Award Winning Blog - Agitator

The Now or Never Effect

Faux deadlines are a stock in trade for online fundraising. “Faux” because most organizations will take every penny that comes in past the deadline and even if there is a match thrown in to juice the offer – e.g. give by Date X and your gift will be matched. But does it work? And “work” […]

Learn More August 16, 2021

Conference with 100% Money Back Guarantee

If a conference promised me, The speakers will blow my mind Killer swag (speaking of which, DonorVoice got killer swag as part of our PETA sponsorship which is neither here nor there but rarely is the swag killer and so props to PETA) 100% money back guarantee I’d sign up right away. Hell, we’d sponsor […]

Learn More August 13, 2021

The Power of Giving Circles

A wise fundraiser constantly searches for new grass. Not ‘new’ in the sense of moving on to a new position. Not necessarily “greener” in terms of a richer lode of donors. But certainly “new” in terms of sources and approaches to giving beyond the conventional landscape on which most fundraisers graze. As we recently warned, […]

Learn More August 11, 2021

Take a Guess to Increase Conversion

What percentage of Americans donate to charity in a given year? Take a guess. No really. What’d you guess? Was it less than 7 in 10 Americans? If so and if I tell you the percentage is 73% (a recent Gallup 2020 figure) then you’re more likely to donate if I ask you to do […]

Learn More August 9, 2021

Who’s in the Behavior Business? Charity Program Staff or Fundraisers?

Are you in the behavior business? Or does this task fall to your program staff? There is a growing paradox in charitable organizations between how the program staff and fundraising are (or are not) rethinking their most intractable problems. The former is realizing they’re in the behavior business. Behavior can be described, predicted or understood. […]

Learn More August 6, 2021

Nudging For (not “Or”) Donor Autonomy

In a recent Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly article, Rebecca Ruehle and colleagues considered some of the ethical objections raised against nudge techniques promoting charitable giving. The authors argued nudges are morally ok even when they violate donor autonomy, if they’re aimed at issues they deem morally worth it e.g. disaster recovery, clean drinking water, […]

Learn More August 4, 2021