Here's a scenario I see much too often: A non-profit needs funding. They gather all their best impressive statistics. They create detailed presentations showing the scope of the problem they're trying to solve, leading with big numbers and big impact.
And it fails to connect. Human minds aren't wired for statistics. We're wired for stories. When I worked with an aged care charity, our donation page simply asked for general contributions to help seniors in need. The response was lukewarm at best. Then we changed the approach. Instead of asking for generic donations, we tied specific amounts to tangible outcomes:
Donations increased by 47%.
We weren't just asking for money - we were creating a story in the minds of our funders about the impact their donation was making.
Here’s the good news. Many studies have indicated that humans are hardwired for generosity. Here’s the bad news. The larger the scale of a problem, the less humans are able to empathise with those affected and the less generous we are.
This is another important concept to understand about how the human mind works. It’s why charities like World Vision ask you to sponsor a child, with a name, and a story rather than ask for donations for an amorphous problem of hunger and famine. In fact, one study showed that the average amount of donations someone contributed to a child in need was significantly less when they introduced just one more person - the child’s sibling.
But here’s how we overcome it.
If you say "30,000 people in our community need mental health support," it becomes an abstract statistic. But, if you tell the story of Sarah, a young mother struggling with postpartum depression who couldn't access help when she needed it most, it will connect.
The most successful non-profits don't just solve problems - they paint a picture of a better world that others want to help create.
Your vision needs to be:
Many NFPs are too scared to be ambitious. But ambition is attractive to people. Now, I want to preface this by saying, there is a balance here. Too ambitious and you can sometimes leave people feeling that the task is impossible, and therefore not worth contributing to. But not ambitious enough, and there’s nothing to inspire people to act.
For example, ‘we’re going to solve world hunger’ might be seen as impossible, even if that’s not true. But ‘our mission is to feed one million people’ is something people can get behind.
When someone donates money, they want or expect change. They’re not giving money to maintain the status quo. Especially when they’re giving large sums of money. As a charity or NFP organisation, in addition to seeking funding from your community, to really transform the impact you can have, you’ll also want to seek funding from very wealthy, passionate individuals. These major donors want to fund specific, ambitious initiatives that will fundamentally shift the landscape of the problem you're trying to solve.
Instead of: "Support our mental health programs"
Present: "Help us build Australia's first integrated youth mental health hub that could become the blueprint for national reform"
Instead of: "Fund our environmental initiatives"
Present: "Partner with us to create a revolutionary community-led conservation model that could reshape how we protect our ecosystems nationwide"
The key is to match the scale of your ask with the scale of their ambition. Show them exactly how their significant investment will create lasting, measurable change. Tell the story of the potential possible impact of their contribution. Make them believe in your mission as much as you do.
A NFP or charity is still a business. And that means you have competition. Whether you're fighting hunger, supporting mental health, or protecting the environment, others are working toward similar goals. This isn't a bad thing - big problems need many solvers. But it does mean you need to clearly articulate what makes your approach different.
Ask yourself:
Let's break down a realistic, strategic pathway to $1M that combines multiple funding streams. The key is understanding that different funders are motivated by different things:
Target: 250 regular givers at $50/month
Strategy:
Target: 2-3 substantial grants
Strategy:
Target: 5 businesses at $10,000 each
Strategy:
Target: One visionary donor
Strategy:
Raising significant funding for your non-profit requires a compelling brand strategy and strategic storytelling, a bold vision, and an understanding of the psychology of giving.
Believe in the scale of what's possible. Too many non-profits think too small and are afraid to articulate ambitious visions. Yet it's exactly that ambition - when paired with clear, strategic execution - that attracts the kind of funding that can truly transform your impact.
Your cause matters. Make sure your story does it justice.
