Research shows that people are more likely to give if they feel personally connected to the recipient. Try addressing donors by name, giving them a personalized shoutout on social media, and thanking them personally.

Gaining insight into the psychology of giving can assist you in identifying the inner motivators that encourage your supporters to contribute generously to your nonprofit organization. Here are a few of the most common motivations for giving:

Social Dynamics

Studies that ignore the time dimension of giving mislead in their interpretation of cross-sectional descriptive statistics and associations. For example, by neglecting the dynamic dimension of how people give, static interpretations of regression estimates overestimate the effects of income and other socioeconomic characteristics on donation amounts.

When people know their Charitable Donations will help a specific person they know, they usually donate more than people who do not.

People donate more when reminded that others have less than them. This type of social pressure, called upward social information, produces happiness ratings.

Egoism

Many people give to experience a sense of personal satisfaction or fulfillment. This is called psychological egoism, and it can lead to self-serving behavior, but it’s not necessarily bad.

Some researchers suggest that this type of egoism is necessary for people to feel happy. However, it’s important to remember that pleasure can’t always be our sole motivation for giving – because having that pleasure often presupposes a desire for the thing that will bring us that pleasure.

This is why nonprofits need to inform donors about how their donations are helping. This helps them to keep in touch with the results of their generosity and can help counteract the self-centered nature of their giving. This approach is crucial for change in Systems and Individual Advocacy efforts within nonprofits.

Feeling Better

Giving may reduce stress levels, as researchers have found that those who give tend to die at lower rates than those who do not. Stress is associated with several health issues, such as high blood pressure and heart disease.

They release feel-good neurochemicals, which can make you happy and calm. 

This feeling of pleasure is often referred to as the warm-glow factor, and while it’s different from pure altruism, it shouldn’t be dismissed as selfishness.

Feeling Good

Researchers have found that giving to charity boosts activity in the part of the brain that registers pleasure. As a result, it’s an easy mood-booster that beats out eating gourmet meals and working out at the gym.

It’s often a feeling of accomplishment that makes people feel good after they donate. This feeling is often called the “experiential glow” and is a crucial motivator for many donors.

To capitalize on this feeling, it’s a good idea to frame your request for donations around the story of an individual beneficiary. This approach puts a face to your cause and may inspire a spontaneous emotional reaction that can jumpstart a chain of generosity.

Self-Defense

Many donate to charities because they believe the government isn’t doing enough to protect those in need. The tax deduction is also a motivation for some, although critics point out that the amount of taxpayer income subject to taxation decreases with the addition of donations.

Righteous anger is another driving force for giving, particularly regarding social injustices. Many donors choose to support organizations that fight against cancer, heart disease, and other conditions that can cause death.

Research suggests that focusing on individual stories inspires donors to give more.