article thumbnail

17 Creative Giving Tuesday Ideas to Make a Difference

NonProfit Leadership Alliance

Giving Tuesday , celebrated globally on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, embodies the spirit of generosity and altruism. Setting the Stage: Understanding Giving Tuesday A History of Generosity In the wake of consumer-driven holidays like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday emerged as a beacon of hope and altruism.

article thumbnail

Giving vs. Sharing: The Power of Community in Major Gifts Fundraising

iMarketSmart

Giving helps “those people.” Sharing helps “us.” Sharing is communal. It means being part of a group, a partnership, a community. He is part of a community of beneficiaries.) The gift helps those in another country rebuild after an earthquake. It isn’t sharing because it isn’t communal. It is mutual.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Dr. James explains why identifying with others is so powerful in a donor’s hero story

iMarketSmart

Effective fundraising starts with identity. Compelling fundraising story connects the donation story with the donor’s story. In fundraising, identifying with others is powerful. Natural origins of giving: I am like them Altruism means I give away something valuable to help another. It helps you, but it costs me.

article thumbnail

Shared Leadership’s Role in Piloting the Plane

NonProfit Leadership Alliance

It’s the crew that knows who is on board, what baggage they brought, their feelings about flying, and how to help people cope with turbulence.  When the Captain comes on the PA system to inform everyone about the flight plan, they often sound like ‘the adults’ in the Peanuts specials. The one who has poor communication skills.

article thumbnail

Dr. James explains how to harness friendship reciprocity to unlock heroic donations

iMarketSmart

Only friendship reciprocity can help. The fundraising game A charity can structure giving opportunities to allow heroic displays.[6] Of course, these evolutionary theorists weren’t writing about major gifts fundraising. A simple example One fundraiser for a law school shared this story. “I 3] But they are tricky.

article thumbnail

Why you must deliver value in fundraising, not just take the money and run

iMarketSmart

Suppose a friend asks for your help. Even if you think it’s worth that much, that doesn’t help. Back to fundraising So, why hasn’t that small nonprofit received its million-dollar gift? Now you are a major gifts fundraiser! In actual fundraising, they’re also rare. Philanthropy can help me decide.

Values 89
article thumbnail

Dr. James explains why sustainable giving starts by answering, “Do we have a shared future?”

iMarketSmart

Without this, reciprocal altruism fails. Capacity for reciprocity in nature: Strangers vs. neighbors In nature, reciprocal altruism starts with the same question: Do we have a shared future? (In Without this shared future, reciprocal helping disappears. Reciprocal altruism starts with this question: Do we have a shared future?