Best Of The Agitator – 2015 – Trends and Predictions
Here’s our wrap-up of the most read and shared Agitator posts of 2015. From the resurgence of direct mail to a direct mail flop, with trends and predictions for the future of fundraising in between, the tastes of Agitator readers proved to be far-ranging. Arguably there are plenty of other posts just as good, but hey, who are we to question the wisdom of Agitator readers?
Each day during this week between Christmas and New Year’s we’ll run two of 2015’s Top Ten Agitator Posts to help your transition into what we hope will be a terrific 2016!
Roger and Tom
Almost every post we do involving trends and predictions garners high readership and popularity. Here Tom goes head to head with other industry crystal-ballers on a range of trends from Sustainer Giving to Wealth transfer including a personal confession of his encounter with a Millennial over social media trends. Don’t forget to click on the link to see what NonProfitPRO pundits had to say about demographic trends.
And don’t forget to see what Agitator readers Mike Cowart, Venessa Chase, David Krear, Steve MacLaughlin and Erica Waasdorp had to say about these trends.
THE FUTURE OF FUNDRAISING: BRIGHT OR BLEAK? “Fundraising is in for a bleak future.” With that cheerful pronouncement Roger introduced a four-part series by veteran U.K. fundraiser Ken Burnett. Thought provoking to say the least.
We hope you’ll revisit this series and also jump into the discussion along with Agitator readers Craig Linton, Jay Love, Giles Pegram, Michael Rosen, Richard Turner and Lisa Sargent.
Tomorrow: The resurgence of direct mail and why it will outlive us all.
Behavioral Science Q & A
Integrating an individual giving appeal with other communications from a charity can have both positive and negative effects, and the outcome largely depends on how it’s executed. Advantages of Integration Brand Consistency: Maintaining a consistent appearance and messaging across all communications can reinforce the org’s brand identity and strengthen brand recognition and trust among your […]
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I’m not aware of any in-market tests specifically comparing recurring vs. gift frequency language. I suspect the answer might not be the same with all gift frequencies, nor with all people. It sounds like a great opportunity for you to test and find out what works for your audience. Based on the literature, here’s a couple […]
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Based on what we know from existing data, those renewal notices can actually be pretty effective in getting people to donate. They tap into our psychology – creating a sense of urgency, reminding us of past support, and using personalization to make the message hit home. They’re playing on our natural tendencies to feel obligated […]
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Interesting question. I had a quick look at the testing done on this topic. On the positive side, in all cases, over half of donors decide to cover the fee. In some cases, it goes as high as 65%. Not a negligible percentage at all. Here’s another test from iRaiser showing consistent results (see point […]
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There’s just one thing to consider when designing a supporter journey: the supporter. More specifically, you need to take into account: Who the supporter is i.e. their identity, which is the reason they support this cause, and their personality, which describes the way they “see” and process the world. These will determine the kind of […]
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I’m not an expert in this but a quick search surfaced this article on the effect of tax reforms on 2019’s charitable giving. The researchers didn’t find a reduction. Actually, they observed an “increase in charitable contributions in 2019, even with the lower tax rates and the dramatically smaller number of taxpayers who itemize their […]
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