What’s in a name? or, Give With Purpose.
‘Tis the time of year when we are looking back, gathering our thoughts on what has been, and likely hoping that some of what was done and made was for the betterment of humanity and providing solace to those in need.
It’s the season of giving.
So, we look out over the landscape to find what resonates with our sentiments for giving back; children’s education, animal protection or climate change? Or is it racial injustice, health care for all, or even the more esoteric, or simple, choice of supporting organizations that are struggling to keep their doors open?
How we pick is often a result of personal experiences.
Large, global aid agencies have already been hard at work to capture the funds that are about to be unleashed. Many have forged partnerships with celebrities to bring Africa’s children onto our screens. They have mobilized video images to tug at our heartstrings, splashing around the heavy waves of endless infomercials. These organizations don’t spare the cost; it’s business as usual.
They know that name recognition is key.
Smaller organizations rely on the true and tried – the peer-to-peer pressure model, that can either result in a convincing argument of supporting just that small, community-based organization; or, a feeling of problems and despair getting too close. Their reach is limited, and the costs are high, both on income and outlays.
The marketplace of ideas is alive and well.
Recently, I read an article about the rise of DAFs, the donor advised funds that are proliferating, much without controls or obligations. Similar to a deposit box for the rich, these funds offer immediate tax relief and instant gratification of having given. The original reason for the creating the philanthropic sector, designing a tax shelter vehicle, is clearly alive today, a hundred years or so later.
Money is still the go-to, a merry-go-round, regardless of industry.
The title of this blog is an example of what’s in a name. Easy-to-get abbreviations, play on words, and emotionally charged labels have been par for the course in the sector for eons. Emotional Industry is also in a way a play on this predilection – to get at people’s feelings.
Does fancy branding or a cutsie name make you give more?
In a segment on a morning show yesterday, a known tv journalist promoted an initiative by UNICEF called K.I.N.D., Kids In Need of Desks, that would provide school desk to children in Africa. If you didn’t know, you’d think that was an invention of one of the global UN family of organizations. But no, the abbreviation is already used by KIND, Kids in Need of Defense, a group that works to protect children’s rights and well-being as they migrate alone in search of safety. And not only that, but it was started by Angelina Jolie, who has served as a UN Ambassador for ….children. Maybe the punctuations made all the difference.
How to appeal to people depends on your resources.
Celebrity affiliation and money usually get along famously. Throw in some media exposure and willingness to be a bit brash or sensationalistic and you have created a winning concept to raise funds. The name is part of that, and how we are drawn in. Let’s hope that in the end, it’s the substance and the action that decide the outcome.
Finally, some unsolicited advice: Give with purpose this season. Only you know what that means.
Wishing you all a harmonious and gratifying holiday season!
Photo: Daniel Lysov via Pexel