Why Do People Donate? Top Reasons Why Donors Give

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If you have experienced selling something before, you know how important it is to survey customers on the reasons for their purchase. You want to know what they like about the product/services you are offering. Knowing this valuable data will help you improve your business.

In the same manner, knowing the primary motivations of donors in giving is important for a variety of reasons. First, it helps you maximize your marketing efforts. Knowing how and where they’ve heard of your cause directs you to where you need to focus your marketing strategy. Another thing is that it will help you to understand your personal donors better.

Most often, people give for a cause they are passionate about. When you truly understand their aspirations, you’ll know the kind of people you are reaching out to. And it will help you connect to them better.

Lastly, it acts as an indicator of what went right and what went wrong. Do your donors understand your message and mission? It will give you the opportunity to improve and do more.

Before we unlock the reasons why people support your fundraising efforts, let’s first look at the reasons why it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Why st’s Good to Give:

Giving makes you happy

This is perhaps the most obvious benefit of giving. Giving is always associated with happiness and pleasure. Every time we donate, our brain releases dopamine, the feel-good hormone, which then gives us the feeling of satisfaction and happiness.

Indeed, giving people are happy people.

Giving is good for your health

More than the emotional gratification, giving promotes good health and wellness. Some of the medical benefits of giving include reducing exposure to stress hormones, lowering of blood pressure, strengthening the immune system, and reducing anxiety and depression.

Therefore, if you want to live longer, give.

Giving is fulfilling

Giving awakens a sense of purpose. Albert Einstein once said, “Only a life lived in the service of others is worth living.” When we work for something that is bigger than us, and we live not just for ourselves, our lives become more meaningful.

The fruit of giving brings a greater and far more different sense of satisfaction and self-worth.

Giving is impactful

A recent study from Frontiers on the contagion of donation behaviors found that the positive donation behavior of people greatly influences the donation decision of others. To simply put it, your giving encourages others to do the same.

And it is more gratifying to know that the very first people we influence are our children. When this happens, generosity becomes part of a family’s culture which creates a chain reaction of giving for generations to come. And the impact that it creates is bigger than we hoped it would be.

Giving never stops with you.

Giving is loving

As cliche as it may sound, giving is proof of one’s love and compassion for others. When you help in providing food services to cancer patients, raise awareness for children with mental health challenges, or raise funds to educate underprivileged children, you move past your comforts. And that is love.

So every time we give, we love.

Reasons Why Donors Give

Giving does a lot more to you than to those you are actually helping. Aside from the benefits of giving, here are other motivations why people donate to charity.

1. They believe in your mission

People are persuaded to give when they are persuaded by your fundraising mission. When they see the relevance and impact that your organization is making, they are more likely to support your cause.

Charitable giving is often triggered by an emotional connection. What story are you telling? Does your story connect to people?

2. They share the same values as you have

Fundraising events bring like-minded people together. When a person becomes a personal donor, it’s more likely to conclude that they share the same principles and causes your organization stands for.

3. Your organization and cause stand out to them

More and more people are persuaded to give to charitable causes because of what they see on social media. Or It could be that they personally know some of the people your organization is helping. Testimonials and personal experiences are great drivers of donations.

Charities stand out from the rest because they display a certain degree of integrity and accountability. And because of these, your organization gains trust and support.

4. It’s part of what they believe in

Generosity and selflessness are some common teachings of religions. A study entitled Drivers of Donations reports that “religious  people tend  to  donate more regularly,  give  to  both  religious  and  secular  organizations,  and  give  higher  monetary amounts, in stark contrast with secular and religious but non church goer donors who give less and less regularly.”

For them, giving is part of obeying God. For philanthropists, they give because they believe that it’s their purpose to do so. They have a sense of responsibility to give and help those who are in need.

5. They want to make a difference

Donors are motivated to give because they want to make a change. They want to be a part of something bigger. For others, donating or volunteering is more than helping. It becomes a part of their legacy, something they want to be remembered for.

Giving, may it be monetary or through volunteering, is always meaningful and powerful. As you continue to advance your fundraising efforts, it’s important to wind down for a bit. Take a break and celebrate everyone’s effort. Prioritize donor appreciation and get to know them more. Start your fundraising planning with our fundraising event planning template.

As you move forward with your fundraising planning, you’ll need the best WordPress event registration plugin that’ll allow your participants to register and pay online. Manage registrations with ease and efficiency. Try our free demo to get started.

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