Give Your donors autonomy, raise more $$

When my children were small, I discovered the magic of options.

❓Which do you want to do next: Put on PJs or brush your teeth?

❓ Would you like broccoli on your big plate or on a side plate?

❓  Do you want to walk home now or after one last slide?

I know, I know. It might seem a bit crafty, since all options moved us toward my goal. (Get ready for bed. Try broccoli. Finish playtime.)

But SO DARN POWERFUL.

Because… We all crave autonomy.

At any age, we want to be the author of our own story. The captain of our own ship. We all experience more wellbeing when we feel a sense of control over our own fate.

In fact, the most successful fundraisers honor autonomy as a human need – according to research from Dr. Jen Shang and the Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy.

Their research shows that respecting the autonomy of donors raises more, while also boosting wellbeing.

Here’s how you can do it:

✔️ Offer valuable choices.

More than one way to contribute.

Examples:

Whether you want to join us in person as a volunteer, spread the word with your social media networks, or make a financial gift… We hope you’ll celebrate Giving Tuesday with us!

Your tradition may be giving at Easter, Christmas, or in your own preferred season – but at any time of year, your compassion makes a difference for a girl attending school in Malawi.

✔️Acknowledge the donor’s self-determination.

Messaging that respects the donor’s personal agency.

Examples:

Might you consider making another gift today?

A gift of any size that’s meaningful to you will be meaningful to a homeless neighbor.

✔️ Remove the pressure.

Try not forcing the outcome.

Example:

NextAfter ran an A/B experiment in nonprofit email appeals. It paired the same ask with two different response options.

Version A: A sticky bar with a single call-to-action button: “Give today.”  

Version B: A sticky bar using “Yes”/”No” options.

The big winner was Version B. It got 62.4% more donations from their audience of 5,000 recipients. That’s nothing to sniff at!

Maybe try one of these tactics in your next appeal? I’d love to hear what happens.

And - I’m rooting for you, fundraising friend.