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Written by 12:09 pm Nonprofit Fundraising

The five factors that influence generosity

influence generosity

With modern methods and tools being adopted, nonprofit fundraising is well on its way to influence generosity and impact more lives.  When we interact with people who have been supporting noble causes, a lot of them tell us about the joy they derive out of giving. So now, what inspires or encourages these givers to continue their charitable act, let us have a look.

Economic factor

The state of an economy shapes charitable giving to a large extent; people give more when they are earning more. A research by John List, an economist at the University of Chicago and his team shows that economic conditions majorly influence giving – this is as per measure by the S&P 500 stock index, personal consumption and the gross domestic product (GDP). Therefore, most of the donors that give more are the ones that are more stable, financially. 

Priorities

As individuals living in a constantly evolving environment, our priorities are subject to change. In fact, it only gets more diverse. One section of donors may continue to give to one specific cause while the others may change the charity to which they donate, depending on their choice. Priorities may shift through signals from friends, families and other social groups; a lot of donors also respond to donation requests and channel their gifts to issues where they believe that they can make more difference. 

Growth in issues

Earlier in the 1980s, issues like environmental and international affairs were not heard of; these categories were so small and little to be trackable. Now, these issues have been spoken of and brought to the world through offline and online media. Religious and educational causes continue to be big, while animal welfare and environmental causes are getting there.

Empathy

Let us begin this with an example. A donor who has lived through lack of proper educational facilities would be more inclined to help others get a good education. Likewise, a church member may feel more connected to causes or projects that are church related.  The ability of your donors to empathize with your cause is a very strong factor when it comes to donation and nonprofit fundraising. 

Storytelling

A good storytelling has the power to influence the minds of thousands of people, donors like it when they can see what they are donating to and how their donations are helping somebody somewhere. Be it through nonprofit fundraising events, websites or even social media pages, a visual presentation of a nonprofit’s noble work is always profitable for the long run.

The factors that influence generosity are all shaped by the society and what people consume. It is also great to focus ways to generate ways to retain these donors, forming a deep bond is key. 

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Last modified: August 12, 2019