Why personal fundraising works
- Tue, January 02 2007
- Filed under: Fundraising essentials
Blogger Beth Kanter helped raise nearly $50,000 in the past three weeks for her favorite cause, the Sharing Foundation, with a Network for Good charity badge. I could not be happier today, first, because Cambodia is a cause close to my heart (I covered it as a journalist in the late 1990s) and second, because it shows the power of personal fundraising. According to Beth:
There was lots of help from the Sharing Foundation family - board members, volunteers, and supporters—especially TSF’s founder, Dr. Hendrie, whose relentess attention to campaign made it successful. In addition, we received lots of support and help from the Cambodian adoptive parent community and their families, churches, synagogues, fellow employees, golf buddies, quilting clubs, book clubs, parents of their children’s school mates, high school and college friends, and beyond. The Cambodian American community also rallied for us too!
The beauty of people-to-people fundraising is that it is based in two-way communication; it is a conversation between individuals rather than a speech from an organization. It puts your message in the mouth of the person most likely to prompt a donation: someone the audience knows. There are two useful social psychology theories at work here: liking and reciprocation. In a great book on these theories, Influence: Science and Practice, author and social psychologist Robert Cialdini explains liking this way: “People prefer to say yes to individuals they know and like.” He says we like people who are similar to us, who praise us, who are in frequent contact with us, who share common connections to us and – shallow as it is - people who are physically attractive.
Pair this idea of liking with the principle of reciprocation, which states, “people give back to you the kind of treatment they have received from you.” It’s no mistake, says Cialdini, that a synonym for “thank you” is “much obliged.” When we like someone and perceive they’ve treated us well, we’re likely to return the favor.
Cialdini uses lots of examples from sales in his book, but liking and reciprocation are also integral to our own work as fundraisers. His work shows us that it is a fundamental part of human nature to want to help people close to us and close to our experience.
The fundraising work of the Sharing Foundation certainly shows what happens when liking and reciprocation are at work, when community members rally others, and when it’s easy and fast to make a difference.
Think about who could be your best messenger - it’s probably someone outside your office, in a community of their own. Ask them to spread your message in the new year. It’s a good resolution to keep.
Comments
I agree and non-profit organizations benefit most from fundraising events, to help them sustain their programs.
At Network for Good, we see our giving spike to incredible levels in the last week of every year. That’s because online giving is perfectly suited to philanthropic procrastinators who want to get in their donations by the end of the tax year. Our giving is expected to go from about $70,000 on December 1 to well over $1 million a day for the final days of the year.
<a >College Essay</a> AND <a >Admission Essay</a>
At Network for Good, we see our giving spike to incredible levels in the last week of every year. That’s because online giving is perfectly suited to philanthropic procrastinators who want to get in their donations by the end of the tax year. Our giving is expected to go from about $70,000 on December 1 to well over $1 million a day for the final days of the year.
College Essay
Admission Essay
Having Beth Kanter asking me to post on social media is a little like Yo-Yo Ma asking me to play cello for him. Beth is THE maestro on nonprofits and social media (and she could probably accompany Yo-Yo Ma on flute). So read what she says first. Then read what Britt Bravo says. Britt, in addition to having The Name I Wish I Had, is also very wise on the social media front. Then you can read my list, which is below.
I agree and nonprofit organizations benefit most from fundraising events to help them maintain their programs.
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I agree that nonprofit org’s make the most of fundraising endeavors, however every company out there trying to survive in these hard pressed economic times can take a page from the NP’s and use it to give their own business a much needed kick in the pants.
Promotion products are not only good for non profits, but for any business out there selling a product and or service. We sell custom lapel pins and I can’t tell you how many times we get reorders from companies using simple lapel pins or silicone wristbands to promote thier business to their geo targeted customers.
Q: How can I politely remind people who have said they will donate, but still haven’t by the time the event rolls around?
A: If someone has expressed interest in donating to your page, they probably mean it. There’s always the chance that something could have come up that would preclude them from giving at that particular time, but chances are it’s just been pushed to the back burner. They’ve made some kind of verbal commitment, so don’t be afraid to follow up (web site design) . Consider sending out one last update email to the effect of, “If you’ve already donated, thank you! If you’ve been waiting, now is a great time because my event is happening this weekend!” Keep it light and, if it feels more comfortable, send a general message out to all your supporters rather than trying to follow up with one-on-one asks. And if they don’t give this time, perhaps they will next time!
Hi,
Such an informative site. I agree with your point of view about fund raising. Thanks for sharing such an informative post.
Hi,
Really nice work! Your article is unique, informative, interesting and is captivating attention of the readers. You have emphasized on a good point.
nice, informative and very helpful in Website Design
Keep up the good work. Hope to see more good post soon.
All the best
Hi,
This is really a nice post, you share good piece of information.
I totally agree with you. I have seen it time and time again. Fundraising works better with a personal touch. People need to feel accountable.
Hi Katya,
Connecting with people on a emotional level helps greatly into persuading them. I have been to Cambodia too. It is a wonderful place full of great people. I am going to keep in mind the concepts of liking and reciprocation from now on.
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