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Board Meeting Swipe File

“I Asked A Simple Question Online This Week”

“I Asked a Simple Question Online” wrote Tom Ahern earlier this week. Here’s the question the master donor communicator asked: . “Which charity is doing the most for Syrian refugees?” The answers were anything but simple. Here’s what he found out and he’s given The Agitator permission to reprint the whole sorry story verbatim from his […]

Learn More May 16, 2017

All That Work … For 49,421 Donors!

Good day, it’s Tom the grouch again. Just browsing through the Fundraising Effectiveness Project’s 2017 report, a marvellous  gift from Bloomerang, DonorPerfect, eTapestry and Neon. The report examines year-to-year fundraising results (2015-16) from the 10,829 clients using the software of these firms. Recently our sector has been losing more donors than gained each year. In […]

Learn More May 2, 2017

What Makes A Great Fundraising Event?

Last weekend I visited Savannah, Georgia to celebrate a friend’s birthday and received some insights into event fundraising as a bonus. In a large public square beside my hotel, the Susan B. Komen Foundation was setting up for the local version of their Race for the Cure® — the world’s most successful series of 5K […]

Learn More April 27, 2017

“Award Winning” Nonprofit Brands

Brands can create significant connections with consumers and donors. Each year the Harris Poll conducts a benchmark study to determine how deep those bonds go. Then, in a variety of 18 categories including airlines, hotels, banks, rental cars — and yes, nonprofits — they honor the highest ranked brands in each award category. The Harris […]

Learn More April 24, 2017

Partisan Purse Strings

Since the November presidential election, many Agitator readers, Tom and I have pondered the possible effects of President Trump’s victory on fundraising and activism. Here and here among several posts. Now we have some data from a CNBC Survey showing that U.S. consumerism has become so politically charged that Americans are showing their partisanship through […]

Learn More April 13, 2017

Just A Trump Bump?

I was browsing the latest update on online fundraising trends from Network for Good (via dashboard courtesy of the Chronicle of Philanthropy), which indicates a 21% increase in amount donated online in March 2017 over Mar 2016. Online gifts were up 23.9% and the number of donors was up 22.4%. Not surprisingly, December was the […]

Learn More April 7, 2017

Back To Basics: Lifetime Value (LTV)

Tom’s rant, A Man of Infinite Patience in a World of Imposters, triggered helpful comments from fellow Agitators on what can  be done to help organizations better focus on understanding and measuring retention rates and other key metrics. Gail Perry suggested stamping out stupidity (mostly male) with basic education for boards and executive leaders on how fundraising works. Jay Love added the helpful […]

Learn More March 30, 2017

Your New Fundraising Word For The Day

Here’s it is: ‘actigiver’. In a Huffington Post piece, Giving In The Age of Outrage, Steve MacLauglin, VP of Data and Analytics at Blackbaud and author of Data Driven Nonprofits, claims that the question of “whether online activists would ever turn their clicks into gifts” has now been answered. The answer, according to Steve is […]

Learn More March 23, 2017

Top Marketing Tactics For 2017

Target Marketing recently surveyed its readers (including NonProfitPro) regarding their expected use of various marketing tactics and technologies in 2017. From a list of 22 tactics/technologies, here are those where 40% or more of marketers expect to increase their budgets: Top Marketing Tactics for 2017 Content marketing (blogs. white papers, infographics, etc) — 59% Online […]

Learn More March 20, 2017

Online Or Offline, What Matters Is Relevance

In what amounts to a same-day companion piece to Tom’ post, Are You Under or Over-Invested in Online Fundraising, Nick Ellinger over at the DonorVoice Blog posted a thoughtful companion piece, How the Facebook algorithm works outside of social media. It’s well worth reading by those who think most email communications are too light and frothy and […]

Learn More March 17, 2017

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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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