Most groups, organisations or even locations you belong to will have special terms and words. This bespoke language which is fit for only one topic, is known as jargon or slang.

These special terms, words and abbreviations help people in the group explain particular ways of doing things, applicable rules or even describe tools for the job.

Having this ‘language shorthand’ enables group members to communicate quickly and effectively whilst it creates a mutual bond of similarity.

Knowing jargon that’s specific to a sector, genre or group generally indicates a deeper understanding of that topic. In turn jargon can gain kudos and authority.

But when we apply jargon to charity fundraising, it’s not all positive. While it’s always good to know the lingo in any situation, it’s important that fundraisers always keep charitable donors as their top priority.

And if donors aren’t 100% clear on what’s being said to them, it could have a detrimental impact on their giving.

In this blog we take a look at why fundraisers use jargon in the first place, common terms used within the charity sector and 5 reasons that using jargon should be swerved altogether.

Why do charity fundraisers use jargon?

Like with many jobs and organisations, fundraisers and charities have jargon that’s specific to them. These might include acronyms to abbreviate processes or tools, special names for clothing or accessories, software needed to sign donors up or terms to summarise performance.  

Although it’s not uncompliant for a face to face fundraiser to use jargon, it’s not necessarily going to get the best results when in front of a donor who’s usually completely new to the world of fundraising and regular giving.

Here are six key reasons that jargon gets used in the charity sector:  

Jargon shows belonging

Whether it’s new mums talking about their babies, computer nerds talking about the latest I.T developments, or foodies talking about cooking and recipes, knowing the ‘lingo’ shows we’re meant to be there. We belong.

Belonging has huge psychological power because it reasserts our sense of security. All humans have an ancestral instinct to gather together in groups, knowing there’s safety in numbers.

In modern times, we enact these urges more subtly and using jargon to fit in is a prime example.

Jargon gives us authority

We all like sounding like we’re the expert on a topic and what better way than to be able to use the associated language that comes with a topic?

Listening to someone that understands and uses all the technical terms instantly elevates them as having relevant knowledge. Jargon, much like statistics can be used to show knowledge and knowledge is power!

Competitors use jargon

Within certain industries and sectors jargon tends to extend to every member in the field. So to not be using jargon might be considered unprofessional or even less competent.

When in a setting with competitors, such as an industry conference or pitching to a new charity partner, using jargon helps to establish expertise.  

Charity partners use jargon

In the nonprofit world, fundraisers and charities often deal with complex issues, such as cancer research or social economics.

In these instances, jargon is almost essential. Appropriate language such as medical terminology or explanatory words for government policies should be used.

When in professional situations, such as research centres or charity meetings, it is expected that those involved should use appropriate terms.

Acronyms are easier

Who wants to repeat the same three to five word sentence every time they reference something, over an easy acronym?

Most of us are busy and when we’re around our peers it’s much easier to use our in house acronyms. Unfortunately, we often forget to lengthen it back out again when we’re talking to those outside of work.

‘Proper’ takes priority over real

When we’ve been taught something in a particular way, such as earning a degree in English language, we might be a stickler about how things are correctly pronounced or written every time.

Sometimes that habit flows into using jargon all the time and forgetting that even if it’s correct, it’s no use using words that others don’t understand!  

In real life, talking to real donors, the correct terminology, sentence structure, pronunciation and general rule book can remove character, charm, colloquialism and humanity.

It’s easy to be a stickler for accuracy, but ‘too’ proper can stifle progress especially when you’re a face to face fundraiser talking to real people in real time.

Examples of charity and fundraiser jargon

There’s a lot of general terms to decode in the charity sector and in charity fundraising but we’ve kept to the ones we hear and use most often here at Charity Link.

Fundraising regulator

The fundraising regulator is an organisation that oversees all types of fudnraisers and makes sure they’re adhering to the code of fundraising practice.

Learn about the code of fundraising practice

Lapsed donor

When a donor donates for a couple of times but then stops for whatever reason. Because Charity Link is a fundraising agency, we’re the introduction for regular giving and are responsible for getting the donor across the initial line. If charities see an increased in lapsed donors, they’ll often research about why that might be happening. 

OPG

One for the face to face fundraiser toolkit! An OPG or ‘One Person Gazebo’ is what’s used in private site fundraising to make fundraisers more visible, appear credible to the general public, show off charity branding and catch attention.

Lived experience

Lived experience is a term used across the board in the charity sector. It refers to the personal experience of someone that’s been through what a fundraiser is describing. So that could refer to someone that’s been homeless, had cancer or has a disability.

Lived experience is important to relay when telling the stories of the beneficiaries behind any cause.

DPP

DPP stands for ‘Donors Per Person’ and refers to the number of donors a fundraiser has been able to sign up in a set period of time.

NSR

NSR is another acronym used here at Charity Link that stands for ‘No Show Rate’ – which is when a person says they’ll donate but cancels before the first payment is made to the charity.

