People Donate to People – Personal Fundraising Works.

Do you respond to emails from people you know?  If you are like most people, you are many times more likely to respond to an email if it comes from a person you know.

People are the same way when it comes to donations.  If they are approached by someone they know – they donate.  Donation rates to individuals far exceeds donation requests that come from “the organization” even if the professional requests are better worded.

Malcolm Gladwell in his famous book Tipping Point talks about what it takes to create a trend.  To get some idea to “tip” so it becomes pervasive and broadly known.  He talks about Mavens – people who are perceived as experts or people who are key thought leaders or influencers.  Simply being someone known to the receiver – a co-worker, a niece, a friend, or a classmate, elevates a person closer to maven status.  Gladwell also talks about connectors – people with many connections.  To reach the “tipping point” requires a little of each.

Your donor may be either mavens and/or connectors.  Some large and some small;  in most cases, it is difficult to judge.  Interestingly, most fund raisers track the “big money” potential donors but ignore others that may actually have the influence to significantly help the campaign.

So part of the key to a successful campaign is to tap the networks of your supporters.  Tapping your supporters networks allow them to participate and feel involved.  Involvement and engagement in a cause builds long term support.  In a previous article, we talked about wanting many small donors because donors have buy in to your cause.  Even small donors can have influential networks.

Karma411 offers tools to help automate the personal connection.  We help fundraisers tap the social networks of their supporters.

By harnessing the power of the networks of the people who believe in your cause, you magnify the message.  And – because it comes from a person known to the receiver, it gets read.