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Donor acquisition

Selling Your Board On Direct Response

Roger has written on several occasions about the obstacles that nonprofit boards can present to effective fundraising and growth — see, for example, here and here — especially when it comes to direct response fundraising. Similarly, Tom Harrison, chairman of Russ Reid, writing a recent column in Fundraising Success, recited some of the ‘wisdom’ he’s […]

Learn More June 12, 2014

Petition Signer To Donor

Demonstrating what should be a staple in your acquisition toolkit, here’s a brief ‘petition-to-donor’ case study from Care2, involving the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF). Very straightforward. AWF’s petition to stop illegal wildlife poaching was promoted across the Care2 online network. In two weeks, the petitions attracted 29,000 signers, each furnishing online and mail contact info. […]

Learn More May 14, 2014

Dear Bernard …

Or is it Dennis? Or is it ‘whoever you are’? Or is it good-bye?! The answer is … good-bye. Fundraising Success just published an item by Dennis Fischman, originally posted on #fundchat. It’s brief and to the point. An important point, so I’m reprinting in its entirety. The Quickest Way To Lose A Donor “Dear […]

Learn More May 7, 2014

From Little Data To Big Data

Yesterday, Roger wrote about the value of segmentation and how even the fundraising of smaller nonprofits could benefit from basic donor segmentation. Today we’re at the other end of the spectrum — big organizations with heaps of data … which carries its own problems. Here is a white paper from marketing and information services firm […]

Learn More May 2, 2014

Simple Segmentation For Smaller Organizations

Fundraisers spend a lot of time developing the offer – writing (and rewriting, and rewriting, and rewriting) an appeal letter nine times, holding four meetings to decide on whether programs are accurately described, debating whether that cuddly polar bear premium is more compelling than a furry dolphin. Sadly, only a fraction of that time is generally […]

Learn More May 1, 2014

Is Peer-To-Peer Fundraising Dead?““““““““““““““““““““““““““““

Peer-to-peer fundraising is about as dead as direct mail. I’ve seen and heard lots of discussion that the traditional events — the staples of peer-to-peer fundraising like cycling, endurance contests, 5Ks and walks — are no longer relevant. After all, revenue from these events seems to have stagnated. Of course, the same is said of […]

Learn More April 30, 2014

Where’s The Money?

We’re all rebounding from the Great Recession, right? Optimistic about fundraising prospects for 2014, right? Well, maybe not so fast … at least not for everyone in the US of A. Our friends at Analytical Ones have completed an analysis of giving by state (and they can provide locality data as well, if you’re interested), […]

Learn More April 23, 2014

50 Shades Of Gray

Shame on you for even thinking The Agitator would go there. Instead, the headline was triggered by the fact that the divorce rate among folks 50+ has doubled in the past 20 years. This trend should raise questions for fundraisers concerning the ‘gray’ set. Thus we were pleased to hear from Barry Nelson, Senior Director […]

Learn More March 5, 2014

Top 50 Inspirations From Steve

Thanks to Steve MacLaughlin at Blackbaud for making our editorial lives at The Agitator so much easier. I’ve just been browsing through his 50 Fascinating Nonprofit Statistics. There’s enough fodder here to inspire Agitator posts for weeks! You’ll get one tomorrow. What more could you want to know about the US nonprofit sector? One of […]

Learn More February 19, 2014

Why We Don’t Trust Data

Angie Moore, in Tuesday’s FS Online post Predicting Weather is not Like Predicting Donations, notes that a good many fundraisers deny themselves the benefits of predictive modeling simply because, just like the weather forecast, they don’t understand what’s behind it. Given the “increasingly crowded and competitive landscape”, Angie urges fundraisers to drop their current, and […]

Learn More December 13, 2013

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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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