Breaking Out of the Status Quo

The Best $5 You’ll Ever Spend. Guaranteed.

“I’m disgusted and frustrated. You should be, too.” With those words, Michael Rosen launched his post What are the Obstacles to Improving Donor-Retention Rates? “Once again, the already horrible existing-donor and new-donor retention rates in the USA have further declined, according to the 2016 Donor Retention Report issued recently as part of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and Urban […]

Learn More February 15, 2017

When All Else Fails: Merge

The general inability of large organizations to face change and flexibly deal with it hit home with this recent headline in Toronto’s Globe and Mail: Donation drop forces merger of Canada’s largest cancer charities, The merger of the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF) was triggered by revenue decline of 16% […]

Learn More February 13, 2017

What Do You See In Your Crystal Ball?

Over at the UK’s 101Fundraising, Matthew Sherrington has bravely shared his thoughts on the changes and trends he thinks will affect fundraising over the next five years or so. His 12 insights from the crystal ball are well-informed, cover most aspects of fundraising, and well worth a read. Two in particular resonated with me. “Expectations […]

Learn More February 3, 2017

Tom Ahern Wants To Know … And So Should You

Lots of great questions and comments popped up in response to The Dangerous Dictum of “Mail more. Make more”. Especially appropriate was a question by Tom Ahern: “Is there a bottom line for various sized groups?” Of course, as other commenters noted, there are different approaches depending on the organization or type of organization. For […]

Learn More February 1, 2017

The Dangerous Dictum Of “Mail More, Make More”

I love home remedies and old folk tales. They have their place in the Farmer’s Almanac and on embroidered wall hangings, but they’re grossly over-used and too often accepted as ‘truth’ or ‘best practices’ in fundraising. Perhaps no myth is potentially more dangerous for the long-term health of an organization than the clichéd dictum: “Mail […]

Learn More January 26, 2017

Climate Change And The Small Gift Donor

Ten years ago, in Danger Ahead, Tom and I warned of steady decline in the overall number of smaller gift donors. Although many heard the warning, few apparently did anything about it. Today, a decade later the downward spiral continues. The cumulative effects of this ten year 25% decline are real and frightening. Fundraisers and […]

Learn More January 24, 2017

Snap Out Of It!

In his post Friday — Presidential Inauguration Day in the U.S. — Roger admonished us … “My greatest concern today is for those who have become mired in fear, bogged down in some naïve cynicism, intent on tweeting and texting their shared disappointment and rage in a self-reinforcing loop of misery and despair. Snap out […]

Learn More January 23, 2017

A Bountiful Reward For Giving Thanks

In November The Agitator reported on a creative alternative to #GivingTuesday called #ThanksGivingTuesday. Organized by Heather McGinness, VP of Advancement at Concordia College-New York, this all-stakeholder event is testament to the power of genuine gratitude, skillful communication, and a mighty respect for donors. I checked back with Heather last week to find out how the bottom […]

Learn More January 9, 2017

What A 5 Year-Old Can Teach You About Donor Retention

Irish fundraiser Simon Scriver produces a near-constant flow of bits and pieces on his Twitter feed (@ToastFundraiser). Some relate to fundraising, some to charity doings and some simply to the hilarity of the human condition. I was particularly struck by his recent Tweet below announcing that his five year-old understands and is acting upon a […]

Learn More January 5, 2017

Your Key Metrics In Minutes For A Stellar 2017

It’s fashionable these days for many nonprofit fundraisers and their consultants to claim they’re ‘data-driven’. Problem is, most folks focus on the ‘data’ part of the slogan; few understand the requirements of the second word — ‘driven’. I’m making this observation again at the start of the year because if you haven’t already done so, now is […]

Learn More January 4, 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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The Agitator Tool Box

Ideas, applications, tools, processes, and case studies of break-through solutions in fundraising, including: