Why People Give

 "Because Mom Told Me To!"

That attitude won't work. Neither will, "Because I will get punished if I don't." 

The Network for Good has come up with seven reasons why donors give and one reason they don't. To motivate donations, messaging should resonate with potential donors through these points.

1. They’re mission-driven.

Donors say: “I know there is a need for the nonprofit’s mission in my community and I know it does good work.”

Donating to charity feels good. Scientific studies have proven that generosity stimulates dopamine, which creates similar brain activity in the regions connected to the experience of pleasure and reward. 

2. They trust your organization.

Donors say: “I believe the nonprofit will use my gift to stabilize or expand programming.”

Donors come to your nonprofit because they believe in your mission. They stay with you because you prove yourself worthy of their trust and commitment. Transparency and dependability are key. When you say you’re going to do something, be true to your word.

3. They get to see the impact.

Donors say: “The nonprofit communicates about the impact of giving by sharing program outcomes.”

When donors feel their gift has a direct impact on improving a situation, they feel empowered. Share specifics with your donors about what their gifts support. Detailed information about what you’re accomplishing as a direct result of donations gives donors confidence.

4. They have a personal connection to your cause.

Donors say: “I know someone who benefitted from the nonprofit’s work.”

For many donors, charitable giving is highly personal. Donors who give because they’ve seen your impact firsthand are incredible advocates for your cause. If you aren’t asking donors why they give, you might miss out on these stories and opportunities to spread the word about your mission.

5. They want to be part of something.

Donors say: “I want to be associated with the organization and its brand.”

Donating is an emotional act, and people connect more to personal stories than statistics or broad statements. Put a human face on your facts and statistics, and get to the heart of the matter. Share that with your donors so they can connect with your work on a personal level.

6. You’ve caught their attention.

Donors say: “I see the organization online and on social media.”

The power of social media combined with the ease of online giving has contributed to the rise in popularity of peer-to-peer giving. The more people see their peers involved in a cause, the more likely they are to participate and donate. Plus, participating in social campaigns is fun.

7. They want tax benefits.

Donors say: “I want the tax deduction.”

The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) will impact every individual and organization. Nonprofits are watching how the standard deduction increase and elimination of personal exemptions will affect charitable giving. Although we won’t know for a few years the lasting impact these changes will have, we know that altruism is a driving factor for why people donate. Continue to make your case for change to keep donors inspired by your work.

What Won't Work

And the #1 reason why donors stop giving…

They don’t know how their gift is being used.

Keep your donors in the loop! Vary your communications so that you’re engaging donors more than simply when you ask for money. Send an update on a campaign that congratulates them on helping you reach your goal. Make sure they know you couldn’t do it without them.

I have other tactics that won't work, threatening, desperation, impending doom, self-centered messaging. "We need, we need, we need!" "Give now, or we'll have to change how we do this." "Time is running out."

When asking for support, don't think about reinventing the wheel. Build on things that already work. Make them your own. Ask for help. It really works.

Motivating Generosity (The Home Edition)

 

It Starts With You

You are responsible for the world that you live in. It is not government’s responsibility. It is not your school’s or your social club’s or your church’s or your neighbor’s or your fellow citizen’s. It is yours, utterly and singularly yours.
- August Wilson

May we be committed to personally carrying out the actions that create a more just world.         - Sojourners

This is not about blaming the victim for their plight. Indeed, there is a movement that explains poverty and despair as a form of karma or cosmic justice. Among Christians this would be predetermination.(Not all Christians believe this.) It would be expressed as, "You get what you deserve." This is about the individual taking responsibility for making the world a better place, a personal responsibility.

Maybe this passage from Genesis helps explain. The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 

- Genesis 2:15 (NIV)

Waiting for others to be generous in your place, may mean we're all going to wait. Besides, we cannot control the actions of others, only our own actions. 

Perhaps, the example we set will motivate other toward generosity. How can we become more generous? I found "Ten little ways we can become more generous". by Joshua Becker. Here's what he suggests:

Consider the benefits of generosity. Generous people report being happier, healthier, and more satisfied with life than those who don’t give. Generosity produces within us a sense that we are capable of making a difference in the world.

Embrace gratitude. Make a short list of the things in your life for which you are grateful. The most important step you can take to become more generous is to spend more time thinking about what you already possess and less time thinking about what you don’t.

 Start really small. If you’ve never given away money, start by giving away $1. No matter what dollar amount you choose, jump right in with something small. You can afford it… and that little push can help build momentum in your life towards generosity.

Divert one specific expense. For a set period of time (try 29 days), divert one specific expense to a charity of your choosing. You may choose to bring a lunch to work, ride your bike to work once/week, or give up Starbucks on Mondays (wait, make that Thursday). Calculate the money you’ll save and then redirect it to a specific charity/cause. 

Fund a cause based on your passions. There are countless charities/causes that need your support. And some of them are directly in-line with your most compelling passions.

 Find a person you believe in. If you find that you are more easily motivated and shaped by the people in your life rather than organizations/causes, use that tendency as motivation instead.

Spend time with people in need. One of the most effective antidotes for non-generosity is to make space in your life for those who actually need your help. After all, it is a very small step to go from knowing somebody in need to helping somebody in need. Rubbing shoulders with the poor just may change your impression of them forever.

Spend time with a generous person. 

Live a more minimalist life. Intentionally decide to own less. Oh sure, living a minimalist life won’t automatically make you a more generous person, but it will provide the space necessary to make it possible.

Eating Chocolate and Generosity

Giving makes you feel good

In fact, when researchers looked at the MRIs of people who gave to various charities, they found that generosity stimulates the reward center in the brain and releases endorphins. –live generously.com

Neuroscience has demonstrated that giving is a powerful pathway for creating more personal joy and improving overall health. While the brain is remarkably complex, the neurochemical drivers of happiness are quite easy to identify. Dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin make up the Happiness Trifecta. - Psychology Today

 It’s the same feeling you get when you eat chocolate.

Chocolate contains a variety of chemicals some of which make us feel good by boosting our endorphins (those feel good hormones). Chocolate may also boost serotonin levels that help us to feel relaxed. Some forms contain caffeine, which give a boost of energy along with the calming effect. -sharecare.com

Now imagine what it would be like to live generously and eat chocolate.

Why People Give

Listening to my local public radio station make appeals for funding on-air leads me to question again: 

Why Do People Give?

The local talent is telling me all about mugs, t-shirts and socks. I can even get flowers to send to a loved one.

But...is that the reason I would want to give them money? No, not really. 

Maybe it's just me. Maybe I've become jaded because of my 31 years sitting in that chair trying to motivate people to make that phone call. 

I think it's all about the listener and why they come to the station for their news and information. The listener is first. I'm not sure public TV can raise money that way. Fundraising around regular programming is slow going. So they produce specials that have little to do with their mission. They focus on cassettes, DVD's and CD's. They help the presenter hawk his or her products. For the most part it doesn't work that way for public radio.

I went to an out side source to find out what motivates people to give. I went to the Network for Good. This is what they came up with.

1. Donors come to your nonprofit because they believe in your mission.
2. Donating to charity feels good.
3. For many donors, charitable giving is a family tradition.
4. Donating is an emotional act, and people connect more to personal stories than statistics or broad statements. 
5. Religion - Every major religion teaches good will, caring for others, and charitable giving.
6. The power of social media combined with the ease of online giving has contributed to the rise in popularity of peer-to-peer giving. The more people see their peers involved in a cause, the more likely they are to participate and donate. 
7. Tax benefits - Nonprofits are watching how the standard deduction increase and elimination of personal exemptions will affect charitable giving.

People stop giving when they stop believing in you.

I don't see thank you gifts or premiums anywhere in there. Why would you lead off your pitch with socks or a t-shirt?. For that matter, why would you lead off with a hand-ringing appeal about what you need?

It's not about you. It's about your audience. Change your perspective. It will change your approach.   

A little thought before opening the mic will go a long way. 

Wealthy Donors' Frustration

Gifts Are Not Making a Difference

One in five wealthy givers think their gifts are making a difference. Turning that around...80 percent think their gifts are not making a difference.   

The Chronicle for Philanthropy cites a study by UBS Wealth Management Americas that state 90% of the wealthiest Americans give, but only 20 percent feel their contributions are making a difference.

Spur of the Moment

Sameer Aurora, head of client strategy at UBS Wealth Management Americas, said he was surprised by the results. People thought their giving made little difference. Aurora says, one reason for the problem "People tend to give as they're asked by friends and family, reacting to spur-of-the-moment requests at random." Sameer goes on to say, donors who are happier with their philanthropy tend to have plans in place.

Matching Lifestyle and Values

You can read more at the Chronicle for Philanthropy website including the finding that the wealthy derive more personal meaning from volunteering than from giving money. There seems to be a disconnect between the charity and the donor. If there a solid connection between the lifestyle and values of the giver the goals and core values of the charity, perhaps there would be a stronger connection and a realization that the gift is making a huge difference. A better connection between the giver and recipient seems to be important. Younger givers...according the study...are looking for that connection.