A recent article in the Wall Street Journal reminds us of one of the most important truths all fundraisers should keep in mind: Giving is good for givers. See Hard-Wired for Giving. It's a long article with a lot of information, but here's a key takeaway on what scientists have discovered about charitable giving:
... when people made the decision to donate to what they felt was a worthy organization, parts of the midbrain lit up -- the same region that controls cravings for food and sex, and the same region that became active when the subjects added money to their personal reward accounts.
If you think you leave your donors a few dollars poorer and a little annoyed after they give, you're wrong. As a fundraiser, you do a tremendous service to donors. So raise funds like you mean it. You're not only funding your cause -- you're helping your donors make their lives better.
