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Breaking Out of the Status Quo

PI…WWW…AI

I’m old enough to remember the world pre-internet, PI, and the first, niche Tandy personal computers.  The screens were microscopic, monotone.  You’d run some basic scripts on DOS prompts and that was about it. Early internet was terminally slow but we didn’t know any better.  You can still hear the whirring, dinging and high pitched […]

Learn More December 12, 2022

Is Your Charity More Like Edgar Allen Poe or Jules Verne?

Edgar Allan Poe arguably invented the modern detective story and was a key creator of the Symbolism movement in poetry, plus  he wrote one of the first science fiction novels in 1838. He died young and penniless. Jules Verne invented nothing though gets credit in some quarters for inventing the sci-fi genre with his 1863 […]

Learn More October 31, 2022

Exciting Breakthroughs on Give Now and Pay Later

Back in July we posted What if Donors Could Give More Now and Pay Later? focused on the offering by a new financial tech company B Generous. In essence the B Generous approach to increasing the size of donor gifts is to offer financing of the total gift,  interest and fee free to the donor […]

Learn More October 3, 2022

New Tricks for “Old” Fundraisers

The adage, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is, of course, nonsense.  A metaphor so often used as an excuse to adapt and change. Kevin’s post on Doggy Personality got me thinking even more than I usually do about change and risk-taking,  His post outlined how a donor file could be tagged, at […]

Learn More September 19, 2022

Idea Problem or Execution One?

There are two parts to innovation, idea generation and delivering on those ideas. Academics at the London School of Economics (James and Kotak) and Oxford (Tsomocos) built a macroeconomic model to understand productivity growth as a function of idea generation and our collective ability to deliver on them. They used a sample of NYSE companies […]

Learn More August 22, 2022

Data Analysis 101: The Z-Score is Your Friend

This likely speaks volumes to my social network but I consider the z-score a friend.  The z-score is a way to compare apples to oranges. First, a baseball example then a fundraising copy one. Babe Ruth is an apple from 1919 with 29 home runs.  Barry Bonds is our orange from 2001 with 73. Did […]

Learn More August 10, 2022

What if Donors Could Give More Now and Pay Later?

A huge bonus springing from the BBB’s Wise Giving Alliance’s Heart of Giving Podcast are the windows host Art Taylor opens onto the personalities and motivation of folks who do the work, provide the charitable services, and come up with innovations worth exploring in our sector. Such was last week’s podcast featuring Dominic Kalms, the […]

Learn More July 13, 2022

How to Fundraise Like a Big Mac Marketer

Old school Big Mac marketers would sell a Big Mac… By hiring an agency to come up with a clever, “emotional” ad.  Like this one. This ad would be shown to the McDonald’s rewards customers in email and on social. It would be aimed at anyone on mobile doing a search for “fast food near […]

Learn More June 29, 2022

Everything is Impacting Everything

From real estate to the stock market, to energy, to technology, to politics to fundraising the Pandemic/Supply Chain/Ukraine/Inflation Virus is wreaking havoc. This is certainly the case where direct response –both direct mail and digital—is concerned. Massive shortages of envelopes and paper with prices going up and availability still down. Significant production delays and bottlenecks.  […]

Learn More June 27, 2022

7 Fundraising Tips for Surviving the Apocalypse of 2022

From war to famine with a huge dose of inflation, threats to democracy and mass shootings thrown in. But you already know the litany of economic , humanitarian, and political disasters.  No need for detailed background.  Seems like we’re being hit with everything but locusts. The bottom-line question is: What’s the best course of action […]

Learn More June 13, 2022

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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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