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Board Meeting Swipe File

The Fundraising Stupidity of ‘Free’ and Cheap

It never ceases to amaze me how stupid and cheap so many nonprofit CEOs, board members and, yes, even fundraisers can be. The consequences that spring from ignorance about the importance of investing in fundraising and a zealously misplaced focus on ‘cost savings’ yield horror and frustration for staff and almost always result in calamity […]

Learn More November 6, 2015

9 Great Tips for #GivingTuesday

December 1st 2015 marks the fourth annual #GivingTuesday. In anticipation of the event this post is divided into: 1) stats on #Giving Tuesday, and 2) some quick and easy tips to prepare for #GivingTuesday. Background and Stats #GivingTuesday is that artificially inseminated day of philanthropy aimed at capturing some of the torrent of consumer spending […]

Learn More November 4, 2015

Fundraising Bravery

Sometimes Professor Adrian Sargeant can be a real pain in the ass. We should all be grateful. This week the mild mannered, empirical-evidence-please scholar and the author of the classic Building Donor Loyalty shed his Clark Kent persona and came out swinging against proposed regulatory efforts by the UK government to gag charities. Regulatory efforts aimed […]

Learn More October 28, 2015

Year-end Priority Setting

When I actually got paid to fundraise, as we swung into the last two months of the year we had to balance two priorities — 1) maximizing year-end fundraising to get the numbers as impressive as possible, and 2) projecting costs and revenue for the coming year to fuel the annual budgeting process. That was hard […]

Learn More October 27, 2015

Putting the Donor in Control of Fundraising

Much of what we fundraisers practice and preach will eventually be shown to be wrong or out of date. Sometimes, if we’re lucky, disturbing trends and startling events arise to speed up the re-evaluation and change process. Events like the imposition of new regulatory rules in the U.K. requiring charities to get donors’ permission to […]

Learn More October 26, 2015

Stop Driving Women Out of Fundraising

There are some questions that simply can’t be answered with words. Action is the only answer On so many levels a key — perhaps the key — question is how do we slow or stop the hemorrhaging of talented fundraisers — particularly women — at a time of desperate and growing need. Make no mistake. […]

Learn More October 22, 2015

Unsung Fundraising Heroes

I’m looking forward to speaking next week at the annual meeting of the Association of Advancement Services Professionals  because I want to personally thank these unsung heroes. These are the pros who gather, organize, manage and disseminate the information that is the backbone of solid and effective fundraising. Key activities too often ignored or paid short […]

Learn More October 20, 2015

Fundraising By Stereotype: The Quick Path To No Revenue

Editors’ Note:  Periodically we reference the wit and wisdom of Jeff Brooks over at FutureFundraisingNow and occasionally run a few snippets. Today we’re featuring an unabridged guest post by Jeff on the pitfalls of relying on myth and stereotype — sadly an all-too-common affliction with many fundraisers.  Roger and Tom   “How are we going to replace our dying donors?” […]

Learn More October 15, 2015

Hamsters And Fundraising

When it comes to holding on to donors most fundraisers, like fur-less hamsters, seem to treading their way to nowhere. As the Agitator noted last week in our post on the 2015 Fundraising Effectiveness Project Report, just as in past years the number of new donors gained is surpassed by the number of existing donors lost (100 too […]

Learn More October 13, 2015

Insight Into Donor-Advised Giving

Hats off to Schwab for providing valuable insight into the giving behavior of their donor-advised fund customers. Schwab has released a report providing giving data both since inception of their fund in 1999 and greater detail on fiscal year 2015. Because donor funds are invested by Schwab, it’s nice to see that, since inception, donor funds held in […]

Learn More October 9, 2015

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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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