Brigid Slipka

[This is part of a series of posts on the motivations of donors, ranging from most selfish to most selfless: the Spectrum of Givers]

There are two types of nongivers that, despite being Dragons, still are a focus of revenue-generating operations of sophisticated nonprofits.  And so a quick word about each.

Delayers, are those who refuse to make a gift but say they will do so later.

This is a fundamental shift.

While the action at the critical moment is still one of refusal, a Delayer offers an excuse and a promise.  The promise hides an uncomfortable truth that the donor doesn’t want  to face: deep down, she thinks she oughtta give, but she just don’t wanna.

So by promising to do so in the future, the nongiver can explain away the niggling irritation of Oughtta and still indulge in the current moment in Wanna.

This is transformational.  In cognitive development terms, this is the beginning of elimination of egocentricism.  The Delayer recognizes the needs of others.  Sure, she doesn’t act on it, but having the thought is the first step.

(Im assuming that when a Delayer says she’ll give later, she believes it that she will.  A Dragon who says she’ll give later just to get the fundraiser to go away, but has no intention of doing anything in the future, is not a Delayer.  He is a Liar.)

The difficulty with Delayers (besides the Obvious Problem that they have not made an actual gift) is that when that future moment arrives, they’ll probably refuse again.   Given that people are highly likely to do tomorrow what they do today, those who beg off today will apply for another postponement tomorrow.  Fundraisers employ many techniques to keep this from happening.  They’ll ask the Delayer to identify a specific amount that will be given later, because this type of pledge is more likely to turn a Dragon into a Giver.  For the Delayers who have said they’ll give through their estate after they die, fundraisers look for any opportunity to gently remind the After-I-Die Delayer of their promise: planned giving societies, honor rolls, and annual events.

And it frequently works.  The time and effort dedicated toward this subset of nongivers can be worth it: Delayers transcend their status as Dragons and move up the Spectrum into the realm of Giving.