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Demographics

Fresh Opportunity For Direct Mail Fundraisers

No direct mail isn’t dead. It’s the workhorse, delivering by far the preponderance of individual donations, at least in the US. Still, if you need some encouragement about the future of direct mail, read on. On numerous occasions, The Agitator has urged US fundraisers to shift some focus and resource to the growing Hispanic population. […]

Learn More July 9, 2014

$24 Million Fine … Yawn!

Yesterday Roger did a yeoman job of laying out the sordid story of Quadriga and its fellow travelers. From a ‘moving forward’ standpoint, perhaps his three key points, aimed directly at Agitator readers, were these: “…fundraising companies, consultants and their copywriters — this means everyone involved in this sector, no weaseling — has the duty […]

Learn More July 2, 2014

Fundraisers Fined $24 Million

The Attorney General of New York has just announced a $24.6 million settlement with a veterans charity and its fundraisers. This is the largest financial settlement won by fundraising regulators in U.S. history. CNN broke the news last night on Anderson Cooper 360. You’ll recall it was that network’s investigative team who first surfaced the […]

Learn More July 1, 2014

Play It Again, Sam

In his recent Fundraising Success post, premiere copywriter Willis Turner talks about repetition. As in, when it your fundraising package works, use it again. And again. Until it fails. As he puts it: “…don’t be afraid of repetition unless and until it proves itself a bad idea for your particular organization. There’s too much to […]

Learn More June 24, 2014

Direct Mail Testing To Nowhere

I suspect a good part of the reason why fundraising and especially acquisition is so flat or down lies in the business-as-usual, risk adverse nature prevalent in the contemporary nonprofit mentality. A mindset focused on protecting the institutional status quo … of defending one organization’s turf against another organization’s ambition … of making sweeping and […]

Learn More May 30, 2014

Simple Segmentation For Smaller Organizations

Fundraisers spend a lot of time developing the offer – writing (and rewriting, and rewriting, and rewriting) an appeal letter nine times, holding four meetings to decide on whether programs are accurately described, debating whether that cuddly polar bear premium is more compelling than a furry dolphin. Sadly, only a fraction of that time is generally […]

Learn More May 1, 2014

Order Forms & Landing Pages

As much as The Agitator dwells on strategic concepts like donor commitment and donor-centric communications, there’s no question that fundraisers have got to get basic execution right as well. Here are two examples … 3 Ways to Improve Your Direct Mail Order Form, from Paul Bobnak at Who’s Mailing What, really boils it down: Keep […]

Learn More March 27, 2014

Donordigital Goes Secret Shopping

Donordigital has just released a study on integrated fundraising — Integrated Fundraising: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly — based upon ‘secret shopping’ at 16 major US nonprofits. They made an initial online contribution to the 16 groups, and then for six months tracked all interactions with these organizations through direct mail, online and […]

Learn More March 7, 2014

Punishing Good Deeds

Too many organizations today continue to be guided by the burn and churn mindset reminiscent of the bad old days, when donors were viewed as readily expendable. Easily and cheaply replaced by inexpensive new donors drawn from a seemingly inexhaustible acquisition pool. Given the rising costs of acquisition and falling retention rates, it surprises me […]

Learn More February 26, 2014

Communication Versus Transaction

Last week I noted some figures that online fundraising accounted for 6.4% of all fundraising in the US in 2013, while the growth rate for online fundraising was 13.5%. And with some math jujitsu I projected that at that rate online fundraising might take 17 years to break the 50% of fundraising barrier. Blackbaud’s Steve […]

Learn More February 25, 2014

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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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