Understanding Fundraising Psychology to Create an Effective Giving Tuesday Campaign

Giving Tuesday is an important day on the nonprofit fundraising calendar. Giving is trending more and more to online giving days and showing up on that day can create major results for your nonprofit when it’s planned and organized properly. Charitable giving is admirable, but it's also a puzzling phenomenon to many psychologists. Luckily, research allows us to understand what motivates people to donate and what nonprofits can do to encourage philanthropy. Here are five key findings your nonprofit can use to enhance your fundraising strategies this Giving Tuesday and beyond:

1) Identifiable Victim Effect

2) Emotion & Decision to Give

3) The Time-Ask Effect

4) Martyrdom Effect

5) Goal Proximity Effect

1. Identifiable Victim Effect: Experiments indicate that people are more likely to donate to a cause when they are presented with a single, identifiable person in need, rather than a group of afflicted parties. This Giving Tuesday, utilize the art of storytelling to give your audience a single person they can connect with. Of course, only share with that person's permission.

2. The Time-Ask Effect: Believe it or not, it can be more effective to ask for your donor’s time before you ask for their money. Research shows that starting the convo with a money ask binds people to a transactional mindset, whereas asking for their time puts a focus on the fulfilling experience of giving back. Consider various ways in which donors can support your Giving Tuesday cause with their time, in addition to the monetary ways in which they are able to give.

3. Emotion & Decision to Give: People who tend to feel more sympathy for those in need are more likely to give. This is one reason why it's important to show your donors that their contribution makes a difference. Otherwise, if they don't think their gift will help the situation, a donation may seem ineffective. Consider how Giving Tuesday gifts will make an impact on those you serve and weave those stories into your marketing campaign.

4. Goal Proximity Effect: The closer your nonprofit is to a fundraising goal, the more likely people are to give. So, reach out to your most devoted supporters early on in your Giving Tuesday campaign. When they donate, you'll gain progress toward your goal that will inspire others to give, too.

5. Martyrdom Effect: People tend to feel more satisfied by accomplishments they worked hard for. Thus, potential donors derive more meaning from a contribution to your cause if it requires an amount of effort. This is why endurance events are very popular fundraising campaigns. What kinds of “Giving Tuesday challenges” can you incorporate into your campaign this year to build excitement in your audience?

In the world of nonprofit fundraising, it's all about blending psychology and strategy to drive success. As online giving days like Giving Tuesday continue to grow, planning becomes essential for nonprofits aiming to achieve exceptional results. Through understanding key psychological findings, you’ll gain valuable tools for building effective fundraising strategies. By weaving these insights in, nonprofits can amplify their impact for Giving Tuesday and beyond! Does your nonprofit need guidance to craft a Giving Tuesday campaign? Contact the marketing experts at Evergreen Strategic Communications!