Donor Centricity - Agitator

Breaking Out of the Status Quo

Your Story, Well Told

She had spent days thinking, drafting, re-drafting. No computer at first, pencil and a pad, old school. The crumbled paper spilled from her wastebasket and the candle burned at both ends. Coffee mornings, wine evenings. Digital drafts counted the dozens. Mark Twain adages rumbled in her head, “I apologize for such a long letter – […]

Learn More May 29, 2020

Thank View Very Much

I’m certain all Agitator readers have been devoting their locked-down hours concentrating on donor experience and retention, while far too many of those non-Agitator folks have been frittering away time perfecting their Netflix schedule. Consequently, as a reward for your diligence I want to introduce you to a powerful, easy-to-use tool that’s about as wonderful as […]

Learn More May 15, 2020

Should We Reward Supporters or Not?

Before I answer, let’s take a small step back… As fundraisers, we employ different techniques to motivate people to give. But, as we explained before, there’s good and bad motivation. We can definitely make people give by triggering controlled motivation e.g. if you don’t give, this child will starve. But that’s not the goal. Why? Because […]

Learn More May 8, 2020

Donor Preservation in the Pandemic

Each morning I start my coronavirus stay-at-home routine by making a list of the 10 things I’m grateful for that day. One of the items on today’s list: I’m grateful that I’m on the back nine holes of life. Although older age has its downsides when it comes to combatting Covid-19, it sure has benefits […]

Learn More April 20, 2020

A Closer Look at the Big Five and Personalized Persuasion

My last post introduced the “Big Five” or “Five-Factor” model of personality traits and offered a glimpse of the way personality insights can be useful for donor segmentation and campaign messaging. We’re sticking with these topics in this post but going a little deeper. A Brief History of the Big Five I want to first […]

Learn More March 18, 2020

The Bigger World of Behavioral Science

In his Agitator debut our new expert on supporter motivation explains why the time has come for nonprofits to more fully access the psychological insights and tools available to them and maximize their fundraising potential. Traditionally, “motivation” has been seen as an attribute that varied only by amount: folks can be either more or less […]

Learn More March 4, 2020

5 Simple Words Will Make You A Better Fundraiser

Elon Musk, controversial engineer and entrepreneur, became the 20th richest person in the world thanks to a series of industry-disrupting products. Among them PayPal, Tesla Auto, , SpaceX rockets, Solar City, the nation’s 2nd largest provider of solar power, and SolarGlass a company aimed at installing glass solar roofs on the worlds’ houses. In reading […]

Learn More February 26, 2020

The Zero Party Future is Already Here – Proof.

Canvassing is the number one method for acquiring sustainers (according to Target benchmarking). There is a lot of money being spent and a lot of donor loss occurring, especially in the first few months. What to do about it? A lot of forward-thinking brands (e.g. TNC, ACLU, No Kid Hungry, Special Olympics) have been using […]

Learn More February 14, 2020

“Zero Party” Data is the Best Party Data

To recap our previous post, zero-party data draws a distinction between first party data (i.e. data you have based on direct interaction with your supporters) that is voluntarily, willingly shared and that which is passively and (often) unknowingly collected. The latter requires inference and assumption, the former is knowing and understanding. There are three types […]

Learn More February 12, 2020

The Key To Curing Your Fundraising Ailments

Retention concerns? Privacy concerns? Opt-out/opt-in concerns? Regulatory concerns? Making content relevant concerns? All of these concerns can be effectively addressed—and solved whether you’re in a small organization or a large one– by First Party Data and it’s little known sibling Zero Party Data. Too good to be true? Nope. What we’re going to cover in […]

Learn More February 10, 2020

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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Breaking Out of the Status Quo

Your Story, Well Told

Thank View Very Much

Should We Reward Supporters or Not?

Donor Preservation in the Pandemic

A Closer Look at the Big Five and Personalized Persuasion

The Bigger World of Behavioral Science

5 Simple Words Will Make You A Better Fundraiser

The Zero Party Future is Already Here – Proof.

“Zero Party” Data is the Best Party Data

The Key To Curing Your Fundraising Ailments

Ask A Behavioral Scientist

Behavioral Science Q & A

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?

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?

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?

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?

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