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Behavioral Science Posts

Donors Are Ticked Off by Excess, Unrequested Solicitation – Who Knew?

Why do results decline as volume goes up? At a basic level, each new communication cannibalizes results from those communications around it.  Looking at one study here, researchers found that each additional mailing generated 1.81 Euro in revenues, but that 1.21 Euros of that was cannibalized from future mailings.  Thus, only 37% of the revenues […]

Learn More February 1, 2018

The Cradle of Relationship Fundraising

“Fundraisers always prosper when they focus less on the money that people send in and more on the people who are sending it.  As a fundraiser, you’ll get better at your job and get more out of life when  you deliver what your donors want rather than chasing after what           […]

Learn More January 23, 2018

TESTING: Go Beyond Individual Communications

When you want to find out if your control package could be beaten, you test a different communication against it. So how do you test if your direct marketing program could be better?  Clearly, you test a different program against it. For some this is a scary thought: it’s hard enough to deliver on one […]

Learn More January 5, 2018

Matching Gift Facts and Insights

There’s a growing body of empirical evidence on what makes for effective matching gift programs and what doesn’t. The following post –and the two that will follow this one–contain lots of research AND lots of valuable insight and good questions from Agitator readers.  So, if you’re interested in “mastering” this subject you’ll need to spend some […]

Learn More December 27, 2017

Visions of Sugar Plums

As a kid I raptly listened as my parents and grandparents read my brother and me ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” every year until I went away to college and discovered there may not be a Santa Claus. I did the same thing to my kids.  Each year I uttered “Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Dunder Blixem.” […]

Learn More December 21, 2017

The Ghost of Fundraising Yet to Come

Today The Agitator invokes Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and  his Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Yet to Come. Actually, I’m most interested in the Ghost of Christmases Yet to Come. As I write,  a diligent team is at work behind the scenes  crafting new features, special website sections and research to share with you. I’m especially […]

Learn More December 20, 2017

Gobsmacked!

Yesterday’s gem from Mark Phillips and the folks at Bluefrog illustrates the length to which some organizations go to abuse donors.  It’s behavior like this that landed UK fundraising in such a mess.  On the flip side, one of the highlights of 2017 — a major effort intended to counter donor abuse and dig UK fundraising […]

Learn More December 19, 2017

What to Listen for in Donor Onboarding

“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” ― Stephen R. Covey In the previous on boarding post I  emphasized  the imperative to listen as soon as possible. But that brings up the question: listen for what? There are several variables that, when learned from donors during the […]

Learn More December 13, 2017

Onboarding: The Fierce Urgency of Listening

The unofficial motto of Seinfeld, according to Larry David, was “No hugging, no learning.” In short, there would be no growth in relationships and characters. (For the young’un’s, Seinfeld was a 90s observational comedy show from that guy who talks to comedians in cars while drinking coffee, the titular Veep, and some other people.) Because we […]

Learn More December 12, 2017

The Most Important Step in Donor Acquisition

#Giving Tuesday 2017 is now in the rearview mirror. So, we’ll be using this week to explore the proper onboarding of new donors from that event and the overall importance of proper onboarding generally. First, a brief reprise of #GivingTuesday that you might want to bookmark in thinking about that event next year. In Thank […]

Learn More December 11, 2017

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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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