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Communications

The Best Story Wins

It’s not the best ideas or the most innovative thinking or the best ground game or operational plan.  It’s story. The charitable organization world is one  with almost no barrier to entry and massive, diminishing returns.  The number of nonprofits has skyrocketed while the number of people giving has dwindled. You don’t need a new […]

Learn More January 19, 2022

A Low Risk, High Reward Approach to Fundraising

In recent years we’ve tried to show how breakthroughs in research, particularly in behavioral science enable knowledgeable fundraisers to reap some mighty impressive rewards that come from a more in-depth understanding of “why” a particular donor gives (identity),  why different messages are required for different donors (personality/psychological profiles) and how these elements are used in […]

Learn More January 10, 2022

Supercharge Your Giving Tuesday

With Giving Tuesday ( November 30) on your near-term planning horizon I’m hoping you’ll choose to think once, twice and even thrice before dipping into the Giving Tuesday Sea of Sameness by offering up one more of the hundreds of matching gift offers that will be indiscriminately dumped on donors. For starters I recommend you […]

Learn More October 15, 2021

Emotion is a Rock

Geologists have lots of words for rocks.  Linguists have lots of words for speech sounds.   And those living in Arctic regions have lots of words for snowy and icy weather. For geologists and linguists, it’s their raison d’être and those living most of their lives in the cold need a more precise way to […]

Learn More September 15, 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

REMINDER: FREE SUMMER SERIES

It ain’t Sheakspeare in the Park, or the Tamglewood Music Festival, nor one of the Edinburgh Festivals, but it’s custom made for fundraisers open to re-thinking and re-imagining how to best approach post-pandemic challenges.  This Free Summer Series is brought to you by DonorVoice, the Behavioral Science Fundraising Agency and you can  register here In these short, […]

Learn More June 1, 2021

The Strength of Knowing What We Don’t Know

Kevin’s moving tribute to his father noted two essential traits for greatness in any profession –including fundraising: “He had a voracious appetite as a learner.   As smart as he was, his greatest strength was his humility in knowing the vastness of what he didn’t know.” We all need to work harder at harnessing the immense […]

Learn More May 10, 2021

Preventing Donor “Never Events” by Focusing on “Always Events”

“Happy families are all alike; every happy family is unhappy in its own way.” That’s the  opening line from Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina and one of the most famous openings to a novel in all of literature.  A solid statement; even though  a bit grim. Tolstoy went on  to examine relationships in 19th century Russia.  He devoted […]

Learn More April 7, 2021

Revenge Giving

Among the many unconventional topics we’ve posted on– rage giving,  the Trump bump ( here, here and here among many), and have even dick pics and mince pie— today’s entry takes the prize. When Tommy Marcus, a 25-year-old University of Michigan graduate, learned that Rush Limbaugh had died, he recalled Limbaugh saying, “You know how […]

Learn More February 22, 2021

Coming to America

No. This isn’t about that “Coming to America”. Although the movie written by and starring Eddie Murphy is always worth a mention. You’ll recall,  in that romantic comedy an extremely pampered African Prince travels to Queens, New York, and goes undercover to find a wife. Today we’re focused instead on one of fundraising’s all-time favorite events […]

Learn More January 18, 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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