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Communications

Writing Wrong

OK wise guy … yes, it’s ‘writing wrongly’. But that doesn’t make for as intriguing a headline. Or so I thought. Last week, writing in Fundraising Success, Pamela Barden offered three wonderfully simple cautions regarding fundraising copy. I thought they deserved further airing now that we’re all back at our post-summer desks. Here’s what to […]

Learn More September 7, 2011

Never Assume

I was struck by the following comment by Pamela Barden in her recent Fundraising Success article, Not to Be Rude … but What’s in It for Me? She writes: “Too often, we assume that the potential donor knows what we’re talking about. Take for example the current famine in the Horn of Africa. It’s massive. […]

Learn More August 22, 2011

Integration: Fundraising’s Elusive Grail

Convio has just released its latest Integrated Multi-Channel Marketing Study and it’s well worth a careful read. Using online survey data from 123 nonprofits, backed by 15 in-depth interviews, the Survey explores key success factors for organizations of all types and sizes that are already engaged in integrated, multi-channel marketing. The Study employs an interesting […]

Learn More August 17, 2011

35 Mistakes

Each of Jerry Huntsinger’s ‘tutorials’ published on SOFII proffer valuable advice. But today’s Tutorial 35 — Mistakes that Brenda doesn’t need to make — is truly a treasure chest … a collector’s item … a ‘must-read’ … what more can I say?! Jerry responded to a young woman interested in entering the direct mail fundraising […]

Learn More August 2, 2011

Why Direct Mail Won’t Die

As Mark Phillips at Bluefrog notes, this is why direct mail fundraising won’t die! Amen! Tom

Learn More July 27, 2011

“Resistance Is Futile”

So says Future Fundraising Now blogger Jeff Brooks, talking about Boomers in his post titled Help! My direct mail is turning into my father’s direct mail! I’m a Boomer and I love opening my snailmailbox. So, forgive me if you’ve seen this already, but I’m reproducing Jeff’s observation in full … Men: You are turning […]

Learn More July 25, 2011

A Multi-Channel Renewal Strategy

Direct Marketing IQ has just published an excellent fundraising guide, titled The Art & Science of Multi-Channel Fundraising. Nine chapters plus eight case studies on how to pull together direct mail, online, social media, mobile, telemarketing and more for high impact fundraising campaigns. Roger’s written one of the chapters. And just to show that his […]

Learn More July 1, 2011

Older And Crankier

As you could tell from his article yesterday, Roger’s getting a bit older and crankier. So he’s inspired today’s post from his much younger colleague, which is all about how marketers should communicate — or not communicate — with and about older people. And as we all know, most nonprofit donations come from older people. […]

Learn More June 30, 2011

Lapsed Donors Deliver

In case you missed it in Fundraising Success, this advice on how to re-engage lapsed donors from consultant Pamela Barden is sound and practical. I’m glad she’s not afraid to recommend telemarketing to these folks. And she’s right, predictive tools can help your ROI, especially with large files. A couple of further points … Re-soliciting […]

Learn More June 9, 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

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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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