- People want vivid examples of how their donations will be used. So if your audience has given before, tell them all the great things they've done - then all the wonderful additional things more support will bring. As one MarketingProf member pointed out, "I give money regularly to groups where I have been able to see what they accomplish. I'm not impressed by marketing appeals, what interests me is being able to see the impact in action."
- Emotion motivates. People are more inclined to give if the cause is local or if they know the person asking for help. This holiday, ask some of your biggest supporters to invite their friends and family to support you. The passion they feel for your cause is incredibly compelling to their circles of influence. Bloggers may be a good target. Says one MarketingProf member: "One of the things that I enjoy about blogging is that as the readership and influence of my blog grows, I have a greater ability to help promote ideas and causes. I've noticed that many of the blogs I read also make a point to promote their favorite causes and charities from time to time. This of course costs us nothing, but I think it greatly benefits charities and causes, many of which aren't very social-media savvy."
- Trust is sacred. Be honest and transparent about your programs, your spending, your impact-everything. As SeaChange advises, show exactly where the money goes and what the donor's investment will do. And then report back on that investment, again and again.
