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Breaking Out of the Status Quo

Beware of Fundraising Foreplay

Too many fundraisers engage in too much foreplay. Just think about the hours and hours spent on preparing spreadsheets, ‘strategic plans’, Power Points and draft budgets interspersed with and followed by meetings, meetings, meetings —  all with good intentions but resulting in little of no action and consequently little or no growth. One trait that […]

Learn More July 12, 2016

Why Not Start Over?

Roger is now about five posts into his ‘Starting Over’ series … advice on taking an entirely fresh look at what it will take going forward to succeed with nonprofit fundraising. [Note: I actually made a spelling mistake in the last word of the previous sentence … originally writing ‘fundraiding’! Now is that Freudian or […]

Learn More July 11, 2016

Donorus Specificus: Evolution Of The Donor

Yesterday Roger argued that fundraisers need to know their donors’ identities. And he was talking about individual donors … and not just the $1,000, $5,000 or $10,000 (or whatever your ‘major gift’ threshold is) variety. He admitted this would be hard work: “This is an approach that most fundraisers will dismiss out of hand as […]

Learn More July 7, 2016

Fundraising Fireworks

On Monday, July 4th Agitator readers in the U.S. and we editors celebrate America’s 240th Independence Day. There will be fireworks, barbeques, volunteer fire department parades, the televised public broadcasting special from the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and heaven only knows how many political speeches and kissed babies.  Speeches and kisses delivered in ugliest political climate […]

Learn More July 1, 2016

Mid-Level Giving: What’s Your Strategy?

Without question the most neglected area of fundraising — after retention — involves mid-value or mid-level giving. Organizations are leaving millions and millions and millions on the table. Lots of folks talk about the need to launch a mid-level program with all the good intentions in the world. But few actually do anything to get […]

Learn More June 27, 2016

Charity: Water Is Special. But It’s The Video!

I suppose Charity: Water’s key breakthrough was its offer to direct marketed donors — ‘all of your donation will go to program, our overhead is covered by major gifts’. And the money has poured in, as the organization has matched its unique offer with brilliant online marketing technique. Their latest innovation (some might say gimmick) was […]

Learn More June 24, 2016

Do The Job Or Do The Work?

In his Starting Over series, Roger will be urging fundraisers to take a fresh look at how we’re going about our work. In yesterday’s post he commented that “much of our sector just keeps doing the same thing over and over and over”, arguing that “too many fundraisers. simply coast through their professional life following the consensus. They truly […]

Learn More June 22, 2016

Starting Over #2: Switching From Old Rules To New Rules

Why bother even thinking about starting over? What’s wrong with what we’re doing? Everyone else is doing about the same thing, so why bother changing? Failure to ask and correctly answer those key questions is likely to eventually find your organization joining the nonprofit equivalents of Pan Am, Polaroid, Nokia, and Kodak. Once-great organizations that […]

Learn More June 21, 2016

Starting Over #1: Where Do We Go From Here?

In announcing this Agitator Starting Over series I posed the fundamental question that will guide this exploration: How would you build a growing, sustainable nonprofit from scratch in today’s fast-changing and challenging environment? Tom and I are thrilled with the outpouring of suggestions and recommendations for the series, and specific proposals that might brighten the […]

Learn More June 13, 2016

On Ignoring Donors Needs and Preferences

In working on the Starting Over series that we’ll launch next week I’ve been fretting, worrying and, frankly damn near exploding with frustration. So please permit me this rant. There’s no question that virtually everyone has an excuse for not changing. Frankly I blame most of this resistance to the idiocy of stingy boards and […]

Learn More June 10, 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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