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The Psychology of Giving: 18 Tips to Increase Donor Retention and Lifetime Value

Nonprofit Megaphone

This is where understanding the psychology of giving comes into play. In this article, we will explore 18 tips to help non-profits achieve these goals. Understanding these motivations can help non-profit organizations create messaging that resonates with donors, increasing donor retention and lifetime value.

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

iMarketSmart

Natural origins of giving: I am like them Altruism means I give away something valuable to help another. Most altruism in animals matches this model. How could natural selection lead to altruism? It helps you, but it costs me. Altruism is still costly. This opens the possibility for reciprocal altruism.

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Deck The Halls With Donor Appreciation: Holiday Gifts To Donors

Bloomerang

Not all holiday gifts to donors raise more A Yale study in The Journal of Economic Psychology explains the counterintuitive effects of thank-you gifts on charitable giving. In some cases, the extrinsic motivator — the premium — isn’t nearly good enough to match or exceed the intrinsic motivation, the altruism of giving.

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

iMarketSmart

Only friendship reciprocity can help. It helps separate true friends from fair-weather friends. A simple answer Signals of helpful, social-emotional relationships encourage generosity. This helps to advance the donor’s hero story. They reserved the highest attractiveness ratings for men showing heroic altruism.

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Storytelling Differences Grants vs Donor Appeals

Lets Talk Nonprofit

We talk about the importance of using data to help tell the story in your grant proposals. As a grant writer, use context to help your reader put the numbers in perspective. Comparisons can help paint a picture. Donor psychology studies support this theory of "one." So, what are some of the differences?

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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?

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Dr. James Explains How Asking Permission Sets the Stage for “The Ask”

iMarketSmart

More time can help. More time can help. People tend to predict they will help. This prediction is higher than the actual help they would have given if asked immediately. Getting people to first predict their actions increases helping. It helps explain the power of feasibility studies. This is no surprise.