Your Weekly Reminder to Contribute to Lawfare
Editor's Note: For those of you who have already contributed to Lawfare in response to my appeals, many thanks from all of us.
Editor's Note: For those of you who have already contributed to Lawfare in response to my appeals, many thanks from all of us. For those who have not yet done so, I am reposting the appeal, and will occasionally do so again between now and the end of the year. Please considering making a donation of any size.
The other day, I listened to a fascinating episode of Freakonomics Radio featuring a lengthy discussion with a noted economist about what actually works in non-profit fundraising. I listened to this with, I suspect, more-than-average attention, as we have been working hard recently to raise money to grow Lawfare. The secret, according to University of Chicago economist John List, is relatively simple and boils down to the following: Don’t appeal to pure altruism, but use a pitch that makes people feel warm and fuzzy about themselves for giving; make clear that they gain transactional benefits from giving; and make sure all your requests for funds---to men, at least---are made by beautiful blonde women. No, I'm not making that last bit up. Listen to the episode if you don't believe me:
The other day, I listened to a fascinating episode of Freakonomics Radio featuring a lengthy discussion with a noted economist about what actually works in non-profit fundraising. I listened to this with, I suspect, more-than-average attention, as we have been working hard recently to raise money to grow Lawfare. The secret, according to University of Chicago economist John List, is relatively simple and boils down to the following: Don’t appeal to pure altruism, but use a pitch that makes people feel warm and fuzzy about themselves for giving; make clear that they gain transactional benefits from giving; and make sure all your requests for funds---to men, at least---are made by beautiful blonde women. No, I'm not making that last bit up. Listen to the episode if you don't believe me:
Benjamin Wittes is editor in chief of Lawfare and a Senior Fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution. He is the author of several books.
