Charity Comes Naturally to Humans, Some Studies Say
Neuroscientists studying human empathy, altruism, and morality often find that doing good is hard-wired into the brain — and is an action that often produces pleasure, reports The Washington Post.
Although morality is often thought of as a set of restrictions imposed upon man’s more selfish, animal instincts, many scientists are finding evidence that helping others and understanding right from wrong is intrinsic to the human brain. The brain may be “rewarded†with pleasure when it makes a moral choice, the newspaper reports.
You can read several recent articles in The Chronicle of Philanthropy about studies of the brain and altruistic or charitable behavior, including one in which scientists at Duke University found that altruism is linked to the perception of external meaning: a more basic recognition than empathy, the researchers said. And the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke found that giving to charity evoked the same pleasurable brain activity as sex, drugs, and good food.)
(Free registration is required to view the Post article, and a paid subscription or short-term pass is required to view the Chronicle articles.)
This Monday, May 28th, join thousands of bloggers and use your blog to benefit DonorsChoose.org, a non-profit Web site that brings teachers and donors together to fund specific student projects that range from “Magical Math Centers” to “Cooking Across the Curriculum”.
BlogCatalog would like to challenge you to join the blogging community and use your blog to draw attention to and raise funds for this underserved non-profit organization that does so much good for our children and our schools.
To participate, all you need do is:
Write a short blog post about DonorsChoose.org and the importance of raising money for our schools (visit their site to learn more),
Post it to your blog on Monday, May 28th with the post title of BlogCatalog Bloggers for Good Fundraising Challenge
Donate if you feel the urge.
The goal is to raise $25,000 for schools around the country, many of which are in New Orleans. Our hope is that we will blow this goal away and raise far more money. If we do we will have set a precedent that will enable the blogging community to do a bunch of good for other causes in the future.
We truly hope you will join us and use your blog as a tool for good and set an example for others of the the real value of online social communities.
There was an elderly woman who had been hard of hearing for years. Her family and friends were always encouraging her to get a hearing aid. Finally, she gave in. After having the hearing aid for three weeks she returned to the audiologist for a minor adjustment. He said, “Your friends and relatives must be very pleased that you can hear so well now.”
“Oh, I haven’t told them.” the women replied. “I just sit around and listen. And you know what? I’ve changed my will three times!”
Humorous but possibly convicting too.
What are you say about your donors? And do you suppose their hearing is actually better than they’re letting on?
Just taking money without thanking donors and or letting them know how their gift was used speaks very loudly that you’re more interested in their cash then in them.
Sending your letters 6-8 weeks after a gift comes in let’s donors know you’re not very interested in them too.
Doing nothing about an issue even after people have complained about it or questioned it repeatedly, not even developing a succint explanation for why it is done that way, speaks volumes too!
Are you communicating neglect and entitlement or thanks and appreciation.
I’m currently working on signage for a campaign completed last year. I’m amazed at how generous people were and at how quickly I’ve moved on. In my world, that campaign is done.
But for them, it’s still something they’re paying pledges on. I had a blast calling folks to confirm how they wanted to be listed. What a wonderful opportunity to say “thanks” to people that helped totally transform the lives of our nursing home residents.
What can you do this week to let your donors know you are grateful for their commitment to your organization?
One of the most effective ways to not create donor evangelists is to talk a language nobody but your inner circle understands.
Jeff Brooks at Donor Power Blog, has a great post on How To Position Yourself as Human. He offers a great link to “succint positioning” and some practical advice on how to test to see if your tagline is making you more human or less.
Every nonprofit organization I’ve raised money for has had donor “clubs.†Oddly, they didn’t seem more than a way to categorize giving levels.
When I thought of “club,†I thought of racquet ball, overstuffed leather chairs, and cigars & port. (One or two alum have invited me into these clubs.) If not that posh, I certainly think of special access and priveleges.
But we never seemed to offer that. The “clubs†seemed to be solely for our categorization, nothing really for the donors.
If you have gift clubs, are yours offering people anything? Or do all your donors get the same treatement, regardless of their giving level?
Author and business guru Michael Masterson recently wrote about clubs in his ETR ezine. Of the “psychological benefits a club can offer,†he listed:
Fraternity: the camaraderie of like-minded people
Purpose: the sense that, by merely being a member, you are advancing a good cause
Status: the immediate social standing conferred by acceptance into a limited group
The good news? Even if your organization isn’t actively cultivating club benefits like fraternity, purpose, or status, donors may already feel one or more of these. When they look at the annual report, they see the other people that gave at their level. And they see the incredible work your organization is doing.
How could you harness these passive psychological benefits and intentionally reinforce them? How can you make being a donor more like being a member in a club? Special invitations to events? Special mailings?
Choose one and put it into practice this week! And feel free to comment on the blog or email me at marc@fundraisingcoach.com.
The Fundraising Coach, Creating Donor Evangelists, PYITS, Ask Without Fear!, MagnetGoals, "Put Yourself In Their Shoes," "Fundraising is an extreme sport," "Fearless Asking," "Do It Yourself Fundraising," "Life's short. Live passionately.", "faux-philanthropy," and Extreme Fundraising are trademarks of The Pitman Group.
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