Fundraising philosophy/profession

Sleeping Fundraising Giant Awakens

What advice would you give to Chinese fundraisers intent converting the world’s largest middle class into donors? That was Ken Burnett’s assignment at the First China Fundraising Conference in Beijing last month. The Conference, sponsored by the newly formed China Association of Fundraising Professionals (CAFP) and supported by four major foundations, aimed at putting increased […]

Learn More August 24, 2015

Throwing UK Fundraising Under the Bus

A number of thoughtful and concerned UK Agitator readers weighed in this week expressing a range of emotions from distress to disgust over what some termed the Institute of Fundraising’s (IoF) latest “betrayal” of the sector. On August 18 IoF announced an Update to the Code of Fundraising Practice. In effect the new rules say […]

Learn More August 21, 2015

Hallelujah!

Some Agitator readers might have noticed that I was on vacation recently. However, what some call ‘vacation’, I call ‘field work’ as my visit to the States included very high level strategic and editorial planning with co-editor Craver, as well as some on-the-ground research. I can’t discuss the former … deep corporate secrets and commercial […]

Learn More August 20, 2015

Fundraising Superstitions

Webster defines superstition as: “a belief or way of behaving that is based on fear of the unknown and faith in magic or luck : a belief that certain events or things will bring good or bad luck.” We all have our superstitions that help us down the path when we’re a bit nervous about […]

Learn More August 19, 2015

17 Reasons To Fire A Board Member

Without question the greatest barrier to great fundraising is a lousy board. Of course issues like staff quality, the necessary funds for investment, proper organizational structure, etc. etc. are important. But none is more important than a board. Because at the end of the day it is the board that ultimately determines the quality and […]

Learn More August 18, 2015

Breakdown In Trust Is A Good Thing

For too long too many nonprofits –especially those focused heavily on direct response –have behaved as though they’re still operating in a by-gone time when donors placed blind trust in nonprofits and their brands. This failure to recognize—not through lip service and jargon but by the way we practice our craft — the vast changes […]

Learn More August 14, 2015

Urgent Alert to U.S. Nonprofits–Immediate Action Needed

If you’re willing to turn over the list of your top donors to the government then you need read no further. However, if you’re not sure, or you’re absolutely certain you’d be unwilling to give up the donor list, then take this post to your CEO and General Counsel. Immediately. Why? Because right now the […]

Learn More August 13, 2015

Lazy Fundraisers

As he dashed out the door for his annual vacation Tom’s last act was to fill The Agitator’s “Grist Mill” Inbox with a ream of suggestions for posts during his absence. Maybe it was the demon of envy in my self-conscious that forced my eyes to settle on one item. After all, this year Tom […]

Learn More August 12, 2015

American Cancer Society Flops

If bullshit were the new cure for cancer then the direct marketing staff and consultants of the American Cancer Society should win the Nobel Prize in Medicine hands down. That was pretty much the conclusion of dozens of Agitator readers who phoned, emailed and texted following their attendance at last week’s presentation at the DMANF New […]

Learn More August 10, 2015

Innovation Series #4: Failure to Innovate

What’s stopping you from innovation. Nothing we can think of except the usual sloth, fear and idiotic board or CEO. Perhaps you can enlighten us. What reasons do you give for failure to innovate? Here’s Tom’s take in his 2012 post Nonprofit Failure is Too Rare. The Editors By Tom Belford | December 6, […]

Learn More August 6, 2015

Ask A Behavioral Scientist

Behavioral Science Q & A

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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Q: I find it irritating when some nonprofits accept my “gift” and then ask me to cover their credit card fees separately. It feels like a practice that does nothing to help win donors and runs the risk of turning others off. Is there any data on this either way?

Interesting question. I had a quick look at the testing done on this topic. On the positive side, in all cases, over half of donors decide to cover the fee. In some cases, it goes as high as 65%. Not a negligible percentage at all. Here’s another test from iRaiser showing consistent results (see point […]

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Q: What are the three most important things to consider when designing a brilliant supporter journey?

There’s just one thing to consider when designing a supporter journey: the supporter. More specifically, you need to take into account: Who the supporter is i.e. their identity, which is the reason they support this cause, and their personality, which describes the way they “see” and process the world. These will determine the kind of […]

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Q: Is there any evidence that changes to the tax laws in the USA changed end of year giving behaviors? Previously, ~30% of US taxpayers filed itemized tax returns allowing them to receive a deduction for charitable giving. Tax law changed in 2017 so that now only ~10% itemize. This should mean tax year-end giving should not matter to millions of people for whom it used to matter. Is there any data evidence to support this?

I’m not an expert in this but a quick search surfaced this article on the effect of tax reforms on 2019’s charitable giving. The researchers didn’t find a reduction. Actually, they observed an “increase in charitable contributions in 2019, even with the lower tax rates and the dramatically smaller number of taxpayers who itemize their […]

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