“People like me…”

We’re all a bit tribal.

One of the less appealing things about human nature is that we have a tendency to categorise others as ‘people like me’ or ‘not like me’. It seems that humans are wired for a certain amount of tribalism and looking after our own, even if we fervently believe that all people are created equal.*

Simply at a party full of strangers, most of us make a beeline for people who are a bit similar to ourselves, and feel intimidated by those we perceive as ‘not like me’. If we’re honest, we all find it easier to cluster with people of a similar age, class, stage of life, political view, etc, and have to try quite hard to overcome this tendency.

Why should I support someone outside of my tribe?

We need to recognise this part of human nature in charity fundraising. If your charity is asking middle-class, middle-aged British people to help elderly, widowed Indonesian people – there’s a challenge there. These appear to be ‘not like me’ people, naturally reducing the inclination to connect with and support them.

So think about how you can bridge the gap and emphasise what they have in common. Are your elderly beneficiaries in some way similar to your supporters’ elderly parents? Do they have memories, hopes and fears from their middle age that would resonate with your supporters now?

Find the tribe!

Another obvious strategy is to find the audience who will care the most about your cause. It’s clear that the people who raise most money for cancer charities are people who have had treatment or had a family member with cancer themselves. They see the future beneficiaries of the charity as ‘people like me’.

What’s the equivalent for your charity? If you help children to access education in another country, people who work in education in this country might be the most supportive. If you interview the children’s parents about their hopes and fears for their kids, then UK parents of similar-aged kids will also see them as ‘people like me’ who they can relate to and help. (It’s certainly true that all parents of wilful two year-olds worldwide have ‘people like me’ solidarity!)

Use it for good

We all wish that humans were less tribal. But in a way, charities can actually use this tendency to break through some traditional barriers, highlighting the things we have in common with people from very different backgrounds. That’s a great thing. We should all be working to avoid ‘othering’ the people our charities serve. So think creatively about how to communicate that they are, in fact, ‘people like me’.

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If you’d like more help crafting your fundraising campaigns, get in touch for a chat.

*Jon Yates explains ‘People Like Me syndrome' in his book, Fractured: we are more likely to buy from, befriend, live near, or vote for people like ourselves.