Day 11: Why do people give?

For any charity trying to raise money, understanding what motivates people to give is pretty useful.  However, people’s motivations can be complex.  Here are a few of the most important reasons why people donate:

• They are affected personally by the cause (think heart disease or cancer)
• They are thankful that they aren’t affected by the cause (again, think heart disease or cancer)
• They want to feel involved and have fun (think Red Nose Day)
• They share the values and ideals of the organisation (think human rights)
• They empathise with the beneficiaries or victims (think earthquake appeals)
• They can get a bargain (think charity shops)
• They want to help their community (think school fundraising)

Of course the above doesn’t cover every motivation, but it really helps to be aware of which of this complex myriad of people’s motivations you are appealing to.  If you aren’t clear on what is motivating people, then you can’t expect them to be sure why they should give either.