# Seeing is believing

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2010/12/22/seeing-believing/
- Published: 2010-12-22T16:36:34+00:00
- Author: Simon George

**What is it that best motivates a donor to give to your cause? It could be any 
one of a number of factors (gratitude, duty, idealism, habit etc), but this week
I was reminded of a particularly effective one, which some charities perhaps overlook.**

I’m a trustee of an overseas charity and one very powerful tool in our fundraising
armoury is to take supporters (primarily major donor prospects and local activists)
on overseas visits to experience the work on the ground for themselves. This is 
a chance for them to see the problems the charity is addressing and to meet people
at the sharp end who are impacted by its work.

Past experience has found that, when donors return from such trips, they are very
fired up and want to tell the world – or at least their friends, families and communities–
about what they have seen and how they can help. One recent participant said “This
has changed my life! Things will never be the same for me after this.” Is she now
likely to increase her support, recruit others and be committed to the work? You
can bet she is.

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Now it’s not always possible to take donors on trips or to show them your projects.
But you can still show them the impact of your work in other ways. So why not make
some short videos, interviewing staff and beneficiaries about how you are helping
and what your charity means to them. Put this on your website, on YouTube and email
the link to supporters. Even if they can’t be there in person, they can still see
for themselves the benefit of your work, which reinforces their decision to give
and motivates them to keep on giving.

Donors need to know their money is achieving something and if your charity cannot
demonstrate this clearly to them, the danger is they will switch their giving to
one than can. These days, the technology is there to produce video cheaply. It does
not need to be slick and corporate – a home made feel is usually enough.

So if you are not yet showing donors the impact of your work and re-enforcing their
decision to give to you, maybe this should be on your to-do list for 2011?

*****************************************************************************************************************

Simon George is a Director of Wootton George Consulting and a Fellow of the Institute
of Fundraising. He has worked in fundraising since 1987 and was the founder of the
IoF’s Trusts Special Interest Group. Today he chairs the IoF’s West Midlands region
and works with a wide range of charities in a consultancy capacity. www.wgconsulting.
co.uk si***@*************co.uk Tel 01785 663600.

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