spending + smiling / part 2

It's been a while since I first wrote on the spending-smiling principle.

It's an interesting time in my life to talk about money. My husband and I just became debt free, we shifted our monthly charitable giving, and I gave to my first political campaign. We got more medical bills then we expected, but we got more freelance jobs than we anticipated. We've started coupon clipping, but somehow that seems to make us buy more groceries...

In any case, I followed through. Whether or not anyone reads this blog, in this instance, it became my anchor of accountability. So when I exited the highway on my way home from work and saw a man asking for money, I pulled out a larger bill than I normally would have. I put my trust in the person I gave the money to and the God who I believe prompted me to give, instead of worrying about what the person may or may not spend it on.

But I'll be honest, it didn't feel that great. I don't regret doing it, but I'm not sure if I was happier for it. Now, there is self-reflection that comes out of that lack of cheerful giving and what it says about the state of my heart. I was obedient but not joyful--and that post-Ninevah state is not where I want to be.

However, this is a nonprofit marketing blog and that's what I will focus on here--mainly in dealing with the question: Why doesn't money buy happiness as easily as Michael Norton claimed? Well, I think it comes down to his methods.

Remember, he gave money to people so they could spend it on others. It wasn't their money to start with. In fact, the subjects of his study didn't really have a choice as to whether they'd spend that money on themselves or not. They only had a say in what hands, other than their own, the money (or its results) would land in.

This mirrors a "click to give" site, where it costs nothing for the public to give. This is like sharing your cause of choice on Facebook. This is like using free stickers with breast cancer awareness ribbons to seal your letters. All good things, but they don't require much self-sacrifice, at least not in terms of the advocate sacrificing his or her own money.

clicktogive.com

So how do we engage givers using this principle (that when one is given money, they are happier spending it on others than spending it on themselves)? I've seen a few examples worth noting.

Matching gifts
Who isn't happy to see their dollar go further? By offering a match of $1, $2, or $3 per donor dollar (though I've heard that studies show dollar-for-dollar matching actually is the most effective), donors are given "free" money to their cause for each contribution they make.

This also can be seen in an eco-conservation program, like the energy recovery fund at our college which offers ROI through the cost-savings that result from energy conservation.

calvin.edu/go/cerf

Tax return messaging
Ask donors to give what they didn't know they had--their tax return money! They likely haven't budgeted for their return, so if spending this unexpected cash on someone else really does increase happiness, you do donors a favor by helping them fund a literacy program instead of a weekend at the beach.

Best of both worlds
Help your cause, help yourself! That's the motto behind gifts for donors--calendars, address labels, magazine subscriptions, etc. Make the donor happier in a tangible (but inexpensive) way as you put their gifts at work in the world.

It's up to us as marketers to appeal to a donor's natural desire for easy giving. And, in the end, it's up to us as donors to strive for something more than just easy.

Just my two cents...match it with yours and drop me a line.