• Home
  • Blog Posts
  • Behavioral Science
  • On Demand Webinars
  • Toolbox
  • Archives

Breaking Out of the Status Quo

Is It Just Me? (Online Ads Edition)

No, it’s not just you.  Fundraising is harder than it once was in several important areas.  Today’s topic: online ads are getting more expensive. Back in August, we talked about how Facebook was getting more and more expensive: “Eventually, novelty wears off.  Tactics are forbidden.  Con men are banned.  And the fast give way to […]

Learn More February 13, 2019

Let Donor Needs Drive

Subject. Verb. Object: Who… does what… to whom? More than 75% of the world’s languages start sentences with the subject, leading some anthropologists to believe we may be hardwired for this. At the least, we are hardwired to think of ourselves as the subject of the sentence.  We are all our own protagonists.  And when […]

Learn More February 8, 2019

The Easy Money is Gone: Overcoming Barriers to Growth

As I noted in the first  post of this series —The Easy Money is Gone— a smaller pie and more mouths to feed is a recipe for disaster. And yet, status quo thinking, and activity dominate within organizations. Fortunately, as reflected in the generous and thoughtful comments to that post there is optimism about the future […]

Learn More February 6, 2019

The Easy Money Is Gone

Last week was an especially brutal one for journalism. Gannett, publisher of USA Today and nearly 100 other daily newspapers and close to 1000 weeklies began slashing journalist jobs.  This in a cost-cutting move anticipating that a hedge-fund company was planning to buy the company. Some analysts were blunt in their assessment that the cutbacks are designed […]

Learn More February 4, 2019

The Sex Life of Danes and Quid Pro Donor Information

Hopefully, you’re convinced.  You’ve seen you get better results when you know and prime your donors’ identities.  And you think that creating content for your donors can be a valuable way of acquiring new constituents. But there’s a question at the back of your mind: will people tell you what you want to know?  Will they […]

Learn More February 1, 2019

Give to Get: Creating Value Exchanges for Your Donor Identities

Avid Agitator readers know that donor identity is the core reason donors give to organizations.  There are a thousand ways to save lives and change lives, so donors tend to support charities that mean something to them personally.  And they will keep that preference even if the preferred cause is less efficient. But did you […]

Learn More December 5, 2018

Distinguish Yourself on #GivingTuesday

If the number of “How To Get Ready for #Giving Tuesday” emails in my inbox is any barometer this year’s #GivingTuesday targets  will be buried in a blizzard of breathless matching gift offers, convulsing countdown clocks and sundry demands that only an uncaring human,  without soul or  pulse, would refuse to hit the ‘donate’ button. […]

Learn More November 19, 2018

Learning from Politics: Building the Tools You Need

Monday was about a Republican technique; Wednesday was bipartisan; today will be a Democratic technique. Traditional voter registration techniques are shotgunned at best.  Volunteers stand at malls, go to concerts, or go door-to-door in a neighborhood hoping to find people who aren’t registered. In looking at Texas, Erez Cohen, formerly of Mapsense and Apple Maps, […]

Learn More October 5, 2018

Learning from Politics: Hypertargeting

This week, we’ll look at some of the lessons we in the nonprofit world can learn from those in the political world. Wait!  Don’t leave! There are lessons we can take from the political realm because they, like we, exist on donations. Imagine if, in November, your nonprofit was going to either win or lose: accomplish […]

Learn More October 1, 2018

How Can the DonorVoice Nudge Unit Help You?

Ok, so what can decision science do for you and your cause? The possibilities are limitless. In fact, there is a whole sub-field within the Decision-Making field dedicated to philanthropic behavior.   From the widely known (but not widely practiced!) “identifiable victim effect” to the less known “unit asking”, Behavioral Science could make people feel […]

Learn More September 26, 2018

<< 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 … 23 >>

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 […]

    Read Full Answer

    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 […]

    Read Full Answer

    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 – […]

    Read Full Answer

    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 […]

    Read Full Answer

    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 […]

    Read Full Answer

    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 […]

    Read Full Answer

    DonorVoice products

    Commitment System

    Donor Feedback Platform™

    PreTest Tool

    TouchPoint Mapping



      • © Copyright 2005 - 2025, The Agitator. All Rights Reserved.
      • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Sitemap
      • RSS Feed
      • We welcome your feedback!