If you click on the link at the bottom of this newsletter within 15 minutes, you’ll be eligible to…

Nah, I’m just kidding. But did that catch your attention? Did it create excitement, or skepticism? Because it just so happens that urgency is the topic of today’s Fuel Tank.

So welcome to this week’s issue, and let’s dive in before it’s too late! (I promise that’s the last urgency pun).

At one point, urgency did move donors.

Today?
Not so much.

If anything, urgency triggers skepticism: Is this real? Is it manufactured? Am I being pressured?

Because the world has changed. It’s more chaotic, divisive, complex, emotional.

After the last few years of economic strain, political tension, and constant crisis messaging, donors have developed what psychologists call “scarcity resistance.”

Here’s what that means, and what to do instead.

Every sector has leaned hard on:

But when everything is urgent, nothing feels urgent.

Donors tune it out as self-preservation.

I know there’s always a big debate over Giving Tuesday and year end urgent appeals. And I have no doubt they create short-term gains. But do they sustain? Do they create life-long, avid supporters and advocates? Do they create momentum for your mission that keeps going long after the appeals have stopped?

Scarcity triggers the part of the brain responsible for self-protection.
Not generosity.

When donors feel:

…urgency backfires.

They don’t lean in.
They withdraw.

That applies to current donors and prospects. There’s enough in their lives to give them stress. If you add to it, you risk alienating them.

Giving is a choice. If that choice doesn’t feel right, there’ll be no action.

Shift the frame:

From: “We need this now.”
To: “Here’s what your support unlocks and why it matters.”

Purpose builds agency.
Urgency tries to remove it.

When donors feel agency, they act.

If you remember last week’s issue, we talked about the psychology behind a donor ‘yes’. It wasn’t about being convinced. It was about being aligned.

Urgency doesn’t align.

Donors give when something feels personally important to them, not when it feels urgent to you.

Ask yourself:
“Why would this matter to a donor today - in their world, in their context, in this moment?”

(seriously, look at all your outreach, your website, your impact reports, your conversations…do they pass the test above?)

Tie the ask to reality, not deadlines. Their reality.

Urgency may create a spike.
Stewardship creates stability.

Share small, real stories.
Be transparent.
Show momentum.
Invite participation, not obedience.

The more grounded your communication feels, the more donors trust your asks when they do come. They want progress, not miracles. They expect realism, not perfection.

I was surprised at how much emotion the topic of urgency in the nonprofit sector elicits. Sure, there’s examples where the results of an urgency campaign were through the roof. But what about all the examples when it failed miserably.

And I’ll throw this out there with absolutely no proof to back it up. Large, brand name nonprofits are more likely to successful use the urgency tactic, because they’ve got such a large pool of supporters, and they’ve built up agency for decades. The numbers work. Small and midsized organizations don’t get the same leeway, nor does the math work as effectively.

If you want to inspire a movement, your best path is slow and intentional.

Have an awesome week everyone!

Dan

P.S. If you know someone still relying on urgency-heavy appeals, pass this along.
A small mindset shift now can change their whole year.