Think Twice About Sending Early-Morning Appeals

Many fundraisers attempt to send e-mail appeals early in the morning, with the hope that their messages will be among the first that prospective donors see when they get to work.

But experts say fundraisers should instead consider sending them midday.

When you should send: “If you figure people are giving between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., you want to reach them at that time, because generally people take action pretty quickly on an e-mail,” says Nick Allen, director of Alma Global Consulting, in Barcelona. “The problem for most groups is it’s hard for them to get the e-mail out, especially smaller groups.”

Why evenings could grow popular: While The Chronicle’s analysis shows that most people give during the middle of the workday, that pattern might soon change as more people begin to use tablets and mobile devices to give, says Clam Lorenz, director of Nonprofit Engagement at PayPal. Increasingly, people use tablets to browse the Internet and shop online during the evening and on weekends. That means current patterns probably won’t last, he says.

How to plan for changing habits: Mr. Lorenz says nonprofits should tailor online appeals so they work well on whatever device donors are using—computers, smartphones, or tablets—and to try to capture their attention at different times of day.

“You want to modify the entire experience for the type of device you think most people will use to respond,” Mr. Lorenz says. “In the evening, for instance, you can send out more media-rich content because more people are going to be reading it on a tablet.”

Online Giving Around the Clock

Learn more: See more detailed data about giving by time of the day.