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Behavioral Science Posts

Identity and Need Satisfaction (should) go hand in hand

I’m a Canadian. A behavioral scientist. A fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins. A husband. The son of a parent afflicted with cancer. These are some examples of the identities I hold. Identities refer to important social roles, relationships, attitudes, and passions that people use to describe themselves. Everyone has various identities that are more or […]

Learn More July 6, 2020

Fundraising Data- Part 3: Own Your Data

Looking back at the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) with nearly 2 years of hindsight, it seems that almost everyone went crazy on the issue of consent and that pendulum is only now just starting to swing back to sanity. What was lost in the scramble and panic over consent was any […]

Learn More March 13, 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

Audience Building Outside of Google and Facebook

So far this week we’ve painted a darkening picture on how to build your audience with the Goofle and Facebook behemoths..  How about some good news and some good places to build your audience?  A few thoughts: Twitter.  Last year, Facebook eliminated a decent amount of third-party data from ad targeting (likely because they had […]

Learn More November 8, 2019

Starbucks-With-A-Clipboard

The line at Starbucks stretched though the store and out onto the sidewalk.  Impatient and agitated Customers grumbled loudly.  I patiently waited my turn in line, determined to see the cause of this holdup. Finally, I placed my order and handed the cashier my credit card.  She shook her head and instead handed me a […]

Learn More November 1, 2019

Evolving Our Nonprofit Language

When something new comes along, it goes through fuzzy stages of naming: We don’t know what to call it. Early names for our wired digital experience were “information superhighway” (peaked in 1996, according to Google nGram) and “cyberspace” (peaked in 2000).  Early references to the car/automobile included autokenetic, autometon, buggyaut, motorig, and truckle. We define […]

Learn More October 23, 2019

Are F-2-F Managers Squandering Millions?

I fear the answer is “Yes.” Today there are at least a dozen major US nonprofits that are collectively spending tens of millions on F-2-F campaigns. My fear is that many are wasting their organization’s and their donors’ dollars because the Target Benchmark data on retention for F2F, street acquired sustainers is sobering and suggests […]

Learn More September 18, 2019

Where to Find the Elusive Monthly Donor

As the one-time donor (dator unum) becomes an increasingly endangered species, organizations have correctly gone in search of recurring donors (dator magnus). In the past two years, sustaining gifts have gone from 20% to 30% of (median) organizational revenue.  Much of the search for recurring donors has been centered on trying to get one-time donors, […]

Learn More August 5, 2019

Seven New Updates to Seven New Issues: Free Webinars, White Papers and F2F Data

New free webinar: We had such a positive response to our webinar series in May and June we are starting back up.  First up: Beyond A/B: Running Thousands of Tests at Once.  Erica Best of No Kid Hungry and Steve Rudman of Concord Direct will join me to discuss the method behind No Kid Hungry’s […]

Learn More July 31, 2019

BRANDING: Who Polices the Brand Police?

If you missed Roger’s Friday post on brand, a recent study on brand found that fundraising spending has 87 times the impact on income as brand spend and the best organizations had brand as the servant to fundraising instead of vice versa. It’s not all bad news for brand folks, though.  There are two areas […]

Learn More July 29, 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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