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Breaking Out of the Status Quo

Are Demographics Garbage?

I was struck by the headline on a piece in Fortune that reads: Netflix says Geography, Age and Gender are “Garbage” for Predicting Taste The point of the article: Netflix uses one predictive algorithm worldwide, and it treats demographic data as almost irrelevant. “Geography, age, and gender? We put that in the garbage heap,” VP […]

Learn More August 5, 2016

Starting Over #9: Understanding Strategy

An essential element for any organization, whether brand new or starting over, is a focused and concise strategy. The problem is that most organizations and their consultants don’t have the foggiest idea what a real  strategy is. In the absence of a true strategy it’s almost certain that the status quo will be perpetuated. In […]

Learn More August 4, 2016

Starting Over #7: Forget Success. Focus On Value.

Why do so many nonprofit CEOs and Boards ignore ‘value’ when it comes to fundraising? In fact, why do so many fundraisers ignore it also? Tom’s The Boss Wants to See You! provides a painful reminder that all too often the ‘flashy’, the ‘cool’, the ‘new, new thing’, not to mention expedience, ignorance and ‘going with […]

Learn More July 20, 2016

Starting Over #6: Measuring Donor Experiences

A surprising number of fundraisers fail to understand a basic axiom of a successful organization/donor relationship: It is the actions an organization takes toward its donors (the so-called ‘donor experience’) that determines the attitude — positive or negative — of the donor. In turn, it is the donor’s attitude that determines the donor’s behavior toward the […]

Learn More July 14, 2016

Donorus Specificus: Evolution Of The Donor

Yesterday Roger argued that fundraisers need to know their donors’ identities. And he was talking about individual donors … and not just the $1,000, $5,000 or $10,000 (or whatever your ‘major gift’ threshold is) variety. He admitted this would be hard work: “This is an approach that most fundraisers will dismiss out of hand as […]

Learn More July 7, 2016

Mid-Level Giving: What’s Your Strategy?

Without question the most neglected area of fundraising — after retention — involves mid-value or mid-level giving. Organizations are leaving millions and millions and millions on the table. Lots of folks talk about the need to launch a mid-level program with all the good intentions in the world. But few actually do anything to get […]

Learn More June 27, 2016

Starting Over #2: Switching From Old Rules To New Rules

Why bother even thinking about starting over? What’s wrong with what we’re doing? Everyone else is doing about the same thing, so why bother changing? Failure to ask and correctly answer those key questions is likely to eventually find your organization joining the nonprofit equivalents of Pan Am, Polaroid, Nokia, and Kodak. Once-great organizations that […]

Learn More June 21, 2016

Opt-in/Opt-out: Special to UK and EU Readers

[Attention Agitator readers elsewhere in the world: There’s plenty here that applies to you as well, but we’ll do a special opt-in/opt-out feature for you later focusing on opt-in/opt-out for newsletters, unsubscribes, etc.] Regardless of the outcome of next week’s Brexit referendum on whether the UK should stay in or leave the European Union, fundraisers […]

Learn More June 16, 2016

How Effective Is Our Fundraising?

The latest stats from Giving USA might be cause for smug satisfaction. Overall giving in the U.S. reached record highs at $373.25 billion in 2015, up 4.1% from the previous year. This amount covers giving from US-based individuals and institutions to US-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations. [I come from the advocacy world and would note that […]

Learn More June 15, 2016

Update On Online Giving

In partnership with Network for Good, the Chronicle of Philanthropy provides a ‘data dashboard’ updated monthly that reports trends in online giving. The dashboard looks only at flows through the Network for Good platform, but that’s nearly two million donations over a rolling year to 31,295 nonprofits. So, not a bad picture of what’s happening […]

Learn More June 14, 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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    The Agitator Tool Box

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



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