How Star Wars Can Help You Raise More Money – Say What?

The Fundraising Coach -- Fundraising Tips, Tools, and Tactics for Nonprofits -- by Tom Iselin

Movies and Sound

Imagine watching a movie like Star Wars, Jaws, or Top Gun with no sound. They would be dry, listless, and yes, dull. In many movies, the sound makes the movie. It elicits emotional responses that can lift us up, make us cry, and give us goosebumps. Some music scores are so meaningful to us, they stir up emotions and memories decades after watching the movies. Think of movies like “The Sound of Music,” “Titanic,” and “The Good, Bad, and the Ugly.”

As a fundraiser, I recently came to heightened realization just how important sound is in our efforts to raise money. When reading a brochure or an appeal letter, there is no sound; it’s like watching a silent movie. The emotional power of the stories and information is weak. Yes, writing powerful and compelling stories can emotionally inspire donors, but not as well as telling those stories out loud.

Give Me Goosebumps

Telling stories and sharing information out loud—in person—brings stories alive. Imagine reading a scene from Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, or the shower scene in Hitchcock’s Psycho versus watching those scenes with sound. Reading the scenes may elicit an emotional response, but watching these movie scenes and hearing the sound effects, music scores, and people’s voices can transport our thoughts and emotions to unimaginable places.

The sounds in movies ignite all areas of our brains. The tone of a Darth Vader’s voice or the whizzing of Starfighter causes our brains to start pumping out dopamine, adrenaline, and a host of other chemical reactions that move us, compel us, and emotionally connect us. The same happens when we watch powerful videos with sound.

This is why it’s important to tell your stories colorfully when talking with donors and giving talks about your organization and the work you do. To do this, we need to use descriptive words that paint vivid pictures, tell touching stories, and vary your tone, pitch, and cadence of your speech.

Tune in to learn more