Today’s Tips for NGOs 02/19/15

NGOs and nonprofit organizations should cast their nets far and wide when fundraising. Obviously that’s one way to ensure that you will meet your target. That means that you may have to parse and dice your lists, merge and purge them, and constantly review and add to them.

If you are approaching funders that are composed of males or if you are preparing an appeal that is targeted at males, one recent study advises that your pitch should emphasize self-interest rather than compassion.

A Stanford University study that will appear in an upcoming article in the journal Social Science Research notes that fundraisers should stop pulling on men’s heartstrings, according to the website Philanthropy.com.

“Researchers documented an ‘empathy gap’ between men and women when it comes to charitable giving. To get men to respond to cash appeals, it’s best to tell them how the donation will benefit them rather than others in need,” the website noted citing the study.

The article went on to state that based on numerous studies women are generally more likely to give to charity than men, especially to organizations, NGOs and nonprofits that work with poor people. There are a variety of ways to explain the difference, the authors suggest. For instance, women might feel that people are poor because of their bad luck or due to societal failures. Men, on the other hand, may be more inclined to blame a lack of skills or the will to succeed.

But the main reason women are more inclined to help the needy, the researchers wrote, is that women tend to be more empathetic and compassionate.

“Men are more motivated by messages that say poverty affects them and the people in their lives,” Robb Willer, a Stanford sociology professor and co-author of the study, was quoted as saying.

Willer and his colleagues tested online fundraising appeals from a fictional charity called the Coalition to Reduce Poverty on 1,715 potential donors. They made four types of pitches, each appealing to a different motivation: efficacy, conformity, social injustice, and self-interest.

The efficacy pitch stated that “more than 98% of donations go on to directly to benefit the poor.” The conformity pitch suggested that many other donors were getting involved. The injustice appeal noted that people “born into poverty never had the opportunities that other Americans had.”

None of those approaches brought the male potential donors’ willingness to give or volunteer up to par with their female counterparts, the researchers discovered.

The fourth type of pitch, designed to trigger a sense of self-interest, included the observation, “Poverty weighs down our interconnected economy, exacerbating many social problems like crime.” It was the only type of appeal that raised men’s willingness to give money or volunteer at a rate comparable to that of women.

Willer concluded that one possible explanation is that men respond better to messages that address deep feelings of responsibility to take care of their families.

Women, however, seemed to be “turned off” by fundraising messages that stressed self-interest, he added. Their willingness to volunteer declined slightly in response to that approach, but Willer cautioned that more research is needed to say so conclusively.

When preparing a fundraising campaign, make sure you know all of your potential donors – individually and collectively.

Continuing with our discussion of useful business practices, I came across an interesting article “7 Innovations that Will Shape Business in 2015” by Luis Gallardo, chief executive officer of Thinking Heads Americas.

Gallardo points out that the use of technology and its growth will continue to drive how businesses as well as nonprofits will be shaping their work.

“This year will undoubtedly be the most progressive year yet. But surprisingly, 70 percent of executives at top companies admit their ability to innovate at an appropriate pace is ‘average.’ Even worse, 13 percent say their capabilities are ‘weak.’ If a company fails to innovate (and quickly), it’ll get shut out of its market, lose its reputation and appeal, or worse, get trampled by a newcomer. That makes identifying current innovations, predicting future ones, and becoming a pioneer more important than ever in 2015,” Gallardo wrote.

Markets and stakeholders are constantly changing, and business and NGO leaders have a responsibility to stay current with those trends and be prepared to shift in order to maintain momentum. The companies and nonprofits unable or unwilling to adapt will become obsolete, he noted. However, becoming innovative doesn’t mean you need a hefty budget to cushion potential failures.

Gallardo suggested that organizations consider innovation in the areas of increased importance of entrepreneurship, augmenting reality tools that will be used for promotions, internal communications, threat of data breaches, and other areas.

Although becoming innovative is vital for companies, getting there isn’t easy. When prioritizing innovation, allow these three tips to guide your efforts, he said: be vigilant and flexible; look for creative applications; and empower your employees or staff members.

“The New Year brings many exciting business and technology innovations, and that can feel daunting. But by keeping an eye on emerging trends, you can use them to your advantage, building knowledge, credibility, and revenue in 2015,” Gallardo said.

The desire to have fun does not evaporate for people with disabilities. Statistics show that 15% of the world’s population has some form of disability. That equals to some 1 billion people who have limited access to appropriate health care and other services, and up to 190 million adults have significant difficulties functioning. NGOs that deal with health and disabilities already know those statistics.

However, there’s another issue not often talked about: people with disabilities also want to have fun just like everybody else. Unfortunately, the average venue or event doesn’t cater to their needs.

Why Not People, a new UK-based members club and online platform for people living with disabilities, felt this desire and is working to satisfy it. The company creates and hosts events such as live music gigs with top talent, built specifically for people with physical, sensory and learning impairments, reported Mashable.com.

In order to become a member, people with disabilities need to provide some basic medical information in an application. But, in an effort to promote inclusion, members can purchase up to three additional tickets for friends and family.

“I have spent the last few years DJ-ing around the UK and globally, and when I look out at the audience, there is not one person in a wheelchair,” Jameela Jamil, founder of Why Not People, was quoted as saying. “What I see is not representative of society. It’s embarrassing that we live in a world where that is still the case. And that is what drives Why Not People — to change that, impact people’s lives and ultimately break down barriers in the community.”

Through an Indiegogo campaign, Why Not People is hoping to raise £40,000 (approximately $60,000) to launch its members’ portal, process applications, secure and prepare a venue for the first event, and more. Artists currently on board include Ed Sheeran, James Blake, Tinie Tempah and Coldplay.

In a Muscular Dystrophy Trailblazers survey, 1 in 2 young people with disabilities said physical access was the primary obstacle preventing them from attending live music events.

Nonprofits can certainly boost their outreach with such a program to promote to people with disabilities.

Contact me for more ideas and guidance.

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