Donor Trend: Hyperlocal Giving
I'm repeating myself again. A little louder for everyone in the back: don't assume things about or for your donors. Even though, I know, the world is mentally and emotionally exhausted, people are still giving.
We're consumers and we are exhausted, so we can only imagine what's going in the minds and lives of those who are philanthropic & have the capacity to be at impactful levels. Well, this FastCompany article has influenced a lot of my thinking over the last several weeks and it confirmed my gut-feeling around the "give where you live" trend that is impacting a lot of us -- for better or worse.
Hyperlocal giving isn't anything new. Most of us have felt a sense of obligation to support the entities around us and in our communities. Think local churches and fire departments. But it isn't a sense of obligation that has caused an even more dramatic shift in support necessarily, and rather the emotional and meaningful pull we have that pushes us to invest in something that's bigger than us. When you learn of needs your local hospital has in finding more PPE, you want to help. After feeling something ignite inside of you because of trauma in communities or political clashes, you wonder how you can inflict change that you want to see happen. It's not merely a participation in a cause, but an investment in it. Investments generate outcomes, and have we ever cared more about that?
This is human nature at work. Let's know it, recognize it, and connect it to the work we do. The Charity:Water CEO points to how people are being considerate about those around them here in the U.S., and therefore, clean water for kids in India may not be on the forefront of their minds right now. That point is the reality of the give-where-you-live trend. If you don't fall into an obvious bucket that aligns with one of the country's most relevant charitable topics, though, don't just assume you can't fundraise. It's true, and to be honest, it's great that people have an eye toward funding things that are in need right now -- but that doesn't mean what they care about has permanently shifted. It's not their job to remember what they used to support and bring themselves back to it. It's our job.
If we assume that they are burnt out from asks right now, or have already blown their philanthropy budget for 2020, or that we don't align with what they'd consider a need, we assumed. We decided for them. Last week, I was conducting a feasibility study interview by Zoom and the prospective donor said "I hope the organization won't assume that I don't care to know the details of this potential program; I want them to make an even stronger case to me using relevant stats." He wasn't pointing to something that was directly tied to this pandemic -- he was pointing to something he's always supported in the past, but with the circumstances he's in, he only further craves a thoughtful and intentional solicitation. One with data. One that has been meaningfully aligned to what he's shared about his beliefs and interests in the months and years before this.
We can't project what happens in our own households on to our donors. Their capacity, their attention spans for philanthropy, and their devotion to our causes may surprise us. Make your solicitation that much stronger, and don't assume a no on anyone’s behalf.
