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Board Meeting Swipe File

Protecting Michael Moore AND The Koch Brothers

Have the names of your contributors been illegally and publicly exposed by the Attorney General of California? See for yourself. Here’s a 116-page list of organizations whose major contributors were “inadvertently” made public on the website of the California AG. This is the third week in a row I’ve found it necessary to single out the […]

Learn More June 6, 2016

What Are You?

Are you really a Fundraiser? Or, are you just a Fundraising Monitor? “Why monitor a problem if you don’t fix it?” Here at The Agitator we sure do a lot of monitoring. Tom and I think we should also be doing more along the lines of  encouraging, debating and reporting on ‘fixing’. It’s clear from […]

Learn More May 31, 2016

When Women Win

I unwrapped the package from Simone Joyoux and out fell a card bearing this moving quotation from Constance Baker Motley, the first black woman in the U.S. to become a federal judge: “Something which we think is impossible now is not impossible in another decade.” Inside the package was a remarkable gift of a book […]

Learn More May 25, 2016

Urgent Warning: Immediate Action Required

We’re rushing this to you over the weekend so you’re prepared and ready to act first thing Monday morning. For the sake of your organization, your clients, and your  colleagues on Twitter, LinkedIn Facebook  or reading your blog, we urge you to move quickly and forward this Alert to them immediately so they can also take action. ACTION ITEM: A […]

Learn More May 21, 2016

The #Donorlove Glee Club

It’s clear from the wealth of thoughtful comments this week that Agitator readers are a donor-centric, donor-loverish, donor-centered, supporter-led tribe. And contrary to the headline in Tom’s rant, Stop Bashing ‘Donor-Centricity, I’m a charter member of the #donorlove Glee Club. While I have no desire in Dan Kirsch’s words to see the The Agitator morphed into […]

Learn More May 20, 2016

Stop Bashing ‘Donor-Centricity’

I stormed into Roger’s office yesterday (actually, ranted via Skype), ready to carry the torch for ‘donor-centricity’. [Not that I consider the term one of the most warm and fuzzy I’ve encountered for talking about putting the donor first.] “Why are you dismissive of fundraisers being donor-centric”, I yelled, waving these words from his recent post, […]

Learn More May 18, 2016

Gaining Ground By Cutting Volume

The infographic below is from our sister firm DonorTrends and indicates that for the first time in a number of years the nonprofit sector seems to be more or less standing still — rather than losing ground. A welcome change in direction. You can download the full 2016 Fundraising Effectiveness Survey Report here. In a nutshell […]

Learn More May 17, 2016

Fighting the Fundraising Excuse Machine. Seeking Ultimate Answers

Tom and I had a productive last week with our series of posts on ‘what’ or ‘who’ is at fault when it comes to the issue of holding on to and enhancing — or destroying — the value of donors. Tom tossed the first piece of tinder on the fire with his post Who’s Fibbing […]

Learn More May 16, 2016

Doing The Same. Hoping For A Different Result.

Tom’s pieces on Who’s Fibbing? and Are We Getting Roasted? have triggered a lively dialogue for which both Tom and I are grateful. Vigorous discussion at the Agitator’s family table is always welcome. So let’s keep it going with this video introduction: Clearly, many folks know what they should do, but don’t. So like the golfing buddies […]

Learn More May 12, 2016

Are We Getting Roasted?

Yesterday, in my post Who’s Fibbing?, after suggesting that somebody is not ‘getting it right’ — consultants or nonprofits — if retention rates keep declining, I gingerly posed the possibility … is it the donors’ fault? I thought I might be throwing red meat to the sharks, but only one commenter took on that possibility […]

Learn More May 11, 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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