Lisa Simpson for Nonprofits: A Summary

If you haven’t had the opportunity to check out Lisa Simpson for Nonprofits: What Science Can Teach You About Fundraising, Marketing and Making Social Change, download your free copy of the eBook here.

This is the follow-up to the eBook Homer Simpson for Nonprofits. Authors are Alia McKee Scott and Mark Rovner from Sea Change Strategies and Katya Andresen from Network for Good. Go here for a recording of a recent Lisa Simpson webinar featuring the authors.

If you watch (ed) the Simpsons and you work for a nonprofit organization, you’ve probably identified with Lisa Simpson on any number of occasions --  an overachieving nerd with a love for the arts and humanities. This eBook examines the science of human behavior -- why people act the way they do -- with a lens on community engagement in the nonprofit world. Science + doing good = Lisa Simpson.

For many of us, we create campaigns and messaging around 1) what has been done before, 2) what someone else has done that we liked and 3) whatever our gut tells us sounds good.

But what about data and science on human behavior? What influences the decisions people make? What most effectively motivates us? Why do people give donations?

Divided into seven chapters, we’ve extracted some key take-aways. But do yourself a favor and download the book --  the 24 pages are well worth the read.

Chapter One: The truth behind why people give

Why do people give, and how do we get them to give more? The authors turned to 30 PhDs who conducted research for the book, The Science of Giving. The same essential truths kept emerging:

• Truth #1: Giving is mostly emotional and irrational. Feeling beats thinking in dollars donated is the take-away here. The more you prime your audience to think in an analytical, deliberative way --  the less they will give. Tug those heart strings, and the more money raised.
• Truth #2: Giving is personal. Personal connections and stories have a big effect on giving -- so if you’ve got them, use them. From researcher Elizabeth Dunn: “We’re biologically wired to process the concrete -- other people, not statistics. We grasp statistics, but they don’t tap into our emotional response.”
• Truth #3: Truths #1 and #2 are really hard to change, so just roll with them. Researcher Daniel Oppenheimer: “Crafting solicitations that appeal to human psychology can feel manipulative at times, which is why it’s important to remember people really do want to give.”
• Truth #4: Giving makes people happy. And, like a kid -- you don’t always have to give something in return (e.g. tote bag or matching funds). Sometimes, acknowledging the generosity and how it will truly make a difference is more rewarding to a donor than anything.
• Truth #5: Giving is a social act. We do what other people do. For example, in a public radio fundraising drive, mentioning a prior donation of $300 lifted giving by 29%!  In a clear donation box in a museum, bills begat bills, coins begat coins, empty begat empty. In other words, make it apparent you have other people supporting you.
• Truth #6: These are sweeping generalizations. Test for yourself. DATA!

Chapter Two: Reason is overrated

As nonprofit marketers and fundraisers, we’re in the business of persuasion. Our job is to guide to others toward adoption of ideas, attitudes and actions. And we are making the mistake that people are rational, so we make our arguments for support in a data-driven linear way. But people aren’t rational, and they don’t respond to rational messages.

• Truth #1: People are more likely to do things if they see other people are doing them (even if it counters what they know is logically correct). As social creatures, we are really influenced by each other.
• Truth #2: People will tend to obey authority figures, even if they are asked to perform objectionable acts. So get your CEO/ED talking. In a good way.
• Truth #3: People are easily persuaded by other people whom they like. Two words: Tupperware parties.
• Truth #4: When it comes to problems, the bigger the numbers, the less people care. “One death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic.”
• Truth #5: People are hardwired to understand our world through emotions and stories, not facts. (NO: 1.1 billion people around the world don’t have access to clean drinking water. YES: Jean Bosco gets sick when he drinks water he collects from his only source -- a murky, pollution-ridden pond.)

Chapter Three: Second that emotion

There is no longer debate about the centrality of emotion in fundraising and giving. We are very good at making emotional decisions and then rationalizing them later. It’s called confabulation --  the heart decides and the brain justifies.

Four key strategies to connect with a supporter’s heart.

1. Make strategic use of photography and images. Will a strong image and weak copy outperform an email with awesome copy and a weak image? Test it.
2. Let your own passion show. When people feel your passion, they get passionate thanks to mirror neurons --  which may be the source of human empathy.
3. Avoid the guilt trip. OMG, we in the environmental movement are so good at this. Remember we are the daughters and sons of the men and women who built this country, as environmentally crappy as it is. Must tap into the American spirit of ingenuity rather than play the blame game.
4. Tell a story. Always the best part of any presentation, email campaign, annual report, etc., right?

Chapter Four: Empathy, compassion and ripping yarns

Without compassion, there is no charity. Storytelling is the art of evoking empathy which leads to compassion, and it's all the rage right now, but what makes a good story?

Four key ingredients that make up the DNA of any great story.

1. A relatable protagonist. (An individual, not a group of people, and one who is facing relatable and universal conflicts.
2. Lots of conflict.
3. A loathsome villain.
4. Kitchen sink details. (My personal favorite. Make your story as visual and detailed as possible. What are the sights, sounds, smells?)

Chapter Five: Get tangible

Yes: Proctor & Gamble’s marketing campaign “1 Pack = 1 Vaccine” was wildly successful -- for every pack of diaper sold, a child was vaccinated against tetanus. 

No: A rival campaign: “1 pack will help eradicate newborn tetanus globally.”

Being concrete makes people care more. Research shows that people give two to three times more money when an intangible need is replaced with a specific impact.  For example donations will increase if donors know the families Habitat is building homes for or who is receiving holiday gift baskets. We’re far more likely to share on and act upon stories that are about people rather than crowds and that are emotional rather than informational.

Chapter Six: Friends like us -- how values shape us

Understanding the role values play is extremely important to us as marketers trying to do good in the world. In order to influence people, you must first understand their values and second, communicate with them in terms that reflect these values.

Values can be universalism, benevolence, justice, security, tradition, power, individualism, community-minded, based in religion, what your family always did, what your part of the country does, what you know, what is familiar, and so on and so forth.

Four truths to think about when considering values in your marketing work.

• Truth #1: Cultural values trump rationality—even when it comes to evaluating science and data.
• Truth #2: Group ties motivate people.
• Truth #3: Values polarize. Cultural cognition causes people to interpret new evidence in a biased way that reinforces their predispositions. (Hello Obama lovers. Hello Sarah Palin lovers.)
• Truth #4: Research is key. Have you conducted surveys, interviews, even focus groups to determine the values of your target audience?

Chapter Seven: Be data driven

There is a lot of research to support what is being said in this report and it's a great place to start. Then test with your audience. A quick primer on testing what works.

Step 1: Be clear on your goals.

Step 2: Outline a testable hypotheses. (Do integrated online and offline messages yield a higher result in regards to money raised, average gift and response rate than online/offline messages that are not related?)

Step 3: Outline your testing methodology. (Test Group and Control Group.)

Step 4: Outline metrics you’ll measure.

Thanks to Katya, Alia and Mark for a great read! Be sure to download the entire eBook  --  much more great stuff in there.