Sean had Professor Adrian Sargeant of The Philanthropy Centre on the line, so he asked him this:
What is the most important thing in fundraising that no one is doing?
We are pretty good at describing problems and getting donors to send money to help solve those problems. We are not very good at thinking how we can make them feel about that.
Everyone, including donors, needs to feel these things
- Connection. In our case, it may be connection with the people their giving helps. Or with other donors, or maybe even with a brand or celebrity. We rarely give donors that sense of connection.
- Competence. Everyone wants to feel successful at the things they do. What do we do to help donors feel competent at the way they’re making the world a better place? Nothing, when all our communication is about the awesomeness of our own organisation!
- Autonomy. Our donors want to know that they matter as individuals. Are we giving them the sense that they — each one specifically — matters?
When you meet these needs, Professor Sargeant says, you can at least double the income of your fundraising.
Watch this short video for a fascinating insight into the psychology of our donors.
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