• Home
  • Blog Posts
  • Behavioral Science
  • On Demand Webinars
  • Toolbox
  • Archives

Donor retention / loyalty / commitment

Wanted: “Retentioneer”

Seems like the hot new job title in Silicon Valley is “Retentioneer.” The term is a combination of “Retention” + “Engineer” = Retentionner.” Tech companies are finally realizing the futility of focusing on growth without fixing the leaky bucket of attrition. In short, they need to fix retention to have any chance of real growth. Sound […]

Learn More July 29, 2015

The Fundraising Power of Now

A lot of what I’ve learned about the importance of timing in fundraising I learned from selling funeral flowers. Let me explain. My father was a florist– a business that heavily depends on emotion-driven buying impulses — funerals, weddings, Mother’s Day, birthdays and anniversaries – with most transactions completed over the telephone and by credit […]

Learn More July 27, 2015

Our Donors Are Dying

It’s mid-year for many organizations and fundraising projections are being adjusted for the second half. For other organizations, it’s the start of a new fiscal year and fundraisers have just finished rationalizing and justifying the numbers in the new budget. Regardless of which stage of the year you’re in, I’m absolutely certain there’s a board […]

Learn More July 17, 2015

Challenging A Sacred Cow

Our recent post Stop it. Fix It on barriers to growth was triggered by Jay Love’s prediction that when Giving USA 2015 was released it would show that once again charitable giving in the U.S. would not exceed 2% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Sure enough, two weeks later on June 15th Giving USA 2015 was […]

Learn More June 24, 2015

Only 161 Days To Go

Mark you planning calendar. Or not. December 1st 2015 marks the fourth annual #GivingTuesday. #GivingTuesday is that artificially inseminated day of philanthropy aimed at capturing some of the torrent of consumer spending that marks the holiday shopping season in the days following American Thanksgiving. Here at The Agitator the event seems to stir up Tom’s […]

Learn More June 23, 2015

The Profit In Listening To Donors

Yesterday Roger offered the example, from the Swedish blood donation service, of a brilliant approach to thanking donors (donating blood, donating money … is there a difference?!). Today we have another modest case study … this one on the value of listening to donors. In this case, the charity, National Parkinson Foundation (NPF) was concerned that its […]

Learn More June 16, 2015

What’s Wrong With Your Testing?

Let’s face it. Every one talks about ‘testing’. Few fundraisers and their consultants really understand what true testing means and how to conduct it. As I noted in an earlier post, The Idiocy of Testing, one of the great barriers to growth in our sector is that despite the countless thousands of hours and millions […]

Learn More June 9, 2015

Matching Gifts: Bonanza Or Sham?

Every few weeks I wade into the Sea of Sameness that is my pile of unopened fundraising mail. While leafing through the current batch I came across 3 Matching Gift offers. One advances the offer of a 3 for 1 match … another expresses the urgency of a 4 for 1 match … the third […]

Learn More May 28, 2015

I Hate To Rain On Your Parade, But …

Our US readers are heading off today for a well-deserved three-day weekend, with the celebration of it’s-almost-summer Memorial Day. A major parade day when I was a kid in small town New Jersey … we kids got to march in our Scout uniforms or sport team uniforms. I had a choice, since I was both […]

Learn More May 22, 2015

Raise More, Ask Less — Part 4

If you aren’t going to lose your job or your sleep over flat performance or no growth, then you should simply continue with the simple and convenient status quo. However, please understand there are other nonprofits that are going beyond the conventional, making changes in mindsets and methods and boosting results and growth. And they […]

Learn More April 17, 2015

<< 1 … 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 … 45 >>

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 […]

    Read Full Answer

    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 […]

    Read Full Answer

    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 – […]

    Read Full Answer

    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 […]

    Read Full Answer

    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 […]

    Read Full Answer

    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 […]

    Read Full Answer

    DonorVoice products

    Commitment System

    Donor Feedback Platform™

    PreTest Tool

    TouchPoint Mapping



      • © Copyright 2005 - 2025, The Agitator. All Rights Reserved.
      • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Sitemap
      • RSS Feed
      • We welcome your feedback!