I found the same result with my thesis, and this idea still informs the way I talk about EA. Actually, considering how weak a lot of the data is on charitable giving behavior, I recall being surprised by how consistently storytelling appeared to work. Some relevant quotes from my summary of said thesis:
In the meantime, some general advice for all charities:
Tell donors what their donation will accomplish (be specific!).
Tell stories about individual people you’ve helped.
[...]
Talk about your beneficiaries a lot. Make them sound like nice, hardworking people who have a lot in common with the donor.
[...]
Use simple, visual language. One clever study took issue with the fact that newspapers tend to use the word “affected” to describe the people who survive natural disasters. Referring to these people as “homeless” (which is what “affected” really means in this context) substantially increases the amount donors are willing to give to them.
I found the same result with my thesis, and this idea still informs the way I talk about EA. Actually, considering how weak a lot of the data is on charitable giving behavior, I recall being surprised by how consistently storytelling appeared to work. Some relevant quotes from my summary of said thesis:
In the meantime, some general advice for all charities:
Tell donors what their donation will accomplish (be specific!).
Tell stories about individual people you’ve helped.
[...]
Talk about your beneficiaries a lot. Make them sound like nice, hardworking people who have a lot in common with the donor.
[...]
Use simple, visual language. One clever study took issue with the fact that newspapers tend to use the word “affected” to describe the people who survive natural disasters. Referring to these people as “homeless” (which is what “affected” really means in this context) substantially increases the amount donors are willing to give to them.
Thanks for the actionable suggestions!