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Breaking Out of the Status Quo

Seize This Digital Day

The Agitator firmly believes that as the economic and psychological pandemic fallout grows deeper and darker, so grows the need for greater and greater understanding and use of evidence-based testing and research. This is especially true in all things digital.   If ever there were a time for disciplined testing, reporting and sharing of online fundraising […]

Learn More September 18, 2020

The World’s Greatest Fundraising Letter, Made Better

Ok, maybe not the greatest, but one of the greatest according to Denny Hatch, who built a business collecting, analyzing and reporting on decades of direct mail controls called “Who’s Mailing What?”. You’ll find the full and fascinating story on this letter, its author and a great lesson in crisis management in the Denny Hatch […]

Learn More July 24, 2020

Getting Your Copy from Good to Great (or at least Better)

I was thumbing through a canary yellow, three ring binder, found while Covid cleaning.  It had that musty paper smell and more than a few cobwebs. This book in binder is, 86 tutorials on Creating Fundraising Letters and Packages, and the author is Jerry Huntsinger, who we’ve brought in on a client gig or two […]

Learn More July 15, 2020

The Theory of Giving : A Fundraiser’s North Star

Since last Wednesday’s post announcing the 2020 Pilot Study to determine how drivers of giving – Identity, Personality, Quality of Motivation, Commitment and Satisfaction –impact giving and how you put this information to practical use Agitator readers have expressed significant interest and participation. To briefly recap, you’ll recall that this DonorVoice research project—global in scope—aims […]

Learn More June 22, 2020

We Don’t Write So Good

Writing well is hard.  Hunter S. Thompson famously re-typed a fiction book just to know what if felt like.  That’s either crazy or brilliant.  Either way, it’s commitment. Hemingway rewrote the first part of “A Farewell to Arms” at least fifty times.  He also advised, “don’t get discouraged, there’s a lot of mechanical work to […]

Learn More May 20, 2020

What Makes for Good Fundraising Copy?

At its core, it’s words.   Google thinks an email is ‘good’ – meaning they don’t bury it in a spam or promotion or social folder – if it reads like something you’d get from a friend, something that sounds personal and involving based (in part) on the words used. And what about those “personal” and […]

Learn More April 22, 2020

Has Gregorian Sabotaged Your Supporter Journey?

Yes, Gregorian, as in the 12-month calendar most of civilization has been using since 1582. (Though, it turns out Great Britain and its Empire didn’t convert from the Julian calendar until 1752 by which time they needed to correct for 11 days of discrepancy and so Wednesday, September 2nd, 1752 was followed by Thursday, September […]

Learn More January 29, 2020

Riding the Unicorn

Like hunting dogs ranging back and forth in pursuit of a scent far too many fundraisers, often egged on by their boards and CEOs in search of a silver bullet, are chasing the next new thing. Fundamentals and proven basic practices be damned. I suspect the reason lies somewhere between some folks’ inherent love of […]

Learn More December 4, 2019

A Giving Tuesday Surprise

I hope everyone is having a wonderful, profitable Giving Tuesday today.  In celebration of this nonprofit holiday, I’m offering the Kindle version of my book The New Nonprofit for $2.99 today only.  Hope you enjoy! Nick

Learn More December 3, 2019

Are You Ready for Fundraising’s Changing Data Future?

As the current era of internet search and third-party cookies nears its end and the era of consumer privacy looms, I fear most organizations are ill-prepared. That’s understandable since no big changes are yet evident: the California Consumer Privacy Protect Act doesn’t take effect until January 2020, the CCPA has an exemption for nonprofits (but […]

Learn More November 11, 2019

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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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