ERNOP Online Series 2026-2027
Using a Number of Beneficiaries in Fundraising: Less is More?
May 25, 2027, 10-11 (CET)
Speaker: Dominik Meier (University of Basel)
About this seminar:
Fundraisers make choices every day about whose stories to tell, which images to use, and whether to focus attention on one individual or show the wider group of people who might benefit.
A familiar principle in fundraising is that one person is more compelling than many. Showing an individual beneficiary is thought to create a stronger emotional connection, while our compassion supposedly fades as the number of people in need increases. This idea has become influential in how fundraising appeals are designed.
But is focusing on a single beneficiary really always the best strategy?
In this ERNOP webinar, Dominik Meier, Senior Researcher at the University of Basel, presents findings from his study Compassion for All: Real-World Online Donations Contradict Compassion Fade. Drawing on data from almost 30,000 GoFundMe campaigns across four countries, the study finds a different pattern. This raises broader questions for fundraising practice. How should organisations present the people and communities they support? When should an appeal focus on an individual story, and when is it better to show a wider group? And how does an environment in which donors can choose between many different causes change what makes an appeal effective?
About Dominik Meier
Dominik Meier is an Assistant Professor of Global Philanthropy at the University of Basel and Visiting Researcher at the Gradel Institute of Charity at the University of Oxford. He explores individual and institutional philanthropy through the use of big data, machine learning, and natural language processing. His current work focuses on prosocial behaviors such as giving and volunteering, and how philanthropy can support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
About the Center for Philanthropy Studies (CEPS), University of Basel
The Center for Philanthropy Studies (CEPS) at the University of Basel is an interdisciplinary research and executive education institute focused on the non-profit sector and the many dimensions of philanthropy. Founded in 2008 through an initiative by SwissFoundations, CEPS aims to strengthen the scientific understanding of philanthropy, support knowledge transfer, and offer executive education to foster professional practice in the field.