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Summary. Despite ample holiday-season appeals, many charities don’t get the donations they need.Most are underfunded, and the pandemic has only exacerbated the problem. How can they increase donations? Research points to three strategies. First, give people a choice when they are allocating their cash; even an unrelated vote on favorite pets (dog or cat?) or flavors (vanilla or chocolate?) can increase donations. Second, use nouns instead of verbs to encourage positive behavior: “please become a donor” rather than“please donate.” Finally, invoke the second person“you” to personalize your message and prompt action.
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‘Tis the season for giving — and not just the items on your loved ones’ wish lists. As the flood of requests filling our inboxes and social media feeds in recent weeks illustrate, charities and nonprofits are all asking for help. They want us tospread the holiday cheer (and secure end-of-year tax-deductions) by spending just as much on Giving Tuesday donations as we do on Black Friday and Cyber Monday purchases. Indeed, in the United States, nearly one-third of annual charitable contributions are made in December, a third of them in the last three days of the year.
