I think it’s a gift. So let’s talk about empathy. I am convinced that we can’t successfully communicate without empathy. Underline that for fundraising communications. In fact, human decision-making is emotional. We decide based on our feelings, and then rationalize them later. So feelings of empathy are critical to move people toward doing good. Rational […]
Is our world moving too fast for empathy?
If part of your work is communicating with donors, your job might be getting harder. Is our world moving too fast for empathy? We’ve heard that human attention spans are now shorter than those of goldfish. We know more people are reading online, and fewer are reading on paper. And we have also known that […]
Empathy: the smart fundraiser’s superpower
Could a small change in your thinking make you a more successful fundraiser? I was reading an article about empathy and marketing the other day. It began with an example of Oxo, a company that makes household items. On the way into their office is a wall. It’s covered with lost gloves – a reminder […]
How to address hard truths in the era of fake news
Hard truth or fake news? (Yes, this is still a piece about fundraising and nonprofits) I watched the press conference wind to an end. At that point, the spokesperson uttered demonstrably incorrect words and walked away from the podium. Boom. The intent was obvious: my “facts” will trump your “fake news”. Obviously, our current situation […]
Do I have to care today?
Do I really have to care today? A personal note: I wrote this before Dallas. Before Alton Sterling. Before Philando Castile. Before Orlando, Dhaka, Istanbul, Iraq and so much more. I was responding to personal stuff – the loss of my mom, and frustrations with work. It’s hard right now when it feels like the […]