5 Reasons Donors May Not Give To Your Cause

Why don't people give to our causes and what can we do about it? In her column on About.com, nonprofit blogger Joanne Fritz recently wrote a great post on this topic. Referencing Peter Singer, an ethicist and author of The Life You Can Save, Fritz details several reasons that donors may choose not to give, including:

1. No matter how compelling your statistics or statement of general need, people give more when they feel connected to an "identifiable victim" or personal story.
2. Humans have evolved to care for those closest to them. For instance, U.S. donors are far more likely to give to U.S. causes than international causes.
3. An overload of need. People are more willing to give when they can impact a greater proportion of the need. If too many people need help, the donation may seem futile.
4. If we think that others are likely to help, donors may choose not to give and instead convince ourselves that someone else will meet the need.
5. The opposite of #4 may also be true. Donors may choose not to give because others are not and it would be unfair to shoulder the entire burden.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, though. Joanne Fritz also gives some excellent suggestions about how to avoid these pitfalls.

Read the full, detailed article here.