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Your Donor Went Missing!

You lost a donor today. In a large nonprofit, say 100,000 donors, you actually lost something like 123 donors today. In a really big organization, say 500,000 donors, you lost 615 donors … TODAY! Did you even notice? Did you see them go? Did you wave good-bye. Do you know why they left? Did they […]

Learn More September 28, 2016

Guesswork: The Enemy of Retention

The numbers cited in Tom’s post on the Ultimate Collection of Loyalty Statistics are not only frightening, they’re unlikely to improve by continuing down the same path year after year. That’s because the likelihood of boosting retention occurs only when fundraisers, communications folks, donor service managers, program officers, CEOs and board members — virtually everyone in the organization — understand why […]

Learn More September 27, 2016

Erode Your Way to Better Year-End Giving

Seth Godin, in a post titled Erosion,  correctly notes that “While it’s tempting to imagine that the world changes via sudden shocks, that our culture is shifted by dramatic changes in leadership, that grand gestures make all the difference … “It turns out that our daily practice, the piling up of regular actions, the cultural […]

Learn More September 12, 2016

Another Nugget From The Lapsed Donor Mine

We’ve recently had some very informative Agitator posts and commentary from practitioners regarding best approaches to lapsed donors. I don’t want those insights to get lost in the summer doldrums. Start here to review. In particular, I want to draw attention to the Comment of Chip Heartfield, who thankfully shared some hard data on the bequest […]

Learn More September 8, 2016

Limited Seating Webinar: Tapping the Power of Behavioral Science

If you’re really serious about growing your organization, you must focus on answering this one question: Why do donors do what they do? Unless you can empirically answer that question you’ll continue to be stuck with inefficient, scratch-the-surface guesswork, incremental testing to nowhere, and the oxymoron ‘flat-growth’. Today, the answers to this question of ‘why’ […]

Learn More September 7, 2016

A New Fundraising Classic

This morning the publisher officially released Data Driven Nonprofits, a book I believe will become a classic in our sector. Researched and written by Steve MacLaughlin, Blackbaud’s Director of Analytics, Data Driven Nonprofits is to the ‘science’ of fundraising what Ken Burnett’s Relationship Fundraising is to the ‘art’ of fundraising. This book is long overdue. Or, […]

Learn More September 6, 2016

Losing Donors Through Your Donate Page

In The Hidden Cost of Complexity I noted that given a choice, the harder something is to use, the less people will use it. The more difficult something is to read, the fewer people will read it. Our sector spends millions and millions on making things more complex and only a tiny amount understanding how […]

Learn More August 31, 2016

I’m Dead, Since 2003

Yesterday’s post, When To Give Up On A Donor, kicked off a good discussion of how to approach lapsed donors. And I want to preview … Roger has written a spectacularly thorough post on that subject which we’ve scheduled for Monday. It’s an entire mini-course with a treasure of pertinent links. A post you’ll want […]

Learn More August 26, 2016

Starting Over #10: Understand Money

As part of the Agitator’s Barriers to Growth series I noted that the shortage of investment funds for fundraising is often perceived as a major hurdle. And indeed it is. At least in the minds of far too many boards, CEOs and fundraisers. There’s an all-to-common mindset that fails to understand the importance of investment. […]

Learn More August 24, 2016

And Don’t Miss These ‘Top Ten’ …

At the end of each quarter our friends over at the crowdblog 101Fundraising list their 10 posts that received the highest readership according to Google Analytics. Here’s 101’s listing for the 2nd Quarter.  Something here for everyone.  Read on! Roger 1.  Three Powerful Major Gift Questions You Might Not Be Asking – Karen Osborne 2.  How to […]

Learn More August 18, 2016

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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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