A study out of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Georgia Institute of Technology found that people who are in good moods are more likely to donate to charitable causes.
According to AP News, the study analyzed Twitter posts made by donors both before and after they made a donation. Evidence pointed to the fact the donor’s mood had improved shortly before the donation was made.
Assistant professor Casey Wichman, explained, “It suggests that rather than this conventional notion that people give because it makes them feel good about themselves for doing the right thing, we found that people were in a good mood prior to donating, and that’s potentially the causal factor for why they decided to give”.
Charities could use this concept to their advantage, reaching out to donors at specific times such as birthdays and holidays when they are likely to be in a good mood. Using a donor’s good mood to their advantage could help nonprofits who are still recovering from the effects if Covid-19. CEO of Charity Navigator, Michael Thatcher, continues to prompt charitable organizations to experiment carefully and stay focused on their mission. He said, “I think we need to be trying new things right now because there is donor fatigue, … (but) don’t try every new fad.”