What if I told you that there was a scientific way to get people interested in your nonprofit?
Well… not only interested, but actually give money to your cause.
As the psychology field has progressed, so too has the technology that researchers use to better understand the brain.
More and more, researchers are using functional magnetic resonance imaging or fMRI to detect changes associated with blood-flow in the brain. You can actually see which areas “light up” when you’re performing certain tasks or exposed to stimuli.
The same goes for applying new techniques to blood samples to detect the presence of steroids like cortisol or oxytocin, which are associated with a particular group of emotions.
Today, I want to share with you a study that actually measures the type of story that elicits these hormones AND which ones are associated with donating money.
I talk way more about this in my upcoming book, Nonprofit Psychological Fundraising Hacks and how to apply these findings.
I’ve put together a new GUIDE that’s packed with science-backed nonprofit fundraising methods, resources, strategies, and killer marketing methods.
You should check it out if you want to get more donations and you want to fast-track the entire process.
You can watch the video below to get a primer.
For us to understand these emotions that are associated with giving, we first have to analyze the story that was told to this group of research participants.
In this story, there was a little boy named Ben who has brain cancer. He’s been through chemo and radiation treatment, but he feels happy. He enjoys playing.
At the same time, his father is sad because even though Ben is happy, his father knows that Ben is going to die in 3 to 6 months. His father still tries to be happy around Ben, but it is difficult with this knowledge.
Towards the end of the story, Ben’s father said how amazing it is to know little time you have left. At this moment, he has merged himself with Ben and feels what Ben should be feeling. As the video says, “It is as if the father himself is dying.”
This Story Caused Distress and Empathy
After conducting the experiment, many of the research participants couldn’t fully articulate how they felt. Therefore, the experimenters took blood samples to measure the hormones that were released throughout the experience.
The brain produced:
- Cortisol: Focuses attention on something important. Correlates with feeling of distress.
- Oxytocin: Associated with care, connection, and empathy. Correlates with feelings of empathy.
The experimenters then gave the participants a chance to share money with a stranger in the lab or a charity that works with ill kids. They found that:
- Those participants that released both cortisol and oxytocin were far more likely to give money.
- The amount of oxytocin released predicted how much money would be shared.
It’s pretty clear that this story emotionally affected the participants which opened them up to giving money to another person or charity.
Predicting With 80% Accuracy Who Will Donate
This fascinating experiment then took a wild turn. With more funding, the researchers went back to the drawing board and asked the question… can you predict whether or not someone will give money?
They beefed up the study and started to measure other things like:
- Blood
- Heart rate
- Skin conductance
- Respiration
This allowed the researchers to accurately pinpoint when someone was feeling distressed and when someone was feeling empathetic.
Using this method, they could predict with 80% accuracy who would donate money to charity.
Then, the researchers used the fMRI technology to see which regions in the brain were most active during the story compared to a boring story.
They found that the most active areas during the emotionally compelling story were associated with what’s called “theory of the mind” or understanding what others are doing, and areas that were rich oxytocin centers.
During the boring story, participants didn’t attend to the information and they blanked out. Their brain didn’t light up much. Nothing was happening that was exciting or causing distress. There was no story structure.
The Power of Story
Stories transport us into other people’s worlds. They allow us to feel what other people are feeling. They cause us to feel REAL emotions, like distress or empathy.
These stories change our brain chemistry and our choices, thoughts, and behaviors.
People donate money because they want to help Ben and his father (or people like them). They’ve felt a slice of how difficult it must be for these people, and by giving money, they help alleviate those negative feelings.
In order to get someone give money, science is telling you that you have to wrap the ask inside a story that is emotionally compelling and allows potential donors to empathize with your target demographic.
If you FAIL to do this, then you will fail to elicit those feelings of distress and empathy that highly correlate with giving behavior.
Now… wasn’t that cool? Isn’t that insane?
There are so many more psychological tactics and triggers that you can use to turn people into donors and evangelists for your nonprofit.
I’ve put together a complete manual which will take you step-by-step through all of them (along with how to actually implement them into YOUR fundraising strategy). You can get on the pre-order list for this upcoming book here.
I think you’re gonna love this book. It’s taking a scientific approach to fundraising and sharing with you incredibly powerful techniques to get people to care about your nonprofit’s mission.
I’ve put together a new GUIDE that’s packed with science-backed nonprofit fundraising methods, resources, strategies, and killer marketing methods.
You should check it out if you want to get more donations and you want to fast-track the entire process.
Not only will these strategies transform your organization, but they will also allow you to help even more people and make a dent in the universe.
