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Communications

DMA Direct Mail Stats

Ethan Boldt at Inside Direct Mail reports these U.S. direct mail stats from the DMA’s new 2010 Statistical Fact Book: Direct mail accounts for 52% of all mail (over half of all mail has been direct mail since 2007). Households receive 24.7 pieces of mail per week (down from a high of 26.2 a few […]

Learn More February 19, 2010

Where, Where, Everywhere

As I outlined this “Where” segment of The Agitator’s Who-What-Why-When-Where series, I began by concentrating mostly on the proper selection or integration of  fundraising channels –online, offline, mail, email, phone, tv, print. The “Where” to send the message. That was before I took a break and glanced at Charity Navigator.  My curiosity was unrelated to […]

Learn More February 12, 2010

Excellent Direct Response Advice

Direct marketing pro (and publisher of Target Marketing) Denny Hatch, who’s seen it all, distilled a ton of experience into this article on direct response copywriting. I’ll summarize some of his takeaways here, but you’re doing yourself a disservice if you don’t taste the full flavor of Denny’s entire piece (our ".edu" readers will be […]

Learn More February 10, 2010

Fundraising Tactics Versus Messaging

Roger has been systematically working us through the "who, what, when, why, where" of nonprofit fundraising fundamentals … with only "where" yet to go (coming next week). I hesitate to interrupt the flow, but we received a response from Fraser Green at FLA Group that provides a useful bridge between the tactics of targeting (who) […]

Learn More February 5, 2010

Yogi Berra On Fundraising

Frankly, I can’t think of a more appropriate summary of the "fundraising pyramid" debate than this observation by the famed New York Yankees catcher, Yogi Berra: “In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is.” Fundraising is a craft unencumbered by much basic “theology”, but one loaded with lots of […]

Learn More February 1, 2010

2009 Online Giving – 10 Questions

Last week we reported some data from online firms Blackbaud and Convio regarding 2009 online fundraising. To refresh you on the highlights: Online fundraising revenue was up 46% over 2008 for all groups in Blackbaud’s universe (over 1,700 nonprofits), with 35% of groups reporting no increase in online revenue. According to Blackbaud, fully 46% of […]

Learn More January 22, 2010

Haiti Fundraising Update

The Chronicle of Fundraising is doing an excellent job of monitoring giving response to the Haiti disaster. Here is their report as of January 16: "So far, donors have contributed more than $150-million to major U.S. relief groups, a Chronicle tally finds. By comparison, such charities had raised a quarter that amount — $30-million — […]

Learn More January 18, 2010

“Copy & Paste” Toward Oblivion

Yesterday, in light of Target Analytics’ report on the continuing decline in both donor acquisition and donor giving, I asked “Why do so many organizations persist in doing the same old, same old year after year hoping that results will suddenly improve?” At a time when every fundraiser knows the world has changed demographically, psychographically […]

Learn More January 13, 2010

Going Downhill – A Bit Faster

The direct mail slump continues.  In fact, Target Analytics’ 2009 Index of National Fundraising Performance for the Third Quarter indicates the decline is speeding up. What strikes me as most worrisome is that now both donor acquisition and donor development (house file activity) are in trouble.  For nearly five years we’ve watched the numbers of […]

Learn More January 12, 2010

More Agitating For Fundraisers

Today’s post is #1001 from The Agitator. With one thousand down, we’re eager to publish one thousand more and hope you’re equally eager to read them! When we started The Agitator in 2006, fundraising was enjoying a bull market. Just about everything worked. Just about everyone comfortably met their fundraising targets. As we begin 2010, […]

Learn More January 11, 2010

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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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    The Agitator Tool Box

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