• Home
  • Blog Posts
  • Behavioral Science
  • On Demand Webinars
  • Toolbox
  • Archives

Donor retention / loyalty / commitment

The High Price Of Failure To Listen

“Roger, please don’t talk to me when I’m not listening.” That was the standard response from a client who expressed surprise each time something blew up and I reminded him that we had discussed the very issue months before. “Don’t talk to me when I’m not listening.” Those words came flooding back as I wrote […]

Learn More July 15, 2015

New Automated Fundraising Tool. Free. Forever.

Today were adding a valuable, new tool to The Agitator Toolbox. The Donor Commitment Feedback Widget for Nonprofits has been designed, tested and proven by the folks at our sister company DonorVoice and is being given to Agitator readers for: $30/month                                                                                                   $0 (Free). That’s right. FREE. And how long will this price last? Forever. Hard […]

Learn More September 16, 2014

Direct Mail Testing To Nowhere

I suspect a good part of the reason why fundraising and especially acquisition is so flat or down lies in the business-as-usual, risk adverse nature prevalent in the contemporary nonprofit mentality. A mindset focused on protecting the institutional status quo … of defending one organization’s turf against another organization’s ambition … of making sweeping and […]

Learn More May 30, 2014

Top Fundraising Fallacies

Building on Drayton Bird’s blog, Five shocking lessons from a lifetime in marketing, Jeff Brooks added some fundraising spin of his own with 5 things you wish you already knew. Jeff inspired me to think more specifically about basic marketing mistakes fundraisers make. Here is my first pass at a list of ‘Top Fundraising Fallacies’ […]

Learn More May 15, 2014

Barriers To Growth – Part 1

A year ago we reported on Adrian Sargeant’s and Jen Shang’s remarkable study — Great Fundraising — revealing steps organizations must take to increase income 2, 3 or even 4 times. Last week, in Overcoming Barriers to Growth, I previewed the DMA Nonprofit Federation’s Leadership Summit by the same name that kicks off this Wednesday. […]

Learn More May 5, 2014

Ask And You’ll Receive. Seek And You’ll Find.

Spring and the conference season are now upon us, and I wanted to share with you a couple of ‘coming attractions’ featuring folks in the Agitator family. ATTRACTION # 1 – Tomorrow, March 18th, Gail Perry will host a Telesummit on “The Art of Asking:  Bringing Home the Money” featuring a keynote by Agitator Roger […]

Learn More March 17, 2014

Old Year Numbers For New Year Decisions

It’s fashionable these days for many nonprofit fundraisers and their consultants to claim they’re ‘data-driven’. Problem is, most focus on the ‘data’ part of the slogan; few understand the requirements of the second word — ‘driven’. I’m making this observation again at the start of the year because if you haven’t already done so, now […]

Learn More January 9, 2014

Stay The Course Or Step Change Fundraising?

Yes, there are some ‘uncontrollables’ that will influence your fundraising success in 2014 — consumers’ confidence about their economic well-being, major breaking events/tragedies (political or natural), and of course the extent to which you laid proper groundwork (or failed to) in 2013. Still, in no small part, your nonprofit’s fundraising performance in 2014 will be […]

Learn More January 6, 2014

Is Giving Considered Or Impulse?

Very few people get up in the morning, look in the mirror, and say to themselves: “Today I’ll make a donation to … [fill in the blank — cure cancer, sponsor a child in Bolivia, save the planet from global warming, support my local ballet company.]” Instead, their attention is pinged by a relevant event, […]

Learn More November 14, 2013

Rules Are Made To Be Broken

Rules are made to be broken! Or are they? A longer version of this aphorism is attributed to General Douglas MacArthur: “Rules are mostly made to be broken and are too often for the lazy to hide behind.” There are two sides to this. On the one hand, our colleague Kevin Schulman at Donor Voice […]

Learn More November 4, 2013

<< 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 … 20 >>

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 […]

    Read Full Answer

    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 […]

    Read Full Answer

    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 – […]

    Read Full Answer

    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 […]

    Read Full Answer

    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 […]

    Read Full Answer

    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 […]

    Read Full Answer

    The Agitator Tool Box

    Ideas, applications, tools, processes, and case studies of break-through solutions in fundraising, including:



      • © Copyright 2005 - 2025, The Agitator. All Rights Reserved.
      • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Sitemap
      • RSS Feed
      • We welcome your feedback!