Why should I give you my money?

1

Stephen Pidgeonwww.stephenpidgeon.co.uk

• Email: stephenpidgeon@gmail.com

• Website: www.stephenpidgeon.co.uk

My text slides…

• Please remember your basics, most charities

get it wrong

• A simple model for you to use to answer the

question

• And all that in just 60 minutes!!!

Today…

• Giving is emotional not rational

Six fundraising truths…

‘The essential difference between emotion and reason

is that emotion leads to action and reason leads to

conclusions’

Donald Calne, Professor of Neurology, University of British Columbia

‘Please send us a donation and we will…’

NO!

• Giving is emotional not rational

• People give to people (or people alternatives!)

Six fundraising truths…

• Giving is emotional not rational

• People give to people (or people alternatives!)

• Nobody is interested in what you do

Six fundraising truths…

• …you’re told:

‘Sell the benefits, not the features’

In commercial sales…

‘What you ACHIEVE (by doing it) can motivate

even the stoniest of hearts’

‘What you DO is of no interest to anyone…

…except you!

In the non-profit world…

Features

Benefits

• Giving is emotional not rational

• People give to people (or people alternatives!)

• Nobody is interested in what you do

• YOU is so much better than WE or I

Six fundraising truths…

…from Tom Ahearn

‘Corporate’ communications and ‘member’

communications are 180° different.

Source: Tom Ahern with a little adaptation

Corporate communications are about how great

the organisation is.

Favourite pronoun: WeSource: Tom Ahern with a little adaptation

You

Donor communications are about how great

the donor is.

Favourite pronoun

Source: Tom Ahern with a little adaptation

• Giving is emotional not rational

• People give to people (or people substitutes!)

• Nobody is interested in what you do

• YOU is so much better than WE or I

• People give to things that are close to them

Six fundraising truths…

• Giving is emotional not rational

• People give to people (or people substitutes!)

• Nobody is interested in what you do

• YOU is so much better than WE or I

• People give to things that are close to them

• Catch them first then ask

Six fundraising truths…

6 examples of brilliant emotional ‘engagement’

• Giving is emotional not rational

• People give to people (or people substitutes!)

• Nobody is interested in what you do

• YOU is so much better than WE or I

• People give to things that are close to them

• Catch them first then ask

Six fundraising truths…

• Please remember your basics, most charities

get it wrong

• A simple model for you to use to answer the

question

• And all that in just 60 minutes!!!

Today…

The answer to the question…

• ‘Why should I give you £200?’

• …is your Fundraising Proposition

£25£10pm

£1,000

A good proposition must have:NeedSolutionNowAnd, it will be unique

Must-haves…

• … a FEELING!!

A fundraising proposition is…

But how do you find it?

Royal National Lifeboat Institute

VISION ENEMY HERO RECIPIENT

No deaths at sea

The cruel sea That tough, bearded, volunteer crewman

Stupid, rich day-sailor

who fell off his boat

Example 2: Action for Blind People

VISION ENEMY HERO RECIPIENT

Every blind and partially

sighted person given support when needed

Red tape and lack of money

for simple, practical support

Passionate people fighting bureaucracy

and indifference to

provide

Thousands of people (every 15 minutes) losing their sight and picking up

shattered lives

Fundraising proposition

Every 15 minutes someone in the UK begins to

lose their sight. Today, with your help, we can

give them the practical support needed to

rebuild their shattered lives.

A good proposition must have:• Need• Solution• NowAnd, it should be unique

Must-haves…

‘Every 15 minutes someone in the UK begins to lose their sight. Today, with your help, we can give the practical support needed to rebuild their shattered lives’

Example 3: City Mission

VISION ENEMY HERO RECIPIENT

Everybody in my city living their life with

dignity

The hardship in life that is

sometimes too hard to carry

City Mission people who help them to

carry their load

The person fighting, with courage, to

turn their life around

When someone’s life has gone past breaking point, your NOK2,000 will ensure that someone from City Mission, who can see a way out, will help them start to live the life they would have chosen

Fundraising proposition…

Example 6: Brighton Pavilion

VISION ENEMY HERO RECIPIENT

An opulent celebration of eccentric and

rich treasures are cherished to

bring pleasure to everyone…

forever

The deadly hands of time, familiarity and

indifference

The imaginations of George IV and

others and today’s

craftspeople who cherish and

protect the treasures

Our Nation

For the small sum of £200 you can stop the deadly

hands of time crumbling the unique celebration of

opulence, eccentricity and rich treasures - imagined by

George IV, artists, explorers, obsessives, and

connoisseurs - for the pleasure of everyone today and

in the future.

Fundraising proposition…

What the exercise has achieved…

• Fundraising and Marketing now working together, ‘hand in

glove’

• New tag line ‘Experience the extraordinary’

• Everybody now uses words like ‘cherished’, ‘eccentric’,

‘treasured’

• …instead of ‘conserved’ and ghastly descriptions like: ‘rich

collections and exciting exhibits are dynamically displayed

in stimulating surroundings’

Rob Yates