As the negative news piles on, we become increasingly numb to it and less affected by tragedy. It may not be right or good, but it’s a fact. I recently heard Jeff Kositsky, director of San Francisco’s Department of Homelessness, call this “empathy fatigue.” Although he was speaking about the chronic issue of homelessness, the term applies more broadly. We’re unable to constantly operate in a hyper-affected state, and as we hear more and more bad news, it’s impossible for our empathy not to hit a ceiling.

So, what does this mean? Americans are hopeful, charitable and committed to advancing the causes they care about. In 2015, $373.25 billion was donated to charitable organizations (Giving USA), with 17.4% of all giving taking place in December (Blackbaud 2015 Charitable Giving Report). Clearly, end-of-year fundraising is important for nonprofits. But what can they do to overcome empathy fatigue and stand out among all the nonprofits clamoring for contributions? Below are a few suggestions from a communications perspective on how to keep donors engaged and feeling generous.

See 6 tips on how nonprofits can overcome ‘Empathy Fatigue’ on PR News.

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Giving back is especially important to today’s consumers, namely millennials, who support brands and make purchasing decisions based on cause-related elements. According to a 2014 study by Web consulting company Instart Logic, at least 70 percent of millennials have purchased a product that supports a cause, and they’re more willing to pay extra for a product if it supports a cause they share.

Tom’s is one brand that has done an excellent job of building a loyal millennial following using a one-for-one-model. Giving back doesn’t have to be as complicated or costly as companies may believe. And the goodwill that is built in doing so is priceless.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving and giving back, it seemed a good time to reflect on the positive impact our agency-generated programs have had on hundreds of thousands of needy individuals in the past few years alone. PR can make a HUGE difference in the lives of others. Below speaks volumes of just how much of a difference.

• Our client’s Food 4 Thought program that we developed from the ground up and brought to Stanislaus and Mercend counties has helped provide more than 3,700 Central Valley elementary students with more than 1.1 million pounds of groceries in exchange for their work in after school academic and extracurricular activities and continues to provide more than 25,000 pounds of groceries each month.
• In partnership with food banks that we forged on our client’s behalf, more than 20,036 turkeys – or roughly 363,648 pounds – have been donated to feed more than 363,648 people.
• Through the 2014 summer Pass the Plate program, which we built from the ground up with seven West Coast food banks, 7,500 people (1,875 families) received 24,000 complete chicken dinners throughout the summer.

Doing good is also ingrained in our agency culture. Several of us serve on boards of non-profits and the company supports our volunteerism in giving back to our communities. We’ve done good and we’ve helped our clients do good, and for that I am extremely proud…and thankful. Happy Thanksgiving.

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