Behavioral Science Posts

When Does a Losing Test Win?

Did either or both of these test ads beat the control? No peeking. Neither test beat the control. Or at least that’s the case if you assume everyone is the same and do a random nth test, which is 99% of all tests. How about this one, did either or both beat the control? Go […]

Learn More June 17, 2022

You Are Your Music

You are your music. More accurately, your music is you. This is cool research from Spotify finding that your personality predicts your music choices. Personality comes first, it’s mostly (not entirely) a born-with kind of thing. We all behave in ways that are trying to match our goals and values and orientation on the world. I […]

Learn More June 10, 2022

Biases and Nudges Work Differently for Different People

Do we sound like a broken record? People are different and yet we treat them all the same. I’m desperate to understand why this is as it’s been this way a long time and maybe that’s both the issue and the reason. A long time means a lot of well-worn habits and resistance to change […]

Learn More June 3, 2022

Only a Week?

I was struck, again, at how behavioral science is simultaneously everywhere and nowhere in the nonprofit world. If you look at the program side of our sector you’ll see lots of examples of behavioral science at work. Hell, the UN has a behavioral science committee and a working group and a subcommittee and a steering […]

Learn More June 1, 2022

What Time is It?

Faces matter. Humans know this, intuitively. Babies process and understand faces at an almost adult level as early as four months. We automatically process expressions taking cues and altering our behaviors accordingly. And of course we see faces all the time. This almost constant exposure to faces makes us prefer inanimate objects that mimic faces. […]

Learn More May 16, 2022

Is BLM Protester the Same as Covid Anti-Lockdown Protester?

Comparing BLM protesters to Anti-Lockdown protesters probably seems like comparing pagans and Christians or saying left is right and up is down. It’s far more common for those on the political right to characterize BLM as Antifa fascists promoting violence and those on the left describing Anti-Lockdown as ignorant, gun toting racists promoting violence. Violence […]

Learn More May 6, 2022

Ask Amounts: $.99 and Upgrading

We wrote last week about the allure of $.99 pricing in the consumer world and argued for testing with $.99’s in the ask string. The best test is appending education to your file (cheap, quick and easy) as proxy for numeracy, and having a split test since more numerate and less numerate people process prices […]

Learn More May 4, 2022

Fundraisers Are Not In The Persuasion Business

Our business is fundraising. We try to get folks to engage in helping behavior, giving and doing. We are not in the persuasion business. If we were, we’d be out of business. As Jack Trout, famous ad man said, “if the job is to persuade people, don’t accept the job.” Our job is to meet […]

Learn More May 2, 2022

Personality Pseudoscience

No, not the Big Five model of personality traits that we use as a central part of our fundraising to divide folks on their innate traits and match message to audience. Unfortunately, the Big Five isn’t the most popular, well-known Personality test. It probably needs a new PR agent. Ever heard of Myers-Briggs? Almost certainly. (See […]

Learn More April 11, 2022

Do Neighbors Always Get the Same Direct Mail?

Bob and Bill are neighbors in Anytown, USA. They’re the same age, race, income and both are married with 2 kids and a dog. They both give to the same NationalCharity.org and the same localfoodbank/mission/animalshelter.org and with an identical RFM profile. Do they get the same direct mail piece? 100% of the time. Why? Are […]

Learn More April 6, 2022

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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