Profit Your Nonprofit by Arousing Gratitude

Gratitude for what one possesses surpasses pride in what one has done as a resilient motivator of charitable donations. Pride influences the decision to donate only if the donation will be formally recognized, and pride does not influence the donation amount. Gratitude influences both the decision to donate and the likelihood of donating more, whether or not the donation is formally acknowledged.
     In the studies at University of Auckland, Victoria University of Wellington, and Gadjah Mada University supporting these conclusions, gratitude was aroused by using advertising copy which always included the tagline “Be grateful for what you have” or by instructing the prospective donor to read about someone who was grateful for receiving an unexpected kindness. You could do something similar for your charity campaigns. A caution: Evidence is that repeated use of the gratitude appeal will yield diminishing returns.
     Pride was activated with the tag line “Be proud of what you can do” or by having the prospect read about someone who was proud of an accomplishment for which they’d worked hard. If you use pride, the study results indicate you’ll receive larger donation amounts by assuring prospective donors their contributions will be formally recognized. This was done by saying the donation would be announced and that they’d receive a thank you card.
     Prior research finds other determinants of the likelihood and likely amount of charitable contributions. In a study at France's ESSEC Business School, a request for a small amount increased the willingness of the person to make a donation at all, and the larger the greatest amount in the same request, the higher the eventual donation. In a solicitation containing a scale of suggested contributions, a range of $5 to $1,000 would serve better than one of $20 to $500, for instance.
     Moreover, gratitude of another sort can increase the likelihood of donating. Under certain circumstances, the customers of a retail business build gratitude toward a charity when they discover the business has made a donation to the charity. This gratitude leads to the customers wanting to make their own contributions. The circumstances are when the customers believe that the business is socially responsible and the contribution is more than a token amount.
     It is a vicarious gratitude, experienced by the customers at that point not because of their own actions, but instead because of the actions of the store, which signal gratitude toward the charity.

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Enhance Variety in Nonprofit Donations
Contribute Vicarious Gratitude to Customers