Giving Compass' Take:

• Allison Grayson shares how successful advocacy must invoke emotion to accompany the fact-based arguments nonprofits make. 

• How can your advocacy benefit from an emotional approach?

• Read tips to strengthen advocacy relationships. 

Psychologist Drew Westin says, “In politics, when reason and emotion collide, emotion invariably wins.” Unfortunately, nonprofits often craft advocacy messages that lack emotion altogether.

Good facts are not good enough. Successful advocacy requires messaging that appeals to the heart, not just the head. A large body of research shows that appealing to shared values can win more support for one’s cause. Linguist George Lakoff famously asserts, “The truth will not set you free unless the truth is first framed effectively to trigger common values.”

Independent Sector commissioned research to identify values-based messages that may increase support for giving incentives. Based on research by psychologist Jonathan Haidt, the study tested voters’ responses to six different values-based messages.

Highlights from our findings tell nonprofits:

  • We’re popular – There is strong public support for policies that incentivize charitable giving
  • Go local – Local nonprofits serve as the most effective messengers
  • Emphasize Fairness – Fairness proved to be the most popular message across different audiences

Read the full article about crafting successful advocacy by Allison Grayson at Independent Sector.