Giving Feels Good

We’re not selling church…are we?

Francesco Ambrogetti has written a few books on our emotions and their ensuing neurological effects on our brain when we give, Emotion Raising and Hooked on a Feeling.  Fascinating read in fact, particularly for those interested in psychology and market research. 

Big business has been taking advantage of this kind of research by marketing to our dreams and emotions for many decades already.

But recently there has been some good social science research in the field of philanthropy and giving. 

And, as much as many in the industry have known for years that giving is emotional and giving makes us feel good, research confirms it. Scientifically speaking, giving feels good on a neurological level. 

The Leaky Boat

Ambrogetti’s research stems from his work in direct response marketing and this is a leaky boat in the world of fundraising.  Meaning, that donors often make one gift and never become repeat donors. 

So, you are constantly filling the donor pool because you have a constant leak of donors who never give again. 

Ambrogetti’s mission was to try and figure out how to get donors to give again.  Now understand, in the direct response world of big shop fundraising, you don’t have the kind of relationship with your donors that you would in a small shop or with your major donors. 

They are strangers on the other side of the screen.  Out there in the metaverse. 

So how do we get them to give again?  Especially, when we can’t get to know them personally.

Sharing is Caring – The Emotional Bump

What Ambrogetti found was that if you can continue to make people feel good about their giving, they will continue to give.  If they can get the same emotional bump they got the first time they gave, they will be more likely to give again. 

How do we do that?  By connecting people to the impact their gift is having.  But the rub is, it needs to be genuine.  Because when it’s not, that’s when we start slipping into selling instead of inspiring.

Sharing Impact

There are many ways to do this with your donors.  Newsletters, informational videos, short and long social posts, thank you letters, texting programs…dare I say it…a personal phone call.

YES…pick up the phone and say thank you!! 

You name it…you can do it these days.  And often in real time. 

You might be surprised how much your donors would love to engage with you on a deeper level…and more often.  And we all need to do a little more of that if we are going to be financially viable into the next generation of givers. 

So, to answer the question…no…we are not selling church…at least not most of us!  Do I think some mega churches and savvy larger Christian Charities are taking advantage of some of this market research and positioning themselves for repeat giving?  Yes, I do. 

Change the Conversation

Do we still need to teach the principles of Christian giving and gratitude?  Yes, we do.  In fact, not only do we need to teach on it, we need to make it part of our everyday conversation. 

It always comes back to educating and advocating for the principles of Christian giving and gratitude.