PHoto telling a story

Facts Tell, Stories Sell: The Fundraising Mistake You’re Probably Making

PHoto telling a story

Does proving your point persuade your nonprofit donor?

It turns out not so much.

At least, not unless your donor is already pretty much won over.

Proof (“just the facts, m’am”), absent persuasion (“once upon a time”), won’t get you far.

In “How to Project Manage Your Nonprofit Story,” I delved into the concept of story vs. data in creating compelling nonprofit marketing and fundraising copy. Stories almost always win out, because human beings are wired for stories.

  • They want to enter into them.
  • They want to become a part of them.
  • They want to see themselves, in some way, expressively reflected in the characters, plot and struggle.

In this way, people are emotionally moved. They shed a tear… get a lump in their throats… find themsselves chuckling, smiling or even beaming with a flicker, or a flame, of recognition, appreciation or gratitude. They are taken out of their everyday lives, and moved someplace else where theyre offered a new perspective.

From this shared perspective, people can choose to act. To become part of the story, in a positive way.

To make a difference. To bring joy to sadness… hope to despair… healing to hurt. To bring the happy ending they wish to see.

Alas, when I review nonprofit appeals, the lion’s share do a poor job of making the story the star.

Sure, you may be raising money with your fact-stuffed appeal. But I’ll bet dollars to donuts you could raise a lot more by channeling the persuasive power of a compelling narrative. So, today I want to delve a bit deeper into why stories beat data.

Stories are persuasive, having the power to change audience beliefs and actions.

If you’re familiar with Robert Cialdini, you’ll know about the six key principles of influence and persuasion that help people to act in the face of uncertainty. And we’re all in that state of uncertainty when we receive a fundraising appeal, right? If you look closely, you’ll see these principles are story-based:

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Woman showing "help" written on hand

Do You Assume Donors Don’t Want to Be Asked?

Woman showing "help" written on handAssuming people don’t want to be asked to make a philanthropic gift is one of the biggest misconceptions of what constitutes being donor-centered.

Or even kind, thoughtful and respectful.

Alas, when you spend all your time on cultivation, assuming folks don’t need a direct ask and will simply give spontaneously as a result of being passively asked, or even outright wooed, everyone loses.

  • You short-change your organization.
  • You short-change your beneficiaries.
  • You, especially, short-change your would-be donors.

Why?

FIRST: Donors want to be asked because they’re starved for the love that comes from voluntary giving and receiving.

Donors have love to give, but don’t always have an object towards which to direct their affection.

SECOND: Donors need to be asked because when they’re not, they don’t know how much you need their help.

Consequently, giving feels a bit like a crap shoot.  Empty, not meaningful. Donors want you to honestly tell them when and how and how much to give, so investing their money fills them with confidence it will be appreciated and do the most good.

Don’t make donors guess whether you truly find them worthy of loving you.

Donors are Love-Starved

One of my favorite songs is from the Jefferson Airplane:

When the truth is found to be lies
And all the joy within you dies
Don’t you want somebody to love
Don’t you need somebody to love
Wouldn’t you love somebody to love
You better find somebody to love

What are you, and all these people, doing with the gift of life?

Sure, everyone is busy, busy, busy.

But is all that busy-ness making folks happy?

Are people stopping to really think about what makes their lives meaningful?

Sometimes, yes.

Often, not so much.

You can help would-be donors stop and smell (and enjoy) the roses, so to speak.

Philanthropy is Love

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Blocks spelling YES

The Psychology of Yes: What Every Fundraiser Needs to Master

In 1984 Robert Cialdini wrote a groundbreaking bo, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, outlining principles of influence that affect human behaviors. Today these principles have been well documented. Trail-blazing research added by behavioral scientists like Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky supports and expands on Cialdini’s principles. No matter how much technology advances, the triggers behind human behavior and…

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Money on the table; Monopoly

If You’re Not Promoting Donor Advised Funds, You’re Leaving Major Gifts on the Table

Use of Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) as a way for individuals to make charitable contributions continues to rise and grants from DAFs are becoming a growing source of income for charities of all shapes and sizes. An ever-broader group of donors are embracing them to approach philanthropy in the thoughtful, strategic way once reserved only…

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Rose inside book. Pages shaped like heart.

Nonprofit Fundraising: We Have a Semantics Problem

Rose inside book. Pages shaped like heart.What’s in a name?

“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” said Shakespeare.

But, would it?

Seth Godin thinks words matter. As do I.

“That’s just semantics”

Just?

The meaning of the word is the reason we used the word.

If we don’t agree about the meaning of the word, we haven’t communicated.

Instead of, “that’s just semantics,” it seems more productive to say, “I’m confident we have a semantics problem.”

Because that’s all of it.

The way we process words changes the way we act. The story we tell ourselves has an emotional foundation, but those emotions are triggered by the words we use.

Not just.

Especially.

— Seth Godin

Are your words communicating the right message?

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion it has taken place.” So says Hugh MacLeod of Gaping Void Culture Design Group, noting your words may or may not incorporate ‘signifiers’ that open the listener/reader to the possibilities they might encourage.

Opening people up to new possibilities is, after all, at the heart of what organizations seeking to enact change do.

The meaning of words changes over time. Your task is to assure the ones you use will be understood as you intended.

For example, when someone considers contributing to your organization, what does your appeal actually communicate to them? Does asking for a ‘donation’ make them feel uplifted by the possibility they can create a positive outcome. Or does it convey all you care about is their money? Does saying “any little bit helps” make them feel important and empowered? Or does it convey their gift is but a drop in the bucket?

Choose words appropriate to what you want your audience to feel. 

You have the power to give would-be supporters the meaning they seek.

Let’s look at how some of the words nonprofits commonly use get their meaning, how this meaning may be interpreted by your constituents, and how you may wish to express yourself differently in order to choose the words most appropriate for your group and for the purpose of your communication.

What do you call the folks who respond to your fundraising appeals?

Are they donors?

Maybe that’s okay. Or perhaps

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