Donor acquisition

Is F-2-F Acquisition a Sustainer Oasis or a Mirage?

Face-to-Face fundraising in the United States holds great promise if for no other reason than it isn’t a grossly oversaturated channel and we’re a big, populous country. This likely explains the Paul Revere feeling some have as the Brits (and Canadians and Australians) “invade” to setup shop on U.S. shores. Why? Because in those countries […]

Learn More June 24, 2019

The $110 Billion Treasure Trove For Nonprofits

Take a football field. Cover it to a depth of nine inches (actually, about 9.14 inches, if my math is correct) with $100 bills. That’s $110 billion. That’s how much money is held in donor-advised funds (DAFs) in the United States right now. These funds are earmarked to go to a charity like yours. And the […]

Learn More May 30, 2019

Turbocharge Your Direct Mail and Digital

In anticipation of the 50thanniversary of the founding of Common Cause, the first of the modern, nonpartisan citizens’ advocacy organizations, I’m going through my files and pulling out the direct mail packages and ads we used to launch the organization. With a war raging in Vietnam, Richard Nixon in the White House, a hopelessly paralyzed […]

Learn More May 6, 2019

Consumers: The New Philanthropists?

We’ve done our share of sounding the alarm lately, from Roger’s post highlighting 23 changes necessary for the future of the sector, to my alert that we could lose more than half our donors in the next decade, to the need for new acquisition approaches. The TL;DR version is that we need to find new […]

Learn More April 3, 2019

Manscaping Your Donor Journey

Dollar Shave Club was built on very strong marketing. They started in 2011 with a viral video about razors and sold for one billion dollars to Unilever just five years later. They are digital natives, builders of a lifestyle brand, and smart content marketers… …with one exception that should sound familiar to us nonprofits. About […]

Learn More March 29, 2019

Predicting Sustainer Retention

Monthly givers should be like an annuity or bond – an initial investment pays steady dividends over time. In reality, sustainers are great, but they are not Ron Popeil’s “set it and forget it”: there’s far more investment of time and energy required to make sure a donor stays with you for the long-term. What […]

Learn More March 25, 2019

Donor Acquistion: Time for New Approaches

We’ve devoted significant space ( here, here, here and here) emphasizing the importance of tending your Garden of Existing Donors to assure higher retention at a time when, overall, the sector is hemorrhaging donors. BUT…as noted on Monday, even if we can arrest the momentum of the descent in numbers of donors, these actions alone will […]

Learn More March 22, 2019

Toward Donor Sustainability

You awake and grab your rod and reel. You will eat what fish you catch; if you do not catch you do not eat. The fish awake. They have two schools of thought*. You have the Dory school with poor memories. They think the western part of the water is a great place to get […]

Learn More March 20, 2019

Don’t Worry – Rich People Are Here To Save Us

…at least for now. A couple weeks ago, Roger talked about Blackbaud’s report on 2018 giving that found a 1.5% increase in giving in 2018. He mentioned that we wouldn’t know more details until Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP) released their data. Well, guess what just happened! It’s up here. A word of warning: even though […]

Learn More March 6, 2019

Meet the New Platform: Same As the Old Platform

“So put your little hand in mine. There ain’t no hill or mountain we can’t climb…” Slap alarm. Read newspaper. Headline: Facebook Announces Now Accepting Donations for Nonprofits. Read the story: Will they share donor information with the nonprofit? No. No they will not. Discard newspaper and proceed with day. “So put your little hand […]

Learn More February 20, 2019

Ask A Behavioral Scientist

Behavioral Science Q & A

Q: As a designer who works with non-profits on fundraising strategy, I see the language like the following: “Our supporters help empower every girl, ensuring she has the resources she needs.” I do not think the word “help” is useful–I think “Our supporters empower every girl, ensuring she has the resources she needs. ” is much more engaging. Thoughts?

Whether “help” is more engaging or not really depends on the framing and context. The word help can sometimes weaken the perceived agency of the supporter, making their role feel secondary rather than central (your point). On the other hand, help can also signal collaboration rather than implying full ownership of the outcome, which might […]

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Q: We started offering a donor cover option last april 1. The data to date suggests this may be dampening giving.eg. those who say yes to donor cover have a lower average gift (based on analysis of 6000+ gifts). I’m wondering if those who give lower gifts feel more guilt and therefore say yes to donor cover or if the presence of donor cover is making people adjust (lower) their gift size to accommodate the extra 3%. Would love any insights you have.

Great question! Here’s how behavioral science can help unpack what might be happening: Pain of Paying: Even a small extra charge can make giving feel more transactional than emotional, potentially reducing generosity. Fairness Concerns: Some donors might perceive donor cover as a surcharge rather than a contribution to the cause. If they feel the charity […]

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Q: When writing an appeal, I waffle back and forth between writing “Your gift CAN…” or “Your gift WILL…” Any studies of which of these two words is best for an appeal?

The choice between “Your gift CAN…” and “Your gift WILL…” taps into the psychological framing of certainty vs. possibility. Currently, there is no academic research directly comparing these two framings in charitable appeals. However, I suspect no framing is universally better—the outcome likely depends on your target audience and the campaign’s goal. Here are some thoughts: Certainty Framing – […]

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Q: Do you have any insight on whether integrating an individual giving appeal with other comms from the charity in both appearance and messaging can uplift results? Or does the actual appeal become ‘lost’ for lack of stand-out?

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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Q: Is there any research on response rate impact in direct mail when referring to a sustainer gift as ongoing or recurring (catching all frequencies) v. monthly or annual?

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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Q: A major conservation nonprofit sends me lots of mail, many of which have on the envelope “time to renew” or “2nd notice.” I find this practice deceptive, especially as I haven’t given to said organization since 1997. It must be effective or they wouldn’t do it. But is it ethical?

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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