Communications

Different Shapes And Sizes

When I read the comments Agitator readers make on our posts, I realize the huge diversity of our readership. I just finished ‘moderating’ two recent comments that indicate the huge spread in reader interest and focus. Both are brief, so I’ll re-publish here to underscore a point. Comment #1 from Kristen Smith at People For […]

Learn More June 14, 2011

Twitter Update From Pew

I’m alerting you to this report reluctantly, because I’m a Twitter avoider. But Pew Research says 13% of online Americans — 19% in the biggest using 25-34 year-old cohort — now use the service, so I guess it’s my duty. Usage goes up with education! UGH! Tom

Learn More June 13, 2011

The Social Habit

The Social Habit is a study of social media usage by Edison Research and Arbitron. Some interesting findings … 52% of Americans 12+ have a profile on one or more social networks. This figure is driven largely by Facebook, which is now used by over half (51%) of Americans 12+. Twitter is as familiar to […]

Learn More June 10, 2011

5 Stages Of Social Media Growth

Here is an interesting — and a bit amusing — depiction of social media evolution in large organizations, as seen by research firm Forrester. The process of ‘social maturation’ for social media utilization … 1. Dormant stage — one in five companies don’t use social media. 2. Small victories — baby steps and case studies. […]

Learn More June 8, 2011

Selling Nuts To Squirrels – II

Same lead as yesterday’s Agitator post … In Selling Nuts To Squirrels, Seth Godin argues that “most organizations shouldn’t try to change the worldview of the audience they’re marketing to.” What if he changed “organizations” to “consultants”?! ‘Worldview’ as interpreted by Godin affects three critical things in the marketing equation: “… attention, bias and vernacular. […]

Learn More June 7, 2011

Selling Nuts To Squirrels

Here’s a gem from marketing guru Seth Godin. In Selling Nuts To Squirrels, he argues that “most organizations shouldn’t try to change the worldview of the audience they’re marketing to.” ‘Worldview’ as interpreted by Godin affects three critical things in the marketing equation: “… attention, bias and vernacular. Attention, because we choose to pay attention […]

Learn More June 6, 2011

Using Video To Support Your Cause

Here’s a short piece — with great examples — from the Chronicle of Philanthropy on using online video to engage your donors and generate new support. The recommended uses … 1. Put a face on your cause … people embrace people. 2. Tear down walls … bring supporters inside your organization and its projects. 3. […]

Learn More May 27, 2011

‘Cause Fatigue’ On Social Media?

Interesting new research on causes and social media from Georgetown University’s Center for Social Impact Communication, reported in Philanthropy Today. While four in ten Americans get involved with groups working on social and political causes, 17% of women and 12% of men do so through social media sites, by joining a cause group, posting a […]

Learn More May 24, 2011

Facebook Versus Real Money

Yesterday we noted Facebook’s new Resource section for nonprofits, and quoted FB’s own figure of $5 million being raised through its Causes application. Laudable. But one Agitator reader noted with a hint of sarcasm … $5 million in five years from some 50 million Facebook users wasn’t exactly a fundraising avalanche! Then another commentator noted […]

Learn More May 20, 2011

Facebook Help For Nonprofits

Facebook has added a new Resource section to help nonprofits optimize the engagement impact of their Facebook presence. Says Facebook: “This Page is a resource for non-profits and other organizations for social good. We built it to help you harness the power of Facebook and bring positive change to the world. Facebook empowers non-profits by […]

Learn More May 19, 2011

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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