To Hell With Facts
Image by Tim Gruber
Jeff Brooks’ brilliant Fundraiser’s Guide to Irresistible Communications features an essential chapter titled, “Persuade with Story, not Statistics.”
Jeff warns: “We’re all tempted to marshal facts and send them out like an army to battle people into being generous. That doesn’t work. If you want people to give, you have to touch them deeply. And to do that, you must tell stories. The human mind isn’t moved by facts. We forget facts. We fail to internalize them. We miss their meaning and importance.”
So it was an especially welcome treat this week to greet the launch of the new magazine characters, devoted to stories told by writers from the nonprofit sector. You can download the inaugural issue free.
Characters is the brainchild of Katya Andresen of Network for Good and Mark Rovner in order to feature the writing of folks who work for good causes and to inspire better storytelling in our sector. They’ve succeeded.
Pick your genre: fiction, photography, personal essays, social media and even a short play. Check it out.
Think you can relay a dramatic, real-life story of hope and heartbreak using only Twitter. You bet you can. Or at least legal services staffer Lewis Kinard can (Page 14).
See what happens when you attempt to feed a gaggle of Russian orphans in the chaos of a Moscow McDonald’s. Becky DeNooy relates the gory details on Page 8.
As Katya puts it, “A cracking good story could change the world if only we could write it.” And clearly, via first-rate examples, Katya and Mark are hell-bent on encouraging us all.
Maybe you have a story in you. Of how you came to do what you do or what drove you to care about a particular cause. The editors are hoping that, by showing us some stories that matter, others of us will take pen to paper and summon the courage to tell our story and submit it to the magazine.
For taking on the challenge of encouraging all of us to open up our hearts in order to open the hearts of others, Mark and Katya deserve an Agitator raise.
What stories are in your heart?
Roger
Behavioral Science Q & A
Integrating an individual giving appeal with other communications from a charity can have both positive and negative effects, and the outcome largely depends on how it’s executed. Advantages of Integration Brand Consistency: Maintaining a consistent appearance and messaging across all communications can reinforce the org’s brand identity and strengthen brand recognition and trust among your […]
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I’m not aware of any in-market tests specifically comparing recurring vs. gift frequency language. I suspect the answer might not be the same with all gift frequencies, nor with all people. It sounds like a great opportunity for you to test and find out what works for your audience. Based on the literature, here’s a couple […]
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Based on what we know from existing data, those renewal notices can actually be pretty effective in getting people to donate. They tap into our psychology – creating a sense of urgency, reminding us of past support, and using personalization to make the message hit home. They’re playing on our natural tendencies to feel obligated […]
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Interesting question. I had a quick look at the testing done on this topic. On the positive side, in all cases, over half of donors decide to cover the fee. In some cases, it goes as high as 65%. Not a negligible percentage at all. Here’s another test from iRaiser showing consistent results (see point […]
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There’s just one thing to consider when designing a supporter journey: the supporter. More specifically, you need to take into account: Who the supporter is i.e. their identity, which is the reason they support this cause, and their personality, which describes the way they “see” and process the world. These will determine the kind of […]
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I’m not an expert in this but a quick search surfaced this article on the effect of tax reforms on 2019’s charitable giving. The researchers didn’t find a reduction. Actually, they observed an “increase in charitable contributions in 2019, even with the lower tax rates and the dramatically smaller number of taxpayers who itemize their […]
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