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Donor Centricity

For Fundraisers Who Can’t Stand People

Many nonprofits proclaim their love of humanity but behave as though they can’t stand people. You need only look at their basic fundraising practices:  like failure to properly thank donors…failure to seek or abide by donor preferences….failure to provide feedback mechanisms…failure to treat donors as anything other a bucket in the l RFM Sea of […]

Learn More July 5, 2024

The Evolution of Ken Burnett’s Vision

In the soft dawn of the early 1990s, Ken Burnett sat at a modest desk in the UK, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts about the future of fundraising. He was a man possessed by a vision. The vision would ultimately culminate in the first edition of Relationship Fundraising: A Donor-Based Approach to the Business […]

Learn More June 7, 2024

It’s Time to Steal

Today’s headlines seem like the work of a dystopian copy editor gone batshit crazy. Sadly,  they’re real and reflect the reality on which they’re based.  Here’s a sampling of just a few from last week “In Court, Porn Star Details Sex with President.” “VP Hopeful Continues Media Tour Despite Questions About Shooting Puppy.” “Democrats Save […]

Learn More May 13, 2024

Hal Malchow’s Last Campaign

No wonder my phone exploded yesterday. This headline explains why: “Hal Malchow Is Going to Die on Thursday.  He has One Last Message for Democrats.” The subhead continued, “The pioneering Democratic consultant has been planning his death for decades.” In his inimitable style of facts salted with grace, compassion and deep knowledge  of the American […]

Learn More March 18, 2024

Beware the Danger of Status Quo Fundraising

Direct response fundraisers face an uncertain future (declining number of donors, declining retention rates, increased costs, increased shortage of experienced staff are just a few of the troubling indicators).   So, in figuring out how to navigate choppy waters  it’s helpful to understand that the default position for most of our sector is to resist […]

Learn More October 16, 2023

The World of Richard Viguerie. At 90 “Our work isn’t finished yet.”

“You see, in ideological causes people give money not to win friends, but to defeat enemies . You’d like to change human nature, but you can’t—people are more strongly motivated by negative issues than positive ones.  When there are no negatives or enemies, the appeal isn’t strong.”      For the past 58 years this […]

Learn More September 22, 2023

People Are Different But In Predictable Ways

People are different in their motivation and interests and yet the sea of sameness of one-size-fits-all fundraising dominates. The Control ad and a Test ad both going to a single audience; the unspoken assumption is that everyone’s the same.  But what if the test failed because it did well with some people but poorly with […]

Learn More June 5, 2023

Are You About To Lose Out On The Best Fundraising Season Of The Year?

With 211 shopping days left until Christmas of course there’s plenty of time to get ready for the year-end giving bonanza. Right? The problem is that the much-touted—almost sacred– belief that the year-end giving season is the best giving season is at, best, an incomplete belief, and perhaps a full-blown myth.  Summer season may in […]

Learn More May 27, 2023

Iron Law of Megaprojects

Your mega-project will fail. This reality and Iron Law comes from a Dane, Bent Flyvbjerg, who has spent a lifetime studying mega-projects. In our world this megaproject might be he new website, the CRM conversion, a new “product” with heavy investment. His research shows these projects are over-budget, late and under-deliver, almost always. 48% are […]

Learn More March 17, 2023

Should Your Fundraising Match a Chatbot?

Who doesn’t love a good chatbot?  Version 1.0 of chatbot world was a lot like comparing Siri to Chat-GPT, it’s Artificial Stupid vs. Artificial Intelligence. But, modern day bots are increasingly more GPT-like, which means they’re more human like, more conversational, more adaptive and more helpful. Consider today’s off the shelf chatbot options allow you […]

Learn More January 25, 2023

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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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