e-Poster

e-Poster

e-Poster

            Although giving in support to vulnerable members of society is not a business transaction, it requires a human connection. In order to inspire donors to make a contribution, a meaningful connection must be made by showing them how they would collectively make a difference and why they matter. With an understanding of why donors should contribute towards a worthy cause, it becomes easier to establish a more effective appeal. This ePoster will delineate how to convince people to donate?

The two suggestions that might be used to convince people to donate are: (a) by informing them that through their donations, they would be changing someone’s life, and (b) to support a cause that helps the community.^[1] The first suggestion is based on the Altruistic models that relate to prosocial behaviour. The influences associated with the need to nurture feelings towards a certain group and empathy can compel people to donate to the less fortunate and in this way, assist in reducing re-offending by offering educational opportunities to young people who have recently been released from prison. In addition, the ability to enhance the welfare of other people can trigger the helping behaviour, thus increasing the likelihood of helping.

The second suggestion is based on the decision model of bystander intervention. Based on this model, people have to notice the emergency, interpret the situation, feel a personal responsibility to help, decide how to help, and provide the help.^[2] The model explains that when people feel that the situation is related to a good cause that is also beneficial, they can then donate willingly. Nonetheless, should we fail to feel that charity is a good cause, we are less likely to donate.^[3]

People give because through their donations, a person’s life could be changed. This suggestion has derives its strength from the foundations of Altruistic models. For instance, people with altruistic personality behaviour possess five traits which correlate positively with helping behaviour.^[4]  Such traits include empathy, belief in a world which is just, a sense of social responsibility, internal locus linked to control, and low egocentrism.^[5]  In addition, considering that giving can change someone’s life, this is yet another reason why people should donate. However, when there is no feeling towards the target group, the likelihood of donation is limited.^[6]

Giving can act as a support for a good cause. For instance, according to the Charities Aid Foundation, “communicating the impact of a good cause on individual beneficiaries, rather than in total impact terms, can be highly effective”.^[7] When the poster communicates that people would support charity work and help others, donors are more likely to donate. This is because people would feel that through their donation, re-offending cases in the society would be minimized. The limitation of this suggestion is that donors tend to care about the money donated to charity and not necessary the cause.^[8] Thus, people under this suggestion decide to donate if they have appropriate knowledge. Nonetheless, if they are not convinced the charity is a good cause they would not give their donations. 

Bibliography

Anik, Lalin,  Lara B. Aknin, Michael I. Norton, and  Elizabeth W. Dunn. Feeling Good about Giving: The Benefits (and Costs) of Self-Interested Charitable Behavior. Harvard Business Review. <http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20Files/10-012.pdf>

Baumeister, Roy F., and Kathleen D. Vohs. Encyclopedia of Social Psychology.  (Calif: Sage Publications, 2007).

Charities Aid Foundation. Applying behavioural insights to charitable giving. < https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/203286/BIT_Charitable_Giving_Paper.pdf>.

Hewstone, Miles, and Antony S. R. Manstead. The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social Psychology. (Blackwell, 1995).

Levine, Mark and Manning, Rachel. Social identity, group processes, and helping in emergencies (2013) ERSP, 24(1)225–251.