You probably know that the magic word in fundraising is you.
But there's another magic word, and it'll surprise you: it's because.
Check it out at Clairification: Foolproof Fundraising Trick Mom Knows and You Need.
Mom's version is the is bulletproof: Because I said so. But studies show this magic work to make any statement more persuasive:
"Because" is one of the persuasion principles that help explain the psychology of why people say "yes" without thinking. The human brain is wired to react when it hears because. It is a magical word — an automatic trigger for compliance. Sure, you can get a yes without using this little tip. You can get people to think and consider your appeal and still make a contribution. But if you can boost your chance by 30%, wouldn't that be a very smart thing to do?
Some examples from Claire:
- Instead of "Today I'm sharing Amelia's story with you."
- Say "Today I'm sharing Amelia's story with you because she needs your help."
- Instead of "Yes, I want to give."
- Say "Yes, I want to give because children need me."
- Instead of "Please consider a gift of $500."
- Say "Please consider a gift of $500 because children need your help."
You can do this to almost any sentence. And you should to some.
Jeff Brooks has been serving the nonprofit community for more than 30 years and blogging about it since 2005. He considers fundraising the most noble of pursuits and hopes you'll join him in that opinion. You can reach him at jeff [at] jeff-brooks [dot] com. 
