Achieving fund raising success via psychological motivation theory

Citation

Surman, T. (2003), "Achieving fund raising success via psychological motivation theory", The Bottom Line, Vol. 16 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/bl.2003.17016bab.003

Achieving fund raising success via psychological motivation theory

Edited by Gwendolen Rochester Leighty, Development Officer, Smithsonian Institution Libraries, Washington DC, USA

Achieving fund raising success via psychological motivation theory

Keywords: Fundraising, Work psychology, Motivation

People who work in libraries, in fact in any charitable organization, can achieve fund raising success by thoughtful consideration and application of psychological motivation theory to their relationships with prospective and current donors. When seeking donations, often the only theory that is utilized, at least sub-consciously, is that of Russian physiologist, Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (1849-1936). His theory, paraphrased, is that the actions of individuals are induced by incentives offered as rewards by other people or situations. An example of the application of this theory in a fund-raising context is the belief that an individual will be driven to make a large donation if an organization's leadership offers to name a building in his honor. Such incentives may be important to some donors some of the time, but are not the only road to success.

The use of the broader theory of US psychologist, Abraham H. Maslow (1908-1970), will lead to the creation of many more positive relationships with prospective donors, and thereby increase the number and size of charitable gifts to your library. Maslow's theory, again paraphrased, is that an inner urge or desire to accomplish a contemplated goal is what moves an individual to act. When such goals, also called "needs", are met, the individual is then driven to seek other goals to accomplish.

Maslow placed these goals into five categories then ordered those categories into a "hierarchy of needs". The categories of needs, in Maslow's order from "lower needs" to "higher needs" are: physiological (physical), safety, belongingness and love (social), esteem and self-actualization (expressive) needs. The words in parentheses will be used to simplify explanation. This theory applied in a fund-raising context, should guide the leadership of charitable organizations to consider the individual donor as a whole, unique person and to ask him or herself what they can do to help that individual meet his needs.

For example, perhaps the prospective donor, a Mrs Smith, is a wealthy, older and childless widow who is unable to walk without assistance. Because of her physical circumstances, she is often only in the company of her nurse. Prior to her incapacity, she was the frequent hostess of many literary gatherings that included prominent authors and journalists. If the charitable organization's leadership recognizes that Mrs Smith craves both the social contact and intellectual stimulation that those gatherings provided, and asks her to work with them to create a series of special literary events to be held at her home, she is much more likely to make a significant donation than she would if her special circumstances were not considered and accommodated.

In his research, Maslow found that most people, in cultural groups around the world, experience these same five types of needs in the same order. He also emphasized that a satisfied need is not a motivator; that for all of the healthy subjects he studied, if certain needs were fulfilled, they became less important to the subject's conscious mind. For example, if one does not feel too warm or too cold, it is rare to think consciously about the temperature of the air. However, unmet needs dominate an individual from lowest (i.e. physical needs) to highest (i.e. expressive) level. A human being's whole philosophy about the future tends to change based on their current, unmet needs. A hungry student may think so much about satisfying her/his hunger, that she/he finds it difficult to concentrate on the professor's lecture despite her/his intellectual interest in the subject.

Because Maslow's theory is based on the actions of healthy individuals, those he defined without pronounced neuroses, it is important to recognize that some individuals do experience their needs in a different order, or overly emphasize certain needs over others. This, according to Maslow, is the result of a previous deprivation. An example would be of a person who was once an indigent refugee, but who is now a prosperous businessman. He may horde money and demand excessive flattery from those around him. An individual may also have an innate drive that causes her/him to hyper-focus on one need to the exclusion of others. Such a person could be an artist who paints as she/he pleases, despite poverty and lack of social acceptance by others. A third type of individual may have made a conscious decision to sacrifice some of his/her needs for others. Many such individuals in today's society have sacrificed relationships with family and friends for the prestige and wealth obtained by working long hours in their profession. It is important to consider that the prospective donor with whom you seek to establish a relationship may be operating under one or more of these neuroses.

Although Maslow stated that it is impossible to create a comprehensive list of all human needs, following are examples of needs in each category described above to allow further illustration of how this theory can be utilized for fund-raising success:

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  Physical needs: clean air and water; nutritious food; rest and sleep; exercise; physical and mental health; a manageable amount of stress; sunlight; cleanliness; moderate temperature; sensory contact with other beings.

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  Safety needs: physical security; stability and structure to daily activity; behavioral limits; adequate income; protection from the elements and from predators; consistency in the behavior of oneself and others; a refuge or haven (i.e. a home); familiar circumstances and surroundings; trust in the honesty of others.

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  Social needs: acceptance by others into personal relationships and into a community; companionship; affection; affinity with a group(s); devotion to ideals; attention from others; intimacy; contribution to society; to be considered important or essential to the lives of others.

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  Esteem needs (that are developed within oneself): achievement, competence, confidence, independence, adequacy in some skills and mastery of others, fortitude and dignity; (that stem from the actions of others): respect, prestige, attention, appreciation, admiration and the receipt of honors.

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  Expressive needs (of an aesthetic nature): creativity, appreciation of beauty, simplicity and symmetry, imagination, completion, harmony and unity; (of an intellectual nature): seeking knowledge, curiosity, comprehension of ideas, having a philosophy and values, appreciation of truth and justice, insight, peace, logic, rationality and excellence.

Developing relationships with prospective donors that lead to gifts that build new or renovate old library facilities, enhance collections or endow librarian positions, must be integral to the work of everyone in your library. The role of the development officer is to provide expertise concerning the tools of trade, which include but are not limited to:

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  understanding the vision, mission and goals of his/her library;

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  creating a profile with characteristics of a likely donor;

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  conducting research to find names of individuals and organizations that fit the profile;

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  creating strategies for each individual prospective donor who has the financial capacity to make a large gift;

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  organizing special events to provide opportunities for prospective donors to interact with librarians and staff;

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  creating publications for and mailings to prospective donors;

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  providing guidance to fund-raising volunteer groups;

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  visiting, calling and writing to prospective and current donors; and

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  training and advising the library's director, librarians and staff regarding development.

Motivation theory can be used to guide each of these processes. A very helpful exercise is to provide a sheet containing the lists of the five types of needs and a sheet containing a list of the development tools to each member of your fund-raising team. Then set up a team meeting and ask people to express their creativity in thinking about new ways to meet the needs of prospective donors using these and other development methods.

One example is: when creating publications, think in advance of the impression on your intended audience. Make the font large enough for older people to read comfortably (physical need); include photographs of smiling people to convey positive interaction (social need); invite your reader to get involved with your organization in ways that will provide opportunities for aesthetic or intellectual expression (expressive need).

Also, when organizing special events, plan as if those invited will be guests in your own home. Arrange for comfortable seating, refreshments and easily accessible restrooms (physical need). Create ways for those who attend to become acquainted with each other, perhaps through staff-assisted introductions and conversation (social need). Ensure that each guest is at least greeted personally by a staff member or volunteer, and ideally is engaged in even a short personal conversation (esteem need).

The possibilities are endless. This is just another variation on the old adage that we must treat others, as we ourselves would like to be treated. Use motivational theory to anticipate the needs of your prospective donors when planning and executing your development program and you will be astonished by your own success.

Tina SurmanDirector of Library Development for the University Libraries, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA