What Are “Rage Donations”?

What are rage donations?

For several years, nonprofit organizations have been harnessing the power of “rage donations,” where donors respond to recent events with acts of generosity. It gives them an outlet when they feel like no one is listening and a sense of power when they feel helpless.

Rage donation – noun – A donation driven by an emotional response to a recent event.

As a fundraiser, it might be scary to solicit angry donors, but psychology tells us that providing an outlet for their feelings actually helps them feel better.

Turning anger into action

The psychology of restorative anger

In order to feel empowered by anger, people need a safe way to acknowledge their feelings. ExperiencingFeeling the full intensity of their anger, without holding on to hatred, can provide a sense of relief. This allows a sense feelings of inner strength and personal power.

Time-sensitive tasks to address first

There are plenty of fundraising methods you can implement quickly and cost-effectively in an emergent situation, but it’s important to determine your messaging first. To harness rage donations, your appeal should provide quick ways to act on intense feelings. And time-sensitive appeals may require specialized tools.

A few things to consider while creating your appeal:

• Will there be a time-sensitive element to your appeal, like a 24-hour goal? Try fundraising text messages – they’re likely to be read right away!

• Do the people affected by this event have urgent needs? Create ask amounts to address different needs, and tell donors what their gifts will do.
• Having trouble writing an appeal while feeling angry yourself? Jot down a few ideas and let the DonorPerfect Fundraiser Bot take care of the rest. 

4 ways to mobilize your fundraising efforts in response to recent events

1. Turn “slacktivists” into supporters through social media.

Imagine if everyone who reacted to an issue on social media also mentioned a nonprofit that could make a difference. That’s exactly how many organizations are gaining new donors who are passionate about their mission. When you put the problem and solution in a single post, people immediately have an outlet for their anger, in the heat of the moment.

Slacktivist – noun – A pairing of the words “slacker” and “activist,” referring to a person who takes a stance on a cause without any action or effort.

But how can you draw attention to your social media activism in the first place? Some of the best ways to increase awareness are joining groups, using hashtags, and creating lead magnets. In your posts, be sure to explain how your mission contributes to the change donors want to see, and include a link to your donation page.

2. Inspire collaboration through crowdfunding and events.

Anger loves company. It helps identify collaborative solutions. Two of the most effective ways to pool community support are fundraising events and crowdfunding pages. Both methods allow donors to bring their friends, family members, and colleagues together in support of a better tomorrow. “Social proof” – the tendency for people to act similarly to those who influence them – makes their impact feel like a shared achievement.

Crowdfunding pages

When people post about current events on social media, they want their followers to engage in the topic with them. Empower your supporters to go beyond a conversation by inviting them to create individual crowdfunding pages to raise money for your organization.

Giving days

Nonprofit giving days are 24-hour fundraising events, often virtual, which focus on a specific cause. Even if you have limited time or resources, you can easily plan a virtual event with just a social media account and donation form, creating excitement through giving challenges and storytelling.

3. Create a dedicated web page with quick ways to help.

Online fundraising tools allow you to create a dedicated campaign page with photos, videos, and stories that appeal to your donors’ emotions. You can even add your logo to establish trust and write impact descriptions to help them choose a gift amount. 

Drive more traffic to your donation page with fliers, bulletins, or window displays that include a QR code. Supporters can simply scan the code on their smartphone to access your page.

Some may not be able to donate, though, so be sure to provide alternatives!

Outline specific actions supporters can take beyond donating, like:

• Contacting their elected representatives to voice support or opposition. 
• Donating goods that will benefit constituents in their time of need.
• Volunteering to help your organization with social media.

4. Identify potential supporters with prospect research.

Prospect research helps you find common ground to fuel actionable conversations. It reinforces your data with demographic information and predictive analytics to reveal donors who are angry about recent events and looking to take action.

Try using a prospect research tool that integrates with your constituent relationship management system (CRM) to find donors who might share your concerns. You can also segment your database by demographic to create a list of donors who might be affected by recent events.

It’s not impossible to prepare your nonprofit for the unexpected. You can put data procedures and email templates in place now to save time when concerning situations arise. We created Crisis Fundraising Templates: A Nonprofit Guide to Emergency Communications to make donor engagement easy when times are hard. Download your free copy below and get started today.