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Are You Under- Or Over-Invested in Online Fundraising?

Two recent studies, one from Blackbaud and one from Merkle, put online fundraising’s share of giving in perspective. Merkle, looking at large nonprofits, gave online 15% of the direct response fundraising pie, while Blackbaud, looking more broadly at all charitable giving (with online giving from 5,000+ organizations), gave online fundraising  7.2% of the total charitable giving […]

Learn More March 16, 2017

Embalming The Elephant – Release 1.0

It’s been 16 months since we announced The Agitator Data Liberation Crusade  — a quest to make available fundamental data that’s of daily use to fundraisers free of charge or as near-free as possible. Our rationale for this Crusade aimed at benefitting both small and large nonprofits is explained in our post Fundraising Data and […]

Learn More March 14, 2017

How ‘Sustainable’ Is Your Organization?

Once upon a time, the question of the ‘sustainability’ of a nonprofit — the ability to deliver services over a long period — was largely limited to foundations and mega-donors concerned that their funds were being put to long and lasting use. In recent years, the question has migrated to the minds of more and […]

Learn More March 13, 2017

The Benefits Of Collaborative Fundraising

In Part 8 of The Agitator’s Barriers To Growth series I cited “Insufficient Collaboration” as one of the principal barriers. Of the more than 1 million nonprofits in the U.S., nearly 75% post annual revenues below $500,000. I noted that “this leaves little or no room for the ‘science’ part of fundraising like data analytics, […]

Learn More March 9, 2017

2016 Giving Trends: The Warning Signs

The Blackbaud Insitute for Philanthropic Impact has released its Fifth Annual Charitable Giving Report that you can download here. It’s an attractive, interesting read and a chance to do some benchmarking comparison with your own results. It also contains the evidence that should cause us all to continue our professional soul searching and quest to do […]

Learn More February 28, 2017

Roger’s Blood Pressure

For months now, I’ve been sensing the steady rise in Roger’s blood pressure. I’ve watched two things in particular get him agitated … First, the glacier-like pace (and that’s me being charitable) with which fundraisers have responded to declining donor retention rates. And second, not unrelated, the apparent diffidence (again, I’m being charitable in my choice of […]

Learn More February 27, 2017

Our Job Is to Piss You Off

And get you thinking. Apparently we’re succeeding, judging from the thoughtful comment by Tom Ahern in response to my post on feedback. Tom takes umbrage with my snarky and no doubt intemperate comments on what I described as somewhat superficial approaches to ‘donor centricity’, whatever that is. First, let me apologize for any language that came […]

Learn More February 24, 2017

Donor Centricity — The Missing Ingredient

No matter how much you try, you really can’ t call yourself ‘donor centric’ unless you’re actively seeking donor feedback. Yesterday I spent some fabulous hours with 30+ organizations separating the wheat from the chaff on what most of the trade — without real understanding and in vacuous terms — calls ‘donor centricity’. These folks […]

Learn More February 23, 2017

Storytelling Vs. Data. Which Is More Important?

Looking for something to debate over lunch today? Check out Nick Ellinger’s post over at the DonorVoice Blog, where he tackles the age-old debate over the power of storytelling versus data when it comes to fundraising success. Challenging a common thesis that that Democrats lost the 2016 presidential election because they focused on data-driven marketing, […]

Learn More February 17, 2017

Tom Ahern Wants To Know … And So Should You

Lots of great questions and comments popped up in response to The Dangerous Dictum of “Mail more. Make more”. Especially appropriate was a question by Tom Ahern: “Is there a bottom line for various sized groups?” Of course, as other commenters noted, there are different approaches depending on the organization or type of organization. For […]

Learn More February 1, 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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    The Agitator Tool Box

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



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