I’m a potential donor with $20 to spend. What would make me decide to spend this $20 on a donation to you instead of all the other dumb things I could spend 20 bucks on?
A lot of nonprofits don’t spend a lot of time thinking seriously about why people choose to give money to their organizations. When I give money to a charity or a nonprofit, I get something in return. What I get in return is going to be worth at least $20 to me. Otherwise, I’m not gonna give you that $20.
What I get is that feeling that I’m a good person. And not just a regular good person I’m the kind of good person that supports causes like this. Whether I decided to give $20, $50, $100, or $500 may come down to just how good those higher increments would make me feel.
When you solicit donation through your website, your marketing materials, and your social media accounts, etc. think about it more like a transaction. What are you offering on a deep level to your potential supporters that is worth the money that they give you?
Make it clear how good your donor would feel to get to be part of this cause. Their donation is really a membership fee to join a group of people committed to improving the world in this specific way.
If they understand that, they will give you that $20.
