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DonorVoice PreTest Tool Webinar Deck

In this session you’ll learn about the two, inter-related problems of traditional direct mail testing: 1) The A/B road to infinity 2) Throwing out the Baby with the Bath Water Donor voice pretest tool webinar deck_final View more presentations from DonorVoice. and how to avoid both with a methodology and tool well established in the […]

Learn More February 9, 2012

Tips from commercial sector on Facebook engagement

Virtually every nonprofit has a Facebook page and most are probably still experimenting with content, metrics or both. There is some interesting research (from a Sept 2011 report from Buddy Media, NYC) on what works and what doesn’t to drive retail couponing on Facebook.  This is all about getting clicks, which is an outcome any […]

Learn More February 7, 2012

Want to know what donor centric should look like?

  This is a fantastic Rorschach test for nonprofits (courtesy of a London based shop, Targetbase Claydon Heeley). What do you see on the left side?  What do you see on the right side?  If the answer to the both has the words “cute” and/or “funny” then you’re human.  If both responses do NOT include […]

Learn More February 2, 2012

What is Important To Your Donors? Is This Even the Right Question?

What is important to your donors?  What keeps them as donors? Is the answer to these two questions the same?  Our answer is a definitive “it depends”. What is important can be very different if asked in a vacuum or depending on the context provided.  We’d argue however, that while asking in a vacuum is […]

Learn More February 1, 2012

Surveying Your Donors – Tips and How (not) To’s…

Up until this point, we’ve not blogged much on survey research design and best practices – a 101 or “how to” kind of post.  We are going to start now and hopefully, it is useful.  If not, speak up. A caveat upfront; our view is that survey research, especially questionnaire design and analysis is not […]

Learn More January 27, 2012

Is using the statistical average bad non profits?

Can a statistic be bad?  Maybe an overstatement but the Average, a universally used (but maybe not fully understood) statistic can sure hide a lot.  And without assigning malice or intent to the “hiding”, reliance on the average as an input to decision making can result in lots of bad outcomes. There are countless examples […]

Learn More January 24, 2012

Donor Segmentation – Why, How and What to Mail.

At DonorVoice we do a lot of segmentation work.  In our previous lives we did even more.  We love segmenting, slicing and dicing…And yet, we have seen far too many poorly conceived segmentation schemes and an equal number of well conceived ones that never get implemented.  Heck, we’ve even participated in both scenarios and hopefully […]

Learn More January 18, 2012

The Problem with Donor Satisfaction Programs are…the Very Satisfied

How is that blog headline for a man bites dog storyline?  This seemingly ridiculous claim becomes more credible if you consider, Customer (or Donor) satisfaction programs are mostly about remediating bad experiences. Most corporate entities use customer satisfaction to evaluate a given, isolated experience – e.g. a shopping trip, a call center interaction, an in-person […]

Learn More January 12, 2012

Word of Mouth – Who Does It and Why?

Word of mouth is, especially these days, considered the best form of advertising and promotion. It is inexpensive (not free) and often reported by peers as the most trusted, most acted on form of referral. Social media of course has elevated word of mouth or peer influence to rock star status. It is often useful, […]

Learn More January 10, 2012

Avoiding the Baby and the Bath Water Problem in Direct Mail Testing

We’ve written about the massive inefficiencies with the way direct mail testing is done today.  The high points are covered here.  One particularly odious problem is throwing out the baby with the bath water when the organization mails a test package with many (or more than 1 for that matter) test element – i.e. a […]

Learn More December 21, 2011

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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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