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Behavioral Science Posts

We Re-did the DonorVoice Website.  Why Should You Care?

You shouldn’t…unless you’re interested in understanding why people give and using the insight to make your fundraising better.  There is a case study here. You shouldn’t…unless you’re interested in using behavioral science to get beyond one size fits all fundraising.  There is a case study here. You shouldn’t…unless you’re considering changing your own website and […]

Learn More June 28, 2021

REMINDER: FREE SUMMER SERIES

It ain’t Sheakspeare in the Park, or the Tamglewood Music Festival, nor one of the Edinburgh Festivals, but it’s custom made for fundraisers open to re-thinking and re-imagining how to best approach post-pandemic challenges.  This Free Summer Series is brought to you by DonorVoice, the Behavioral Science Fundraising Agency and you can  register here In these short, […]

Learn More June 1, 2021

Getting Your Copy from Good to Great (or at least Better)

I was thumbing through a canary yellow, three ring binder, found while Covid cleaning.  It had that musty paper smell and more than a few cobwebs. This book in binder is, 86 tutorials on Creating Fundraising Letters and Packages, and the author is Jerry Huntsinger, who we’ve brought in on a client gig or two […]

Learn More July 15, 2020

Farewell to Nick

Today we say farewell to Nick who’s leaving DonorVoice to become the Chief Brand Officer at Moore DM Group. It’s always tough to lose a first-rate writing and brainstorming buddy from the Agitator foxhole.  And believe me, Nick’s tossed his share of grenades that questioned conventional wisdom and complacency from his perch here. So, on […]

Learn More January 16, 2020

Online Symposium Part 2: What We Learned About Actual Impact

There are two types of impact information a charity could share: Actual impact is the difference a donation, or the charity, had on the cause and can be shown with data from the field.  Perceived impact is the difference supporters perceive their donation, or the charity, could have e.g. $15 could buy medicine. In my previous post on […]

Learn More October 16, 2019

The Power of Celebrity (or lack thereof)

in our board meeting bingo run-through of the things you don’t want to hear your board say, I forgot “let’s reach out to X celebrity to see if they will market for us.”  (Extra bonus points if X is Oprah.) It comes up frequently.  And it’s painful to have to say “yes, it would be great […]

Learn More October 11, 2019

Which Emotion Should We Trigger To Increase Donations?

Editor’s Note:  We’re bringing together professors in behavioral science and nonprofit practitioners in the first-ever DonorVoice Behavioral Symposium. The Symposium is web-based and spread over two days: 30th September and 1stOctober from 9-12 AM Eastern (2-5 PM UK). Wherever you are, you can join for free.  Find out more here. Roger   Our first-ever Behaviorial Symposium […]

Learn More September 25, 2019

First DonorVoice Online Behavioral Symposium Speaker Line-Up (and Six Other Updates from the Month that Was)

Online Behavioral Symposium update: You’ve hopefully already saved the date for the first DonorVoice Online Behavioral Symposium on September 30th and October 1st (if not, save your spot now).  This is the Symposium where academics and practitioners come together to share insights and promote collaborations in our 1st online behavioral symposium. It will be hosted […]

Learn More September 16, 2019

Buy Nick’s Book

Nick has written a practical, helpful, and, yes, fun-to-read book on surviving the complex calamity of diminishing donor numbers, clogged acquisition channels and diminishing retention. It’s titled: The New Nonprofit: Six Models to Raise More Money and Accomplish More Mission.  It’s just been released and is ready for your order! I’ve read the book four times […]

Learn More August 22, 2019

Take Action Before The Trump Bump Slumps

As we head into board meeting season and the discussion around preliminary budgeting for 2020 many advocacy organization leaders will be touting the magnificent rise in both income and numbers of donors over the past two years. What frightens me is that some may believe this bonanza will last.  It won’t. If experience holds, many […]

Learn More March 15, 2019

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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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