I’m not going to try to convince you to vote on Tuesday, if you haven’t voted already. Voting – not who or what we vote for, but the simple act of casting your ballot – is motivated by a complex mix of beliefs, emotions, and habits (perhaps even genetics!) that are not particularly susceptible to rational argument.

Anyway, I probably don’t have to persuade you to vote. Subscribers to this e-letter are involved with nonprofit organizations. People like us stop at crosswalks, take only as much as we can eat, and put our trash in the bin. We donate to charities, help our neighbors, and smile at grocery store clerks.

Contemporary American politics may make us gag. (Or am I speaking only for myself?) We may know that our candidates will win by wide margins. Nevertheless, we show up at the polls (or the mailbox).

Why? Because we believe it’s the right thing to do. It’s a simple syllogism: Voting is good. I am a good person. Therefore I vote.

See what I did there? Even though I said I wasn’t going to try to persuade you to vote, I just used two of the most potent motivators for altruistic behavior:

• Self-identity: “I’m the kind of person who votes.”
• Social identity: “People like us vote.”

I still am not trying to persuade you to vote! (Well, maybe a little.) I’m demonstrating how to persuade people to do things that are not necessarily in their best interests.

Almost everything nonprofits try to get people to do – donate, volunteer, recycle, adopt, vote, whatever – comes at a cost. If you try to argue rationally, you have to find a way to make up that cost. Chances are you can’t.

But you can make people feel good about giving up their time or money to support your cause.

• Tell them what generous, forward-thinking, resourceful, kind [insert adjectives that fit the action you’re trying to inspire] individuals they are.
• Show them they are part of a tribe of generous, forward-thinking, resourceful, kind [etc.] people just like them.

That’s how we get people to do things that are not good for them but benefit others: We make it good for them. If you don’t see how that can work for you and your organization, let’s talk!