 02:43 PM
From: Robert Laity
Subject: Legacy.com New Feature for Donations

Hello,
Has anyone else experienced the new "service" provided on Legacy.com obituaries that features a Donation Page that appears to be managed by Pledgeling Technologies Inc. dba "Pledge"?
We have had two alumni obituaries appear in the last week that includes a Giving Page at the bottom of the site which appears to have our school's branding, but the would be donor is actually making a gift to a DAF. 

------------------------------
Robert Laity
Stewardship and Development Services Manager
Bard College
laity@bard.edu
------------------------------