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Behavioral Science Posts

Year End: Ideal Asking Amounts

Do you really know the best “ask amount” for each donor? Many fundraisers really don’t know.  They guess, or resort to traditional, tribal wisdom ask strings like 1X Highest Previous Gift (HPC), 1.5 X HPC,  2 X HPC and Other $_______ The result?  They’re often leaving massive amounts of money on the table. The ask […]

Learn More August 30, 2018

YEAR END: War on Christmas: Donor Preference Edition

I’ll get my personal politics out of the way first: I’m a firm believer in stating the reason for the season.  I hate, because of stupid political correctness, to not be able to say things like “Merry Saturnalia,” hold my feast of Natalis Invicti and my Zarahosht No-Diso festival, or publicly display my Festivus pole. […]

Learn More August 28, 2018

TEST RESULTS: Donors Care About Their Impact, Not Your Overhead

A significant factor in the donor’s decision to give rests in how s/he answers the question, “how am I going to feel if I make this gift?”  So, the job of the fundraiser is to determine how those factors under an organization’s control can be most effectively presented. One major set of issues involve those […]

Learn More August 20, 2018

WoW

Soon we’ll enter the “crank-up-for-year-end-giving-and-2019- acquisition -efforts” phase of the year and we’ll have lots to say about key elements of all that. However, let’s not forget that behind all the research, advice, commenting and debate the Agitatorand our readers engage in we’re all participants in a shared and fundamental mission: changing the world. Making […]

Learn More August 16, 2018

Heroic Incrementalism

Now, more than ever, our nonprofit world cries out for “game changing” innovations and solutions. Significant breakthroughs. For many fundraisers, the term “game changing” means some big, bold innovation that can carry us into the Promised Land of Greater Response and Larger Gifts with magical ease. And so, we go through phases of abandoning the […]

Learn More August 6, 2018

Don’t Be the Next Blockbuster

I was struck by Cindy Courtier’s comment to Nick’s post on the importance of donor identity and commitment when it comes to creating positive and effective communications with donors. Clearly, Cindy understands what so many fundraisers don’t:  Determining a donor’s identity (the “why” of his/her giving) and level of commitment (loyalty to the organization) makes a […]

Learn More July 31, 2018

May the Fundraising Force Be With You

Among the many skills attributed to Steve Jobs was his ability to create a “reality distortion field”—a mental force he created to persuade himself and others to believe almost anything. Colleagues from early days note it was this skill that enabled Jobs and his team to develop the original Macintosh computer and deliver the software […]

Learn More July 23, 2018

Just Who Benefits From Volume?

A discussion of incentives in direct marketing  wouldn’t be complete without talking about that Agitator bugaboo of communication volume. We’ve pointed out how volume has been poorly tested by those who advocate sending more and more …how organizations have found lower volume works better, and that donors hate it (twice). And… twice we emphasized that  volume isn’t […]

Learn More July 13, 2018

The Slow, Painful and Costly Death of the “Full Service” Agency

Four years ago In Part 5 of our Barriers to Growth series I raised the question of whether the “full service” fundraising agency has outlived usefulness.  More pointedly I wondered whether in fact they’re actually a danger to the sector. Today, I’m revisiting this issue because, if anything, I’m convinced the “full service” agency is more […]

Learn More July 5, 2018

I Hate The Way We Fail New Fundraisers

Whenever I’m at a loss to describe a problem I turn to the dog-eared volumes in my fundraising library for help. Currently– like many others– I’m wrestling with the issues of turnover and the levels of skill in our trade. More and more nonprofits (47% more in the past decade) are in need of “fundraisers”. […]

Learn More June 28, 2018

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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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