Getting someone to take any sort of action in support of your charity requires them to adopt or change a behaviour. Which is why a behavioural approach to comms is so vital, as we explain in this blog.
Donating To Charity, Or Signing Up For A Challenge, Requires A Behavioural Shift: But What Is 'Behaviour'?
It's important to start by understanding what we mean by 'behaviours' and how they differ from the closely allied concept of 'attitudes'.
Attitudes are the feelings and beliefs people hold about things.
In relation to charity, attitudes might include:
Belief in the cause: Does the person believe in the charity's mission and the work they do?
Trust in the organisation: Do they believe the charity is effective and uses donations wisely?
Personal connection: Have they or someone they know been affected by the issue the charity addresses?
General charitable inclination: Are they generally inclined to support charitable causes?
Behaviour In the simplest terms, this is an observable action a person takes, and can be further defined as: starting or ceasing doing something.
In a charity context, behaviours could include:
Making a donation: This could be a one-time gift, a recurring donation, or donating goods.
Fundraising: Actively collecting money on behalf of the charity, like running a marathon, organising a bake sale, or setting up an online fundraising page.
Volunteering: Donating time and skills to the charity.
Advocating: Spreading awareness and promoting the charity's cause.
In each case, it requires someone to do something they weren't doing previously. Even simply making an online donation requires a positive action; starting something (visiting a website to select a donation amount, enter payment details, and hit 'submit') that wasn't being done previously.
Why is this distinction between attitudes and behaviours important?
Because attitudes don't always predict behaviours! Someone might have positive attitudes towards a charity (they believe in the cause, and trust the organisation), but they might not take any action (such as donating or becoming a volunteer).
That's where the COM-B model of behavioural communications comes in handy as part of your non-profit marketing and charity fundraising.
What Is The COM-B Behavioural Communications Model?
The COM-B model is a framework for understanding the factors that influence behaviour. It stands for Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, and Behaviour. It's based on behavioural science and is a great way to understand donation psychology and donor behaviour in order to increase donations, and should be a cornerstone of your fundraising strategy.
Capability refers to an individual's psychological or physical ability to perform a behaviour.
Opportunity refers to the factors that make it possible or prompt a behaviour.
Motivation refers to the brain processes that energise and direct behaviour.
If any of these are missing, or significantly out of balance, people just aren't going to adopt the behaviours you want them to.
For instance, let's say you're appealing to people to do a sponsored skydive to raise money for your charity. This requires them to adopt or change a behaviour (stop sitting on the sofa watching Netflix box sets, and, instead, strap on a parachute and jump out of a plane).
Anyone who is pregnant, or has a pre-existing back or neck problem, or a heart condition, or is simply too frightened of heights, may be precluded from joining in. They lack the capability.
If your jump has been organised to take place on a Wednesday morning, then large numbers of people who work and can't get time off are going to be excluded from joining in. They lack the opportunity.
And unless they have a strong connection to your cause, or have always wanted to try skydiving and are eager to tick it off their bucket list, the idea of hurling themselves out of a moving aeroplane at 15,000 feet isn't going to appeal to a lot of people. They lack the motivation.
Some of the people you appeal to might have the capability and opportunity, but not the motivation, in which case it's unlikely they'll be persuaded to take part. Others may have the capability, and the motivation, but not the opportunity. And others still could have the opportunity and motivation but not the capability, and so will be ruled out.
The COM-B model can be used to identify the barriers that prevent people from donating or fundraising for charity so that these can be addressed at the outset, and factored in to the way you plan and execute your campaigns, and the way you communicate about them, to help power your non-profit growth.
How Charities Can Use The COM-B Model To Boost Fundraising Success
When first thinking about a fundraising campaign, whether that's a straightforward online donation 'ask' that you promote with ads on Facebook, a challenge event like abseiling down a local clock tower, or even attending a gala ball, think about what it is you're asking people to do and consider what capability, opportunity, and motivation hurdles they may face. Then account for these in your overall approach and the way you communicate about your campaign.
Sticking with our sponsored skydiving fundraiser, let's think about some of the barriers that might exist and how these could be overcome or at least diminished enough to still drive action:
Capability
For those who want to take part, but can't because of a pre-exisiting health condition, offer them the alternative of simply making a donation in support of your cause.
