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Behavioral Science Posts

First DonorVoice Online Behavioral Symposium Speaker Line-Up (and Six Other Updates from the Month that Was)

Online Behavioral Symposium update: You’ve hopefully already saved the date for the first DonorVoice Online Behavioral Symposium on September 30th and October 1st (if not, save your spot now).  This is the Symposium where academics and practitioners come together to share insights and promote collaborations in our 1st online behavioral symposium. It will be hosted […]

Learn More September 16, 2019

Fundraising Pioneer and Provocateur Dies

John Groman, 74, co-founder of Epsilon and  a pioneer in database fundraising died August 24 in Sheldon, South Carolina. John was more than a friend. He was a feisty, driven colleague who brought new methods and new ways of viewing direct response fundraising that forever changed our sector. Beginning in 1969—almost 50 years to the […]

Learn More August 28, 2019

Buy Nick’s Book

Nick has written a practical, helpful, and, yes, fun-to-read book on surviving the complex calamity of diminishing donor numbers, clogged acquisition channels and diminishing retention. It’s titled: The New Nonprofit: Six Models to Raise More Money and Accomplish More Mission.  It’s just been released and is ready for your order! I’ve read the book four times […]

Learn More August 22, 2019

Seven New Updates to Seven New Issues: Free Webinars, White Papers and F2F Data

New free webinar: We had such a positive response to our webinar series in May and June we are starting back up.  First up: Beyond A/B: Running Thousands of Tests at Once.  Erica Best of No Kid Hungry and Steve Rudman of Concord Direct will join me to discuss the method behind No Kid Hungry’s […]

Learn More July 31, 2019

Scarcity Is The New Cool

Last week Jeff Brooks, in his post How scarcity focuses your donors on your fundraising , noted the power of using “scarcity” in fundraising.  He cites the “scarcity” that exists in matching gift funds where there’s only a certain amount of money available and only a finite amount of time to meet the match There’s […]

Learn More July 24, 2019

Thanks, But No Thanks

A new study strongly questions the near-universal assumption that saying “thank you” and showing “impact” is the silver bullet for improving supporter value or increasing second gift conversion. Take a deep breath. Now, read on. Titled Do Thank-You Calls Increase Charitable Giving? Expert Forecasts and Field Experimental Evidence, the study has spawned lots of debate […]

Learn More June 17, 2019

Become a Cyborg: Increase Your Fundraising Productivity

There’s a vision of AI (Artificial Intelligence) I (jokingly) referenced a few weeks ago: that it is coming to take our jobs and, in extreme Skynet scenarios, our lives. But a more realistic, and optimistic, scenario for the long-term is that we will all be enhanced by technology.  Computers are very good at repetitive tasks […]

Learn More June 3, 2019

The $110 Billion Treasure Trove For Nonprofits

Take a football field.  Cover it to a depth of nine inches (actually, about 9.14 inches, if my math is correct) with $100 bills. That’s $110 billion.  That’s how much money is held in donor-advised funds (DAFs) in the United States right now.  These funds are earmarked to go to a charity like yours.  And the […]

Learn More May 30, 2019

All Brands Must Die

Well, Game of Thrones is done (no spoilers past season one!).  And while we wait for its three spinoffs (Game of Thrones: Special Victims Unit, The Thrones Take Manhattan, and Joey), we can reflect on the show’s phrase valar morghulis: all men must die.  In fact, part of the appeal of Game of Thrones early […]

Learn More May 20, 2019

Learn From the Robots Coming to Take Your Job

Self-driving cars.  Warehouse robots.  Skynet missile defense.  It seems like more and more jobs of the future will be automated. You may think you are safe as a nonprofit marketer.  But behold: the first ever AI-written appeal letter (thanks to Mark Phillips for posting): A world first. A computer generated appeal letter. pic.twitter.com/40bkjMqof6 — Mark […]

Learn More May 13, 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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