Category: Donor Psychology
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“Our donors are different” — oh really?
Some organizations take it as an article of faith that their donors are different. Even unique. In some ways they’re right. But mostly they’re wrong. Here’s how any group of donors is different: it’s a purpose-build assembly of people who care about some cause. They share values (at least some values). They know and care…
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The mistake that could be hurting your fundraising
If your fundraising is struggling — not getting the results it should, not doing as well as it did in the past — there’s a good chance it’s because it makes one of the most common errors out there: It’s about your organization, not the people you hope will give. Doing this is hard to…
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The secret truth that donors can’t tell you
One of the most important things you can know about fundraising is this: What people say about their charity or your fundraising has little to do with what they do. When you believe that, you are free from taking terrible advice. People’s opinions and their actions do not line up. Don’t expect them to. And…
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What charitable giving feels like for donors
Here’s what fundraising and giving looks like to us fundraisers: We think we are leading an army of “our” donors in the great work that our organizations are doing. That’s not how it looks to our donors… Here’s what giving looks like to donors: In the donor’s world, she is not part of “your” army…
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Why they give
It can be hard to remember why donors donate. It’s hard because their reasons are usually simpler and more internal than our reasons for valuing our cause. That’s why so much fundraising misses the mark. Because it basically says, “You should donate to this for these reasons” — backed up by facts, statistics, and high-flown…
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Do AI images work in fundraising?
The right photo can really boost the power of a fundraising message. But photos pose some ethical and logistical challenges. AI-generated images seem to be solutions to some of those challenges: (The main downside of AI images is that they often look weird. But we should assume this factor will continue to grow less over…
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How (and why) to give donors permission not to donate
Give donors “permission” not to donate. I know that may seem odd, because they clearly have that permission whether you give it or not. And most donors, most of the time (including your best donors) exercise their right not to give. Still, when you give that permission, you recognize their autonomy and put a decision…
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What you can learn from the most hated fundraising TV spot
If you look up the famous Sarah McLachlan ASPCA TV spot, you could easily come to the conclusion that it is an utter failure. Because everyone hates it so much! Like a thread on Reddit that starts: “These ads are so damn depressing and long that I loath these ads! I am a huge dog…
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Donors love to rescue struggling nonprofits
A lot of us have had a tough year this year. Fundraising results have dropped from their pandemic highs. Inflation was hitting many donors. Two big wars have pulled donors away from giving as much to some causes. Giving is down for many organizations. Badly down for some. If that’s you, do your donors know?…
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How to connect with donors by asking
Some fundraisers would have you believe you’re doing your donors a big favor by “leaving them alone.” By going silent on them. By not giving them opportunities to give. The Veritus Group Blog begs to differ, at Not Asking = Less Love: Showering your donor with love ultimately means challenging your donor to make a…