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Advocacy Fundraising

Exposing and Eliminating Unethical Email

Thank God It’s Friday. It’s been a horrible week in the real world: Massive evacuations and fear of Taliban retaliation in Afghanistan… historically massive and destructive wild fires in the West… reactionary and racist anti-democracy, voter suppression legislation enacted in Texas… tacit approval by the U.S. Supreme Court of a contrived, mean and vicious law […]

Learn More September 3, 2021

Fundraisers Giving Back

One of the truly impressive qualities of folks in fundraising is their generosity when it comes to giving back to advance our trade. You can see this generosity in the Comments sections of The Agitator –the willingness to share criticism, thoughts, and ideas. ….And in the countless hours of webinars and conferences presented by dozens […]

Learn More August 18, 2021

The Power of Giving Circles

A wise fundraiser constantly searches for new grass. Not ‘new’ in the sense of moving on to a new position.  Not necessarily “greener” in terms of a richer lode of donors.  But certainly  “new” in terms of sources and approaches to giving beyond the conventional landscape on which most fundraisers graze. As we recently warned, […]

Learn More August 11, 2021

Who’s in the Behavior Business? Charity Program Staff or Fundraisers?

Are you in the behavior business?  Or does this task fall to your program staff? There is a growing paradox in charitable organizations between how the program staff and fundraising are (or are not) rethinking their most intractable problems.  The former is realizing they’re in the behavior business. Behavior can be described, predicted or understood.  […]

Learn More August 6, 2021

Nudging For (not “Or”) Donor Autonomy

In a recent Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly article, Rebecca Ruehle and colleagues considered some of the ethical objections raised against nudge techniques promoting charitable giving. The authors argued nudges are morally ok even when they violate donor autonomy, if they’re aimed at issues they deem morally worth it e.g. disaster recovery, clean drinking water, […]

Learn More August 4, 2021

Gender, Race and Fundraising

In The Vanishing American Donor we warned of the danger of not investing – time, money and skill—in reaching beyond an organizations usual comfort zone to understand, communicate with and attract donors in “new” markets. Without question one of the most under-appreciated group of donors for all too many organizations are women—particularly women of color. […]

Learn More August 2, 2021

How Can You Get Hooked on a Feeling?

Franceso Ambrogetti is a fundraiser who has served with many global brands, most recently (and frequently) with UNICEF in senior roles all over the globe.  He’s probably forgotten more than I ever knew about the trade. He’s also a lifelong learner and committed to digging deeper into the why of behavior and in that way, […]

Learn More July 30, 2021

The Vanishing American Donor

The share of American households contributing to charities has dropped to the lowest level in nearly 20 years. As reported by the Associated Press,  a study published by the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy finds that from 2000, when 66 percent of U.S. households donated to a charitable organization, the number dropped to 49.6 percent in […]

Learn More July 28, 2021

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

Back in May we previewed Ken Burnett’s new book,  The Essence of Campaigning Fundraising in 52 Exhibits and 199 Web Links —likely to become another Ken classic. Of course, we’re prejudiced because The Agitator played a small part in the book’s preparation. Roger wrote the Foreword, and some Agitator posts were linked as commentary on […]

Learn More July 21, 2021

Attacking Donors to Save Democracy

It’s increasingly clear that we’ll all soon be embroiled in a major battle we can’t avoid.  Truth vs. Lies.  Easy access to a fair vote vs. suppression and miscounting of the vote.  Authoritarianism vs. Democracy. The outcome answers the question, “Will American democracy die?” Currently the battle is playing out on a variety of fronts. […]

Learn More July 12, 2021

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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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