56 WWW.AGRM.ORG MAY/JUNE 2017 DAY-TO-DAY I t used to be that donations were made as trans- actions. In other words, donors felt they should give so they did. The motivation behind the gift was driven by the need to give, plus the need for the ministry to receive—a transaction. Today the motivation behind charitable giving is threefold: intellectual, emotional, and transfor- mational. Intellectual: Donors, especially when they are considering a sizable gift, want to understand the ministry they are giving to. The more the donors know about an organization, the more willing they are to entrust funds to it. Does the ministry have a good reputation? This affects willingness to contribute to the ministry year after year. The intellectual side of giving is supported by knowing that a gift has sig- nificant impact and helps the ministry achieve its vision. Planned gifts, or the giving of appreciated assets, involve knowledge beyond simply writing a check. Intellectual aspects of giv- ing are foundational and lead to emotional giving. Emotional: Donors need to feel joy or fulfill- ment by giving. They are deeply committed to supporting ministries that correspond with their values. Personal experience with a ministry will increase their commitment. This is a great open- ing for rescue missions who depend on volunteers because the donors/volunteers will see needs first- hand and respond accordingly. It’s also important to understand that most couples make giving deci- sions together. These components support their need for emotional giving and set the stage for us to understand transformational giving. Transformational: Donors today want their gifts to make a difference. They want to know that their giving will contribute to changing a life and mak- ing the world a better place. Especially in rescue ministry, donors are interested in giving back to the community—their community! How does this play out in your ministry? Be pre- pared to walk donors through these three steps as you develop relationships with them. A great way to do that is to invite them to the mission where they can see and hear about the vision of your ministry. While visiting, they will engage with the emotion that is so palpable in your facility. Let them hear how lives are transformed straight from the men and women with success stories. If the topic comes up, offer them an opportunity to volunteer (55 percent of donors choose to give where they have had a firsthand experience). They then can become donors and advocates—which in turn multiplies the impact of their experience. Ĩ FINDING FUNDS Barry Durman Why Do Donors Give? Understanding the motivation behind the donation Barry serves as the senior consultant at the Westfall Group in Suwanee, Georgia. He has 35 years of development experience and served at the Atlantic City Rescue Mission for 13 years, including 10 years as president. He can be reached at barry@westfallgroup.net.