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Board Meeting Swipe File

The Vanishing American Donor

The share of American households contributing to charities has dropped to the lowest level in nearly 20 years. As reported by the Associated Press,  a study published by the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy finds that from 2000, when 66 percent of U.S. households donated to a charitable organization, the number dropped to 49.6 percent in […]

Learn More July 28, 2021

Seize This Moment

The M+R 2021 Benchmark Study is now out.  And it’s a winner.  In fact, it carries news of lots of winners in the pandemic year of 2020. I hope you’ll read the entire report packed with charts and editorial insightful commentary covering digital advertising , email messaging, text messaging and peer to peer, email metrics, […]

Learn More May 19, 2021

Simone Joyaux Is Dead

Simone Joyaux, a beloved shit-disturber and hell-raiser, who battled tirelessly to improve our sector by applying deep devotion, abundant energy, and development skills highly honed by outrage against injustice and inequality, is dead.   The 44-year veteran of board development, strategic planning and organizational management, died Sunday, May 2nd in Providence, Rhode Island of a […]

Learn More May 3, 2021

Dealing with Donor Erosion

Most fundraisers don’t even need Artificial Intelligence, machine learning or the expensive gibberish of donor personas and clusters to drive away their donors. In fact, as Kevin pointed out in recent posts many of these gee whiz tech and “scientific” tools may in fact speed up donor erosion by lulling us into dangerous and attrition-filled […]

Learn More April 14, 2021

Donor Service – Human vs. Machine

Walgreens and AT&T are using your personal data to match you with the right customer service representative.  And they are using something called the “break point” to walk right up to, but not over, the line where the customer will leave.  They do this through analysis of tone and pace of speech. It’s only at […]

Learn More April 5, 2021

Stick It To Them

Folks love stickers. And buttons. And decals.  And bumper stickers. Seems like every movement moment has a symbol.  From voting to vaccination, seals to save the manatee, the badges of civic pride and involvement are worn proudly, as are the more ideological varieties proclaiming their owner’s commitment to this cause or that movement. With “I’ve […]

Learn More March 10, 2021

Do Rich Donors Differ from Not-Rich Donors? From “Middle”-Rich Donors?

Do people writing four figure checks (i.e. $1,000 to $9,999) have different needs from those donating $20 or those moving the comma and decimal point to the right for an even larger gift? What about the “high touch package to create an elevated donor experience” for the four-figure check group?  This is a recommendation in […]

Learn More February 24, 2021

Bernie’s Magic Mittens and Abusing Your Donor

One of the light and bright photo by-products of the horrid trifecta of January events in Washington, D.C. – Insurrection, Impeachment, Inauguration—was the terrific photo of Senator Bernie Sanders seated at the Inauguration swathed in parka and hand-knit mittens. Of course it didn’t take long before that photo was transformed into an endless stream of mostly […]

Learn More February 1, 2021

Importance of Donor Experience in the Pandemic

Back in November we recommended to readers the event, Fundraising In The Tine Of Covid hosted by the UK’s Chartered Institute of Fundraising and prepared by their Supporter Experience Special Interest Group which aims to inspire and persuade organizations to improve their donors’ experience. Apparently, the event was a rousing success.  In fact, our friend Giles […]

Learn More January 13, 2021

A Twitter Tantrum to Read and Heed

Last year at this time I was moving along to finish  a Year in Review post when a Tweet storm caught my eye.  Usually, I ignore ‘em while writing, but this series struck a nerve.  In fact, it reveals how we so ignore and frustrate basic donor needs that I wonder how we even survive. […]

Learn More January 6, 2021

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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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