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Behavioral Science Posts

The Failed World of One Size Fits All “Nudges”

I don’t know how many times I’ve typed, spoken, yelled or cried in my beer (ok, whiskey..) that we have to get fundraising out of it’s one size fits all world.   Actually, I do know because I’ve just counted and its 3,247 times.  I’m clearly doing it wrong. But, hope springs eternal and so, here […]

Learn More April 23, 2021

Where and How to Apply Behavioural Science 

Behavioural Science only works if it works. If it doesn’t one of two things is happening.  Either, It’s all a hoax, or We’re missing something Since behavioural insights are successfully and consistently applied in other sectors we can dismiss the hoax option. So, what are we missing? First, a definition. Behavioral science is not synonymous […]

Learn More April 16, 2021

Finding the Globalist Identity

Identities.   We all have lots of them.  Our personal identities are not statistical groupings with random variables available to create potpourri gibberish.  But sadly, that’s the route most agencies go and while that approach is deceptively alluring it’s still baseless nonsense. An Identity is something a person psychologically owns, a sense of self.  The best […]

Learn More April 12, 2021

Beware of Junk Science

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is the most popular personality test in the world.  Fortune 100 love it.  Government agencies love it.  More than 1.5 million people take it every year. Our only issue with it as social scientists is this:  It’s absolute garbage.  Otherwise, we too love it. It fails on two fundamental requirements. Not […]

Learn More March 17, 2021

Transactional Segmentation is NOT Strategic Segmentation

“Wait!”, I hear you cry.  “You preach on cause and effect and past behavior does predict future behavior.  How is that not strategic?” We’ll stipulate: A person will tend to give the amounts that they have given in the past A current donor is more likely to give than a lapsed donor A donor who […]

Learn More March 5, 2021

Walmart’s Mega Nudging Test

Walmart partnered with academics whose listing on the published paper reads like the credits on a Hollywood blockbuster movie, which is to say almost as long as the movie. The aim?  Increasing flu vaccination rates in hopes it would provide guidance for increasing Covid vaccine uptake. This team of social scientists came up with 22 […]

Learn More March 1, 2021

Cat People and Dog People

Are you a cat person or a dog person?  The answer to that might impact your choice of a (potential) mate.  A recent study explored this and the findings dance between “water is wet”to the “trivial” but with just enough “novel” to warrant mention. Let’s get trivial and water is wet out of the way.  […]

Learn More February 17, 2021

Take This Personality Test to Help Cope With the COVID-19 Pandemic

Knowing something about your own personality may be useful as we all work to limit the spread of COVID-19. After all, not everyone copes in the same way. Self-isolation and social distancing are hard to swallow and even harder to implement. To make your self-isolation easier—or at least more understandable– here are some useful insights […]

Learn More January 4, 2021

How to Know If Your TM or F2F Sustainer Acquisition Meets Donor Needs

Over forty years of research and theory show people have three basic, psychological needs. Satisfying these needs makes donors more likely to stick around. The three are: Competence – feelings of effectiveness. For donors, it could mean feeling like they’re making a positive difference. It could also mean learning something new, for example, information about […]

Learn More December 11, 2020

Reverse Engineering Your Way to Donor Centricity

Understanding the why of human behavior is best unearthed with data straight from our donors.  We call it zero-party, that which is voluntarily and knowingly given, typically via a survey. Contrary to the opinion of many, surveys are the best way to measure motivation and needs and innate traits that play a large role in […]

Learn More December 9, 2020

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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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