Christmas movies may, in fact, teach you everything you need to know about the warm, generous feeling that can overtake an un-wealthy donor and make them happy to support your organization at a level higher than you expected. Sounds good, right? If you ever doubted your ability to get substantial gifts from Average Joes and Janes, don’t take my word for it. (Or Frank Capra’s.) Take a look at the new study published in the Journal on Consumer Research suggesting that the old truism of the close-pursed rich and the generous working class is actually… well, true.
The stereotype is simple and delightfully available almost twenty-four hours a day during December on Turner Classic Movies. In one corner there is a vile, stingy attitude toward others coupled with a desire for self-aggrandizement. We shall call this “Scroogitude.” In the other corner there is empathy and a kind eagerness to part with the last of one’s meager wealth to help family and friends in times of need. We shall call this “Baileyism.”
These two stereotypes showed up in a study which divided Northwestern University students into “boss” and “employee” roles. The boss group was empowered by the research team prior to the test by recalling past successes, while the employee group was made to think of times when they had been powerless and controlled by others. After this simple preparation, one of the researchers’ tests for both groups was an auction for items which held no element of prestige or status: a t-shirt and a mug. Both groups were given $15 and the same instructions.
The results? The boss students demonstrated Scroogitude to perfection: they bid an average of $7.10 when they were buying the item for someone else, but $12.08 when they were buying for themselves. In contrast, the employees were straight out of Bedford Falls: they bid $10.81 when they were purchasing for someone else, but only $6.49 when buying for themselves.
The results from this one test were repeated, to various degrees, throughout the other four tests in the study. I have a hard time calling the results shocking in themselves, since they adhere to some pretty strong fictional stereotypes. Then again, the fact that it IS so similar made me stop and think about how I (and many of us) reach out to donors. It seems like everyone is going through some lean times right now, and that makes the potential Baileyism of middle-class donors vital for our causes and our NGOs. The focus of our fundraising cannot only be to empower our reliably generous, wealthy supporters. Perhaps in times of need, we have to look especially to the unempowered: that is, people who could have a little bit of empathy for the clients we serve.
So as you start constructing your annual appeal this year, make your case, and make it strong. But here are some tips that might help you bring out the Baileyism and generate some bigger gifts than usual from the Bob Cratchets on your list:
1. Remind Donors that Giving is a Form of Power
Helping others brings with it a feeling of power, control, and satisfaction– never so much as when you are feeling particularly powerless yourself. In other words, middle class folks feeling a real pinch at home may actually give more generously than before and feel even better about it. Call it empathy, kindness, Baileyism– but reminding donors that they are taking control by giving is always a good idea.
2. Don’t Suck Up
According to this study, the reason that empowered, wealthy people spend is out of a sense of self-care and self-importance. As any self-respecting Development Director can tell you, framing a giving conversation with a typical large donor is about finding a gift amount and purpose which is meaningful and relevant for THEM. That’s not a bad thing! However, if you are target-marketing to non-wealthy constituents, ones with more modest means who may be crunched by the economy at the moment, appealing to self-importance is not going to get you the same results. The fact is, if people are in a place of sacrifice already within their own home and family, then a straightforward appeal to their sense of duty and sacrifice to accomplish something good with your organization may be a much wiser tactic.
3. Giving Makes You Happy
This is no new news! However, the study pointed out an interesting fact: both high and low power groups report feeling better after buying for someone else rather than themselves. In whatever appeal you make, leave no room for doubt: find stories of donors who are ecstatic to have made a difference and spotlight them. Whether it is a wealthy individual or an Average… errr… Bailey, tailor your choice to the constituents you are reaching out to. And don’t let your potential donors forget another true truism: it is better to give than to receive.
4. Target Market Research
Last but not least, remember: those Sundays you spend watching old movies and feeling all nostalgic and warm inside? It’s called working from home.
