EA, i love you
This is my first post. The notes said cringe is OK, so cringe here we go:
I need help talking with high net-worth individuals in order to convince them to donate more. I am fortunate to be around many, and looking for any resources or support on how exactly to convince them to make more donations.
First, I identify a high networth individual as someone who has more than $5m in personal lifetime earnings. Though for simplicity, lets say has $5m in the bank.
Second, my goal is to help them create a community of giving. I want to convince them to go to their neighbor, and give that neighbor money until that neighbor also has $5m in the bank. Then those two goto a third neighbor. Those three goto a 4th neighbor...n+1
If we continue this process, then everyone in that vicinity will have $5m, and they can all work together to make more money as a collective, and in my view, continue widening their circle, OR pool it and apply given the wonderful research here.
Again, this is my first post, I get that its cringy, Ill leave it there and wait for feedback.
The general question is, just to reiterate: what are some solid methods to convince people with more than $5m to give away their excess?
I’d much prefer to hear success stories about what has worked, rather than “someone with $5m SHOULD be persuaded by seeing the most effective giving strategies as developed in the EA forum.”
Thank you all for the great work!
I think if there were proven methods to persuade such people to give away the excess, the world would look very different.
I hope you find success in persuading those around you to give, but I don’t think the process of giving to neighbours and polling resources rather than going directly to supporting specific causes where they could have a lot of impact makes much sense.
Check out organisations such as Effective Giving, Longview Philanthropy, and Founders Pledge. Oh and funding circles such as the Mental Health Funding Circle. Good luck!
It looks like you are looking for advice on how to fundraise, particularly in a way that contributes to creating a norm or culture of giving.
Substantively, as a step one, trying to convince someone to donate all of their income above a certain threshold is likely to be met with a degree of defensiveness, internally, if not externally. If someone is not already considering such a step, it is probably very difficult to persuade the person to make that step. If you are a part of a community of relatively wealthy people, being a part of it and forming friendships with people might be a place to start. You can make it clear that giving effectively is part of your identity without explicitly trying to pitch them on effective giving, which may influence people. You could introduce people to Giving What We Can, and let them know the pledge that you have taken. However, being influential of other people in this way is likely very hard and would involve skills that are likely very difficult to learn.
On a meta-level, you might want to include in the title of your post the kind of help that you are looking for. “EA, I love you” tells people who might want to help you virtually nothing about the kind of help you are looking for.
Good luck persuading/influencing people to use the power they can to significantly better the world.