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Communications

8 ‘Duh’ Principles Of Direct Marketing

We fundraisers all have our ‘Duh!’ moments, often when we realize we’ve violated some cardinal rule of practice. Many Agitator readers responded ‘DUH!’ to my post yesterday, asking whether anyone knew, based on empirical evidence, whether thanking donors actually increased their subsequent giving. Don’t worry … I’ll return to that subject next week! But here’s […]

Learn More April 20, 2012

Cops And Fundraisers

Last week CBS News aired a piece on “Predictive Policing” that offers an important analogy to our world of fundraising. According to CBS the latest weapon in the Los Angeles Police Department’s war on crime is a program called “Predictive Policing” that puts officers on the scene before crimes occur. In the 5 months since […]

Learn More April 17, 2012

Business Fails At Customer Retention Too

The Agitator is rather passionate on the subject of donor retention. [Just ‘Search’ that term on our website!] So we were gratified to see this article — Keep ’em Comin’ Back — from the Center for Media Research discussing an Acxiom/Loyalty 360 study of customer retention in the commercial space. If it’s any consolation, businesses […]

Learn More April 10, 2012

When Does Personalization Get Creepy?

My answer would be: When I didn’t realize I gave you the information driving the personalization. Of course you know my giving history to your organization. Of course you know my particular areas of program interest. You should know where I live, since I gave first via direct mail. And maybe that’s relevant to the […]

Learn More March 8, 2012

Coca-Cola, Fundraising and the DMA

I’ll get to Coca-Cola in a moment. First, I want to report on a wonderfully hopeful undercurrent of innovation and change that I sensed at last week’s Direct Marketing Association Nonprofit Conference in Washington, D.C. Although the undercurrent has not yet reached tsunami or even riptide proportions, it is increasingly evident that concepts long talked […]

Learn More March 5, 2012

Flat Earth Fundraising: Moneyball

I have a suggestion for the conference planners at AFP, DMA, CASE and every other association in our nonprofit galaxy:  Scrap two hours, 13 minutes of “seen this, heard that” sessions, serve free popcorn, and treat your registrants to a screening of Moneyball. I’m serious.  Here’s why. Moneyball, the 2003 iconoclastic bestseller by Michael Lewis  […]

Learn More January 30, 2012

Any Color You Want … As Long As It’s Black

Twitterland, the nonprofit newswires, and my email lit up early Tuesday morning with news that Blackbaud, the largest provider of fundraising software to nonprofit organizations, had announced its plans to acquire Convio, one of its largest competitors, for $275 million. The deal is expected to close by the end of March. The purchase of Convio […]

Learn More January 18, 2012

Resolved: No Fundraising Silos

As we noted last week, the superb comments offered by readers of The Agitator are a delight to me and Roger. And we’re gratified that these have grown strongly in number over the past year. So we thought it fitting to give the last word of the year to an Agitator Commentator. We picked this […]

Learn More December 30, 2011

Fundraising Year In Review

This is the first of two posts on the year now ending. Today, a summary of giving for 2011 and some trends in direct mail.  Tomorrow, the 2011 Pulse of Agitator readers. As we head for 2011’s fundraising finish line The Atlas of Giving on Friday reported that overall giving this year will finish 7.4% […]

Learn More December 20, 2011

Which Mailbox Delivers Emotion?

Here’s a good study to read to follow-up on Roger’s post this week about multi-channel integration. Done by Epsilon, the Consumer Channel Preference Study (registration required) focuses particularly on consumer preferences with respect to direct mail and email. But it also looks at social media and mobile. (One disappointment … nothing on telemarketing.) Some findings: […]

Learn More December 15, 2011

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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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