You know that constant battle between your head and your heart… like that extra helping of dessert looks so darn good but your burgeoning waistline doesn’t need it so you decide to forgo the buffet line this time. Well, so it is with charity, except that in charity’s case, the heart mostly wins.
Emotions (especially those that can’t really be defined or quantified) appear to the strongest of all influencers in encouraging folks to donate. Most Americans are moderately or strongly inspired to give because they:
- get a sense of personal satisfaction through helping others (75%)
- feel it’s the “right” thing to do (73%)
- want to make a difference (73%)
- feel emotionally connected to a cause (72%)
This tug on our heart appears significantly more impactful than tangible considerations like tax deductions, formal recognition and/or gifts from the charity itself…. and surprisingly is even more impactful than personal requests from close friends and familiar organizations like colleges, hospitals, our workplace, or our church or temple. Presumably these requests also need to appeal to our emotional core, or they fall flat too.
What kind of giver are you? Do you lead with your head or your heart or something else?
Randy Berkowitz says
December 22, 2011 at 9:25 amThese are thought inducing brief respites where I can just think about something different for a few minutes. Keep up the blog. It also serves to keep VeraQuest top of mind.
Happy Holiday and Wishing you a very good 2012
Anonymous says
December 22, 2011 at 9:47 amLots of interesting facts are available thru the National Philanthropic Trust. The average household contribution in 2010 was $2,213, while the mean was $870. Considering the mean income of a household in the US is approximately $50,000 the would represent 1.75% of gross income.For a mean average, should this be considered generous, just about right or stingy? Also 35% of the charitable dollars go to religion. Interesting.
Rob Bratskeir says
December 22, 2011 at 10:36 amWell said, Peter. My wife and I try to balance head and heart in decisions to give, and make repeat gifts to organizations we’ve come to know well and who demonstrate tangible results and ethical management — Doctors Without Borders, for example. Shameless plug, maybe, but we can’t say enough about what they do. Count us among the 62% who cite previous experience with an organization.
William Fletcher says
December 22, 2011 at 1:20 pmVery nice looking blog and a good way to keep your name in front of clients. We’ve got to do something similar ourselves. Take care, Bill.
Bob Hirschhorn says
December 22, 2011 at 10:28 pmInteresting survey. I find myself with the more common reasons, as well.
Leslie Hirschhorn says
December 22, 2011 at 10:59 pmWe tend to lead with our heart and give to charities that help with a cause we feel strongly about, but in this economy, more often than not, donations are like the buffet line that our “waistlines,” (wallets)can’t afford! So I’ve gone from making sad excuses about our austerity budget at home, to just saying, “sorry, we can’t help you now,” and hanging up abruptly. At least I don’t waste any more of their time when they could be getting money elsewhere!
Betti says
December 23, 2011 at 8:23 amI agree that giving is an emotional reaction….check out all the ads that ask you to give, not much logical in the appeal…puppy faces, starving children, water logged homes, etc. But it also seems to me that, especially in responding to a survey like this, socially acceptable responses come into play. How many people really want to admit that they give for the tax deduction? But, eliminate the tax deduction and contributions go way down. We began to understand that in Japan, where there is not a deduction for charity. The church we attended had set up a foundation in the US, so expats could contribute there and get the tax deduction yet still support the church in Tokyo. Powerful incentive that tax write-off even if we don’t admit it.
Martin says
December 23, 2011 at 8:24 amPeter…thanks for a particularly relevant and insightful post given the season.
Pat Kidd says
December 23, 2011 at 9:01 amMy heart always leads and then I can find a rationalization for what I’ve committed to!
Gary DeFranco says
December 23, 2011 at 11:20 pmI do alot of pro-bono PR and marketing communications work for George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film in Rochester. Any time we’re out looking for a contribution of volunteer time or money, I try to remind the prospective donor of what their take-away is likely to be. I think people need to be reminded (or educated) about their connection to an organization, given that – especially people of means – are baraged with requests for financial support. It takes time and creative thinking to put yourself in the shoes of your audience and figure out a way to speak to their hearts. And, those reasons are in your list from the survey. The trick is to figure out which is important and why. And express that in a compelling way. Frankly, I am often annoyed by requests that basically say, “Please send your contribution; we need it.”