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Breaking Out of the Status Quo

Should Your Fundraising Match a Chatbot?

Who doesn’t love a good chatbot?  Version 1.0 of chatbot world was a lot like comparing Siri to Chat-GPT, it’s Artificial Stupid vs. Artificial Intelligence. But, modern day bots are increasingly more GPT-like, which means they’re more human like, more conversational, more adaptive and more helpful. Consider today’s off the shelf chatbot options allow you […]

Learn More January 25, 2023

Are You Defining Engagement Downward?

Aah Engagement, a euphemism if there ever was.  An English word that once had meaning, twisted and contorted to its lowest common denominator of likes, clicks and superficial, mostly meaningless outcomes. Too many groups jump to the end and cobble together non-financial behaviors (click, like, attend, follow) and call it an “Engagement Score”. Facebook calls […]

Learn More January 20, 2023

How Much Has Donor Trust in Charities Changed in the Past 5 Years?

In this age of “fake news”, “alternative facts” “hyper partisanship” and what seems to be a general erosion of trust why should we even care?  And if we care what can we fundraisers do about it?  Of course, every fundraiser should care because trust is the lynchpin of a solid and sustainable relationship with a […]

Learn More January 18, 2023

Remember When?

I remember when people were in awe of email.  They loved it. Until they didn’t. The convenience –the ability to communicate directly and personally in writing regardless of time zones and free of telephone buzzy signals or answering machines and fax machines—was astounding. Unfortunately, that early awe of convenience and effectiveness has now morphed into […]

Learn More January 6, 2023

Fundraising And Dating

Badoo is a dating app with almost half a billion registered users worldwide and 300,000 new, daily sign ups.  But the dating app biz is  a crowded space with low barriers to trying other dating apps, low barriers to exit and  high promiscuity (had to, sorry). So, customer acquisition is only as good as their […]

Learn More January 4, 2023

Can You Persuade Donors?

Jack Trout was a TV ad man who helped pioneer the concept of brand positioning .  He famously quipped, “If your assignment is to change people’s minds, don’t accept the assignment.” Seems he knew what he was talking about.  A huge study of TV effectiveness on changing people’s attitudes and beliefs about social issues found […]

Learn More December 28, 2022

If You Ain’t First You’re Last?

One of the greatest movies of all time for those of us who enjoy parody, slapstick and juvenile humor is Will Ferrell’s Talladega Nights. He spends most of his life measuring it against an impossible standard of “if you ain’t first you’re last”, a motto from his father who was high on peyote at the […]

Learn More December 21, 2022

Are Your Donor Conversations Any Good?

Conversation abounds in the world of fundraising whether in-person or over the phone. Everybody makes note that we should be active listeners and strive for making a conversation, well, you know, “conversational”.  That feels thin. The social science world has done a lot to get a more robust answer.   This has implications for humans talking […]

Learn More December 19, 2022

Is Twitter Political?

Much ink has been spilled decrying social media rabbit holes and political echo chambers, threatening our democracy by increasing hyper-partisanship and extremism.  And that was before Musk. What if it’s fake news?  It’s true there are hyper-partisan people on Twitter.  It’s also true many of these hyper-partisans are opinion influencers with big followings. The problem […]

Learn More December 16, 2022

I Think, Maybe

Conversational hedges are words or phrases indicating uncertainty, tentativeness, or modesty in a conversation.  Words like “maybe,” “I think,” or “I’m not sure”. What role do they play?  They can make the speaker appear more credible and trustworthy by acknowledging uncertainty. Hedges can also make the speaker seem less pushy, which in turn makes the […]

Learn More December 14, 2022

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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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