nonprofit fundraising success lives in your donor’s philanthropic identity
the charity of self: I donate, therefore I am
Humans rarely do anything for the sake of having done it. The same is true for acts of charity. Donating to a nonprofit cause is anything but a random act of kindness. It is tied into how we understand our self, our purpose and our place as inherently social creatures.
“More and more, success in fundraising is being determined by the nonprofits that leverage behavioural data science,” says Kabir Grewal, our strategist at theturnlab. “While the story of your fundraising campaign carries donors along a desired path, spurring your audience on that journey is much more than telling a good story. That’s where an understanding of the science behind human behaviour comes into play.”
So what’s the science behind a human being’s choice to give? This is a particularly relevant question during a month when “the spirit of giving” is particularly active. While “spirit” suggests a mysterious element to the act of giving, our science and data suggests otherwise. We call it the “philanthropic identity”, and it’s integral to who we are as social creatures.
Priming your donor audience’s philanthropic identity will play a key role in the success of your fundraising campaign. Here are four ways that you can tap into it.
4 fundraising tips to motivate charity and maximize donations
1. don’t be shy! show off your fundraising goal.
Tell your donors what your fundraising goal is and show them the progress you’re making. Having the ability to monitor the campaign’s progress helps donors contextualize their donation. They can see what their personal contribution means to the overall cause, and they’ll be more likely to donate as a result.
2. avoid donation drift.
“Anchor” your donations by providing your donors with a benchmark to help them decide what to donate. For example, “The average Canada donates X-amount of dollars.” With an anchored donation value, donors are less likely to get caught in the drift with doubts about whether their donations are “worth it” to the campaign. Humans are inherently competitive, and with an “average” donation figure in front of them, will be more likely to donate higher.
3. you can sit with us.
Come to terms with the “Mean Girl” living inside each of us and leverage the human tendency to aspire to “higher” social status. Making a donation sometimes signals loyalty to the person the donor is donating to, more than the cause itself. It’s not always the case, of course, but you can use this to your advantage by tapping into social influencers, groups or circles that people aspire to join, and will be more likely to donate to.
4. by all means, copy my homework.
Donors respond favourably when they know that reputable companies or organizations have agreed to match donations. Why? Because they assume that company has done their research and due diligence on that charity to ensure their funds are going to what’s needed. It legitimizes the cause and adds trust.
fundraising is all about the data: how nonprofits can make the most of it
Data is and always will be a friend to your fundraising efforts.
Take the four above best practices and weave them into a donor profile page. There you can show your annuals goals , anchor your donation values, and add the ability to share the page with friends and family, increasing the chances that their circle will donate to the cause. Take it a step further and partner with a reputable organization to increase your campaign’s legitimacy in the eyes of the donor.
What this ultimately boils down to is customer relationship management (CRM). As your CRM data grows, you can create audience segments, then customize your messaging to speak directly to that specific audience. Our experience with fundraising campaigns has shown us, time and again, that the amount of audience information you have is directly proportional to the amount of donations you will receive.
Want to learn more about how we leverage decades of experience, top-notch data and game-changing insights to help clients achieve their fundraising goals? Contact us and start a conversation.
about us
We are one part ad agency, one part consultancy, and one part technology company. We provide 360° solutions for brands committed to turning their business around. Our lab team is made up of a healthy mix of industry veterans, entrepreneurs, innovators. We are business analysts, strategic planners, media experts, brand experts, content creators, digital strategists, interactive programmers and software developers.
Visit theturnlab.com to learn more.
