8 Ideas to Jump-Start Fall Fundraising

Is the creative well a bit dry? Here are some ideas to boost your fall fundraising efforts.

1. Prime the pump

Roger Dooley, the neuro-marketing guru, says priming can be a key in fundraising. Priming is presenting a person with subtle cues or context that affect behavior. He cites a study by Greg Miller and Kathleen Vohs that shows if you get people to think about money by putting posters of currency around them, they tend to be more anti-social and less generous. They concluded that priming people with money puts them in a state of mind where they don't want to depend on others and don't want others to depend on them. He says good fundraisers prime their audiences by focusing on good works and great stories, not dollars and cents.

2. The eyes have it

Dooley also says studies show that when presented with a Web page or flier, people look first at any human face present. If the face is gazing at something, like a headline, the viewer's eyes follow the trajectory of the gaze. To get people's attention and direct it, use a person's image. Remember this in your appeals.

He also notes that people are very sensitive to their own images. When people look in the mirror or 
see their own images, they are more conscientious and generous in their actions. Use images of donors to 
create that connection.

3. Social proof

People are more likely to give when they see others giving. When donors give online, ask them for an optional few words on why they gave. Fill your homepage and future appeals with their answers, in their words.

4. More social proof

Post an online slideshow or video featuring people who have benefitted from your work or donors who have supported your work saying what gifts meant to them personally. It's guaranteed to be an emotional hit and highly motivating beyond anything you as a fundraiser could say. E-mail links to the messages to all your supporters and prospects.