There are many things that influence a person's decision to make a donation to an organization.  Understanding these influences is important.  Once you understand them, you can begin to design your fundraising efforts to maximize their effect.  

There are external factors related to the organization: 

• reputation
• brand recognition
• public awareness of the cause it represents

There are external factors related to the person considering the donation:

• influence of peer group
• degree of participation in the organization
• lifestyle and economic resources of the donor
• degree to which the donor is affected by the cause

There are internal factors of psychology and motivation:

• altruism
• desire for social justice
• guilt or remorse
• religious beliefs
• prestige

There are internal factors related to the organization:

• how the donor is asked
• frequency of requests
• feedback provided to the donor
• timeliness of receipts and thank-you letters
• demonstration of effective use of funds

When planning or auditing a fund development program, develop a check list of these things and see how many are taken into account in your donor research and your various communications with donors.