Third sector

The third sector is a collective way to describe charities, non-profits, volunteer organisations and social enterprises.

The voluntary sector shouldn’t be confused with charities – although often infused. Charities are paid through various channels to do the work they carry out, whilst volunteers are unpaid and act within their own free will.

Civil society

The same as the third sector; civil society is the part of society that’s not business and not dependent on the government, but comprised of charity and not for profits. Sometimes known as the community sector too.

Positive change

A moot point, especially when we consider that the purpose of charity is to change things for the better.

Positive change simply points to the impact a charity campaign hopes to have

NGO

Another acronym, this time standing for ‘Non-governmental organisation’ which is an organisation funded by donations and grants that works toward goals to improve social welfare.

The difference between an NGO and a charity is that charities must adhere to a number of strict rules to qualify as a charity, whereas an NGO does not.

CIoF

The CIoF or ‘Chartered Institute of Fundraising’ is a membership body whose mission is to support fundraisers through education and development whilst promoting fundraising as a great career choice.

By networking and connecting fundraisers they hope to raise the bar for best practice and compliance.

New starter

Fairly explanatory, but a new starter is a fundraiser that is only just beginning their journey with us. Having gone through the recruitment process, new starters commence training and continue through our academy for 12 weeks until graduating as a fully fledged professional fundraiser.

5 reasons why fundraisers should avoid using jargon

The problem with jargon isn’t with being used within the industry and those in the know. It’s when fundraisers are out on the field talking to potential donors.

Anyone that’s tried fundraising knows that any barriers must be dismantled – especially when you’re trying to get someone to give your cause money!

There should be nothing getting in the way of a person choosing to donate – at least nothing caused by the fundraiser! Any pitch has got to be easy, simple to understand and engaging.

When fundraisers use jargon with donors, they’re less approachable and more confusing. Instead of creating togetherness, jargon makes donors feel like they’re just not ‘in the club’.

Read about handling objections in charity fundraising

Using jargon can negatively impact your donors and your organisation in several ways. Here are five reasons why you should avoid using jargon when communicating with your donors:

Lack of clarity

When you use jargon, you make it difficult for your donors to understand your mission and the impact of their donation. Donors want to know how their money will be used and what kind of impact it will have. Using jargon can create confusion and a lack of clarity, making it difficult for donors to understand your organisation's goals.

Decreased trust

Using jargon can make your donors feel like they are being talked down to or excluded. When donors feel like they are not being included in the conversation, they can become less engaged and less likely to support your organisation. This can decrease their trust in your organisation and make it less likely that they will begin or continue to support you.

Loss of connection

Donors want to feel emotionally connected to the organisations they support and understand the impact of their donations. Using jargon can create a barrier that prevents donors from feeling connected to your organisation. If donors feel like they don't understand your organisation's message, they may feel disconnected from your cause and less motivated to support you.

Jargon overcomplicates things

Put it this way – would you rather help to fight the climate crisis or reduce carbon emissions? Would you rather save animals or stop the third mass extinction? The fact is people just want things to be easy and quick to understand.

Negative perception

Using jargon can create a negative perception of your organisation. Donors want to support organisations that are transparent and clear about their goals. Using jargon can create the impression that your organisation is not transparent or trustworthy. This negative perception can damage your organisation's reputation and make it harder to attract new donors.

Learn why fundraisers should be telling donors what they want to hear!

Using jargon can turn off potential donors who might be interested in supporting your organisation. If potential donors don’t understand your mission and the impact of their donations, they are less likely to donate. When donors feel like they don't understand your message, they may be less likely to give to your organisation.

Instead of using jargon in charity fundraising, you actually can use impressive language in the form of verbs which is a proven motivator when used correctly.

See which magic words work wonders in fundraising

Focus on connecting to your donor with questions to find out what they really care about. Really listen to their answers and tailor your pitch to them.

Use open body language a compassionate tone and clear simple language. Use your personality and warmth to capture their attention and use well chosen facts and stories to keep them engaged.

Take the emphasis away from complicated terms and sounding important and back to simple human to human conversation.

Communicate clearly and effectively with your donors to build trust, maintain connections, and encourage donations. When you use clear, straightforward language, you can help your donors understand your mission and the impact of their donations, which can lead to stronger relationships and more successful fundraising efforts.

This doesn’t make your cause sound simplistic; it makes you sound real.

As a professional fundraising agency, we’re always looking at ways we can continue to improve techniques to streamline the way our face to face fundraisers represent our charity partners and ethically solicit as many regular donors as possible.  

We’re proud to offer an award winning training academy to all our recruits as well as unrivalled ongoing support.

Are you interested in a career in professional fundraising?  

If you’re confident, a great communicator and would love the opportunity to make a real difference in your job, why not hop over to our careers page to learn more about the role?