I just got off the phone with a prospective client — an organization raising funds for a rare disease. Like most organizations I talk with, they were eager to find new donors.
And while they understood on some level that people without a personal connection to the disease probably weren’t strong prospects, they were still holding out hope.
I understand the feeling, but hope isn’t a donor acquisition strategy.
Donor Motivation: A Personal Connection is Essential
You don’t need me to tell you that people are more likely to give to causes that touch their lives or the lives of people they love. People give to cancer organizations when diagnosis strikes and alumni give to an alma mater when they’ve had a life-changing educational experience.
Targeted and strategic always outperforms broad and hopeful.
Think about an independent school. The most natural donors are current families, alumni, and grandparents. People with no connection to the school are unlikely to donate.
Of course, someone passionate about education equity might support a school serving low-income students, even without a personal tie. But they may have been a low-income student at some point or had a close connection to one.
Motivation is the common thread. Donors give because something matters to them personally.
In Fundraising, Start with Why (not How or What)
I’ve been rereading Simon Sinek’s ‘Start with Why’ (the 15th anniversary edition — worth picking up if you haven’t), and his thesis reminded me of conversations I regularly have with development directors.
Sinek argues that most organizations communicate from the outside in. They lead with what they do and how, rather than why. But the best leaders and organizations, he argues, start with why — and lead from the inside out.
The same is true in fundraising.
- We spend a lot of time on what — the number of classrooms, teacher salaries, science labs.
- We spend time on how — the campaign goal, the gift range chart, the gala.
But we don’t spend nearly enough time on why — the reason behind the classrooms, and the personal motivation that spurs people to give.
When the Why Gets Lost Closer to Home
Donors aren’t the only ones who need a strong why. Your team does too.
I talk with development directors, board members, and executive directors who have, somewhere along the way, lost their why. The excitement and urgency fade. They’re going through the motions.
Fundraising is hard. But when your team loses their why, energy and motivation falls.
The why doesn’t have to be the same for every team member, volunteer, or board member.
- Your executive director might be driven by a personal story.
- A board member might be motivated by legacy.
- A staff member might be fueled by belief in the mission.
But the why has to light people up.
How to Reconnect with Your Why
So how do you keep the why front and center — for yourself and your team?
Build in regular reminders.
Inspiration and motivation should be built into your daily, weekly, and monthly work. A quick story at the start of a team meeting. A thank-you letter read aloud. A site visit. A conversation with someone whose life was changed by your organization’s work. In other words, tell the story again and again.
Ask yourself and others:
What was it that first drew me to this work? What keeps me here?
Motivation to support your cause — whether as a donor or as a team member — always starts with why.
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