For those who love the idea but just can't overcome their fear of heights, offer them a chance to do a parallel 'jump' at an indoor skydiving centre.
And, for those who would gladly throw themselves out of a plane for you but that don't have a big enough circle of friends, family, and colleagues they can rely on to raise the minimum sponsorship, offer them the opportunity to fully fund their place themselves but where the cost is spread over three months to make it more affordable.
Opportunity
Plan your real and any parallel indoor jumps to take place at the weekend when more people are likely to be available to take part.
Motivation
Make an emotional appeal to highlight the cause your fundraiser exists to support.
Tell compelling stories about the impact people will be responsible for by joining in (however they do that).
Offer incentives for getting involved, like rewards and recognition.
Highlight the benefits to individuals who take part (feel good about themselves for helping the cause, achieve a personal ambition, enjoy the unrivalled exhilaration, have fun, meet others and potentially make new friends).
Add 'social proof', let people see that others are getting involved - a sense of 'peer pressure' can be a powerful motivator.
Done like this, you'll have eradicated, or shrunk potential obstacles for the majority of people in your audience, making it easier for them to adopt the desired behaviour.
Now let's say you're running an individual giving campaign online that's asking people to donate £25 to make a 'winter care package' available to people sleeping rough. It seems simple enough, and for most it will be, but for those who lack the capability because they are less familiar with the idea of moving money electronically, offer the option of sending a cheque.
£25 may not seem like a lot to ask for, but it could be a stretch for some who may lack the opportunity to give because they can't afford it, so give them the chance to specify an amount they are more comfortable with or offer them the alternative of setting up regular giving to fund the same amount over a year, reducing the donation to a more affordable figure of just over £2 a month.
And show the difference a donor can make to someone sleeping outdoors in freezing temperatures simply by making sure they get a pair of gloves, a woolly hat, and a scarf. Emotive images and video depicting someone enduring those cold conditions, and that creates a sense of jeopardy (what it will be like without that winter care package) could prove a compelling way to give people the motivation needed to support to your appeal.
Using the COM-B Model Of Behavioural Communications to Boost Your Charity Fundraising: Key Takeaways
The trick is to identify potential impediments up front, and then implement things that will remove or reduce them so that more people will be able to join in, take part, or support your fundraising efforts.
The COM-B model provides a framework for doing exactly this.
Stop Making Assumptions: Guesswork and a reliance on what you see other charities doing isn't enough. You need to understand the barriers that prevent people from taking action, whether it's a lack of capability, opportunity, or motivation.
Actionable advice: Analyse your current fundraising approaches. Are you making assumptions about your audience's capabilities or opportunities? Are you only focusing on emotional appeals (motivation) without addressing practical barriers?Empower Your Supporters: Make it as easy as possible for people to donate, volunteer, or fundraise. Provide clear instructions, user-friendly online platforms, and a variety of options to get involved.
Actionable advice: Review your donation process. Is it simple and intuitive? Do you offer diverse giving options (e.g., online, text, phone, mail)? Can people choose different ways to get involved or support you?Fuel Their Motivation: Connect with people on an emotional level by sharing compelling stories and demonstrating the impact of their contributions. But also, consider what other motivational factors might be at play, such as social norms or incentives.
Actionable advice: Use storytelling to highlight the real-life impact of donations. Feature testimonials from beneficiaries. Experiment with different motivational strategies, like peer-to-peer fundraising challenges or offering small rewards for donations.
Don't Forget the "Opportunity": Even the most willing supporter needs the right opportunity to act. Make sure your calls to action are clear, timely, and relevant to your audience.
Actionable advice: Think about the timing and context of your fundraising appeals. Are you reaching people at the right moment? Are your calls to action specific and easy to follow?
It's About Behaviour Change: Ultimately, successful fundraising is about influencing behaviour. Use the COM-B model as a framework to understand what drives those behaviours and design your strategies accordingly.
Actionable advice: Start applying the COM-B model to your fundraising planning. For each campaign, analyse how you are addressing capability, opportunity, and motivation. Test and refine your approaches based on what you learn.
Enjoyed reading this blog? Learnt something new and useful? Gained some valuable insight and inspiration? Then show it some love by sharing it on your socials! Want practical help implementing the COM-B model in your charity? Just ask.