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The New Agitator

After 11 years and 3,191 posts The Agitator has a new look and a new address: agitator.thedonorvoice.com, instead of theagitator.net. I’m using this first post on the new site to summarize the changes, additions and, most importantly, the guiding philosophy going forward. Why the Change? We’ve increasingly been drawing on the research, testing and results of pilot […]

Learn More September 4, 2018

Year End: Ideal Asking Amounts

Do you really know the best “ask amount” for each donor? Many fundraisers really don’t know.  They guess, or resort to traditional, tribal wisdom ask strings like 1X Highest Previous Gift (HPC), 1.5 X HPC,  2 X HPC and Other $_______ The result?  They’re often leaving massive amounts of money on the table. The ask […]

Learn More August 30, 2018

Satisfaction vs. Effectiveness

At DonorVoice, we are constantly monitoring the satisfaction of donors.  Was it easy to donate online?  How was your experience with that canvasser?  How satisfied were you with that event? It may surprise you, then, to hear me say that you can have donors who are satisfied by an experience and it doesn’t matter at […]

Learn More August 9, 2018

May the Fundraising Force Be With You

Among the many skills attributed to Steve Jobs was his ability to create a “reality distortion field”—a mental force he created to persuade himself and others to believe almost anything. Colleagues from early days note it was this skill that enabled Jobs and his team to develop the original Macintosh computer and deliver the software […]

Learn More July 23, 2018

Beware the Mismatched Incentives Between You and Your Canvassing Firm

A few weeks ago, Kevin Schulman here ignited a firestorm by suggesting a F2F model where the canvassing vendor does some or all the financing for this new donor acquisition.  There were some well-thought-out concerns about the history of financing acquisition and about the viability in today’s marketing. Regardless of on which side of that […]

Learn More July 12, 2018

The Opposite of “More” Is Not “Less”; It’s “Better”

For generations direct response fundraisers have been steering the fundraising car with little more than two controls: the gas pedal and the brake pedal. Want more monthly donors? Invest more money. More prospecting.  More F2F.  More DRTV.  More campaigns to reactivate lapsed sustainers. More. More. Want more net income to “meet the numbers”?  Cut back […]

Learn More May 14, 2018

Are You Behaving Like Facebook?

Seems as though all the world–  the press, Congress, the European Union, advertisers, competitors and millions of users themselves—are focused on Facebook’s privacy and data practices. This is a great opportunity to look at privacy and data practices in our own sector. Sadly, many nonprofits behave like Facebook. They share and rent data without asking. They […]

Learn More April 2, 2018

What Ask String Works Best?

The life of a direct response fundraiser is filled with so many questions – far more questions than answers. Take the question, “How much should we ask for?” Usually the question is answered with the conventional application of a formula based on previous giving.  For example, 1.0X, 1.5X, 2.0X highest previous gift –or some variation […]

Learn More March 13, 2018

Fundraising’s Silver Bullet

Tom just weighed in from summertime New Zealand with the suggestion that we once again take up the important subject of donor service. He accompanied his suggestion with this quote from Seth Godin. “Reactive customer service waits until something is broken. We leave it up to the annoyed customer to go to the trouble of […]

Learn More February 12, 2018

Why “Trust” Matters in Fundraising. And What To Do About It.

The 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals that trust in the U.S. has suffered the largest-ever-recorded drop in the survey’s history among the general population. Even more troubling, trust among the informed public (that would be our donors)  in the U.S. imploded, plunging 23 points to 45, making it now the lowest of the 28 countries surveyed— below […]

Learn More February 9, 2018

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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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