Board Meeting Swipe File

The Cradle of Relationship Fundraising

“Fundraisers always prosper when they focus less on the money that people send in and more on the people who are sending it. As a fundraiser, you’ll get better at your job and get more out of life when you deliver what your donors want rather than chasing after what […]

Learn More January 23, 2018

Time To Go To Jail?

It’s been years since I was tear-gassed, arrested and tossed in jail for something worth fighting for. And the same holds for the leaders of most causes I support. Is that a sign that most nonprofits have become too much a part of the establishment, too much a part of the problem? In short, is it […]

Learn More November 27, 2017

Are You an ATM or a Fundraiser?

We don’t pay nearly enough attention to the issue of disrespect and the horrible price our sector pays for ignoring it or shrugging it off with a “well, that’s the way it is.” Disrespect runs rampant in the nonprofit world. We see it every day, reflected in the actions and attitudes of nonprofit boards, CEOs […]

Learn More October 6, 2017

A Second Chance for Fundraisers

Relationship Fundraising is like teenage sex: Everyone talks about it, nobody really knows how to do it, everyone thinks everyone else is doing it, so everyone claims they are doing it too. Although I’m paraphrasing behavioral economist Dan Ariely’s take on “Big Data” the same insight applies to the much-touted, little-practiced concept of relationship fundraising. It’s […]

Learn More September 13, 2017

A Higher Calling

The other day Tom posed the question, Are You a Fundraising Professional?, and answered it by concluding that “If you see your role as facilitating a positive donor experience, then yes, you are.” The morning Tom’s post ran I received news that Jay Love, the co-founder and CEO of Bloomerang, the donor management software firm, is […]

Learn More July 21, 2017

Summer Doldrums Threat #1: Branding

Sooner or later someone in your organization, totally devoid of fundraising knowledge (likely a board member or the spouse of one), is going to come back from their summer break with a ‘brilliant idea’. In fact, over many summers, many ‘brilliant’ ideas have crossed The Agitator’s desks. So, we’ve gone back through the archives and will share some of […]

Learn More July 20, 2017

“We’re Not Like This … Are We?”

Innovation and progress come not from working harder, but by working smarter and taking an axe to the time wasters and the trivial. Most of all, stop focusing on the trivial. If I had a nickel for every hour I’ve witnessed trivial debates over orange vs. blue envelopes, or closed-face vs. window envelopes, I could […]

Learn More July 17, 2017

The Board Meeting Swipe File: Fundraising Costs and Investment

‘Tis the season of board meetings and budget reviews for those organizations with fiscal years beginning in July. So, there’s no better time to offer up this Agitator Board Meeting Swipe File on Fundraising Costs and Investment in Fundraising. Here’s a brief compilation of resources and advice that may come in handy as you explain […]

Learn More June 21, 2017

A REALLY BIG Deal!

Frankly, we’re gobsmacked. Astounded, awestruck and absolutely thrilled by a massive undertaking by UK fundraisers and other leaders in the voluntary sector that should attract the serious attention and participation of all of us — on every continent. Today the Commission on the Donor Experience released its overview of recommended changes to transform fundraising from […]

Learn More June 19, 2017

Is Your Nonprofit Sustainable?

June is the last month of the fiscal year for many nonprofits, when supposedly the deep questions are being asked. Are we on the right track, programmatically and financially? Do we have enough Facebook ‘Likes’? Bloomerang recently surveyed 600 North American nonprofits to gauge their sustainability. Some questions dealt with management practices; some with board […]

Learn More June 7, 2017

Ask A Behavioral Scientist

Behavioral Science Q & A

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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Q: I find it irritating when some nonprofits accept my “gift” and then ask me to cover their credit card fees separately. It feels like a practice that does nothing to help win donors and runs the risk of turning others off. Is there any data on this either way?

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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Q: What are the three most important things to consider when designing a brilliant supporter journey?

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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Q: Is there any evidence that changes to the tax laws in the USA changed end of year giving behaviors? Previously, ~30% of US taxpayers filed itemized tax returns allowing them to receive a deduction for charitable giving. Tax law changed in 2017 so that now only ~10% itemize. This should mean tax year-end giving should not matter to millions of people for whom it used to matter. Is there any data evidence to support this?

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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