Fundraising isn’t just about persuasion — it’s about connection.

When donors say yes, it’s not because your appeal had the best stats or a slick layout. It’s because something in your message sparked emotion.

Something resonated.

Science backs that up.

Donors are moved by meaning, trust, ease, urgency — and most of all, by feeling like their gift will make a difference. Yet too many fundraising campaigns rely on numbers and logic alone.

Here’s what the latest research tells us about why people give — and how your nonprofit can use these insights to raise more support.

1. Belief in the Mission

People give because they care.

They want to support something that aligns with their values — whether that’s feeding families, saving wildlife, advancing education, or building community.

In a 2024 study of U.S. “social donors,” belief in the cause ranked as a top-three reason people gave.

What You Can Do:

• Make your “why” loud and clear in every communication.
• Share real stories that show your mission in action.
• Speak from the heart. Passion is contagious.

A clear mission builds emotional connection. And emotion is what fuels giving.

2. Trust and Transparency

Donors give to people and organizations they trust. If someone doubts your effectiveness or integrity, they’ll hold back — no matter how urgent your cause is.

In fact, trust was tied with mission as the top motivator for giving in the same social donor study.

What You Can Do:

• Be transparent about how donations are used.
• Highlight your leadership team and board members.
• Share real results, not just goals.

Donors want to know: If I give, will it make a difference? Prove that it will — and they’ll come back.

3. Ease of Giving

Here’s a simple truth: if it’s hard to give, people won’t.

According to OneCause, ease of giving is just as important as trust and mission. That means the donation experience matters — a lot.

What You Can Do:

• Make sure your donation page is mobile-friendly and loads quickly.
• Use clear, bold calls to action (“Donate now” or “Help a family today”).
• Offer easy payment options like PayPal, Apple Pay, or one-click recurring gifts.

Donors act in the moment. If the process is smooth, you’ll raise more.

4. Seeing Impact and Feeling Urgency

Donors don’t want to feel like their gift gets lost in a sea of need.

They want to see change. They want to feel their dollars matter.

In the OneCause report, 60% of donors said seeing the impact of their gift motivated them to give.

Urgency also drove results — especially when tied to current events or timely campaigns.

What You Can Do:

• Use specific, vivid language: “$50 gives one child a month of meals.”
• Show progress toward a goal (“Only $400 left to meet our match!”)
• Share stories with real faces, real names, and real outcomes.

Don’t just tell people why to give — show them what their gift will do.

5. Community and Social Proof

Giving is social.

We’re more likely to give when people we trust are also giving.

That’s why peer-to-peer campaigns, event fundraising, and even public donor lists work. They create a sense of community and belonging.

What You Can Do:

• Feature donor stories or testimonials.
• Thank supporters publicly (on social media or newsletters).
• Encourage fundraisers to share their own “why I give” messages.

One Yale study found that highlighting a sense of shared purpose increases donor intent.

People want to feel like they’re part of something bigger.

Let them.

The Bottom Line: Giving is Emotional

Donors give with their hearts first — then justify with their heads.

Research from Yale, OneCause, and multiple psychology studies confirm it: storytelling beats statistics.

People are wired to respond to human stories, not just data points.

A famous study found that people who read a story about a single hungry child donated twice as much as those who read stats about thousands. And when researchers combined both?

Donations actually dropped.

Too much data can overwhelm. But a single story builds empathy.

So if you want more “yes” responses to your appeals:

• Start with the mission.
• Build trust.
• Make giving simple.
• Show results.
• Tell real stories.
• And most of all, make your donors feel like heroes.

Want to Go Deeper?

If you’re ready to stop guessing and start fundraising with confidence, Oregon State University’s Fundraising Certificate Program was built for you.

Learn how to craft donor-centered appeals, build lasting relationships, and apply psychology-backed strategies to every campaign.

It’s 100% online, self-paced, and developed by experts with decades of experience.

Explore the Fundraising Certificate here.

You’re closer than you think to becoming a stronger, more confident fundraiser. Let’s take the next step — together.