Getting out of Maslow’s basement
- Sat, November 26 2011
- Filed under: Fundraising essentials
You could assume people will give more money if you give them a coffee mug.
Or you could assume they might be more motivated by the feeling of knowing they made a difference.
Are you treating your donors as if they are in Maslow’s basement or Maslow’s penthouse? Check out what Dan Heath has to say about motivating employees - I believe it applies to our supporters as well.
Comments
Isn’t it also likely that some donors are in the “basement” while others are in the “penthouse?” In my experience, it seems that not all donors give according to the same motives. With new donors, for instance, they may respond better with incentives. That may work better as a donor acquisition tactic. Another way to look at it is to think of each donor as going through the Maslow hierarchy as a process. In other words, they don’t start out as fully self-actualized, major donors and you may need to help them get there.
Great statement about the Maslow - trap.
Here a link for german speaking readers:
http://erfolg.org/motivations-modell-von-maslow/