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Breaking Out of the Status Quo

Starting Over #5: Growing Without Direct Mail

When we first announced the Starting Over series, the very first comment we received came from Sarah Nutbrown who works for a small nonprofit in New Zealand. Sarah wrote, “We’re just starting to build up individual giving, with limited resources, all ideas on where we focus our energy are more than welcomed. Sean Triner said […]

Learn More July 8, 2016

Is There A ‘Donor Journey’?

Marketers are great as using metaphors to conceptualize the process they think consumers go through as they approach making a purchase. Perhaps the most widely embraced paradigm has been the ‘consumer journey’ — the path the consumer follows from initially feeling or identifying a need to actually plunking down the dollars. I had some free time over […]

Learn More July 5, 2016

Top Two Retention Killers & What To Do About Them

Chapter 9 of my book, Retention Fundraising: the art and science of keeping your donors for life, focuses on ‘Barriers to Retention’. The top two barriers? The real killers? #1: Silos and #2: False Attribution. Silos. Those who work in organizations with more than one department are familiar with silos. The online personnel do little to […]

Learn More June 17, 2016

Starting Over #1: Where Do We Go From Here?

In announcing this Agitator Starting Over series I posed the fundamental question that will guide this exploration: How would you build a growing, sustainable nonprofit from scratch in today’s fast-changing and challenging environment? Tom and I are thrilled with the outpouring of suggestions and recommendations for the series, and specific proposals that might brighten the […]

Learn More June 13, 2016

What Do You Do With An Envelope?

In a recent, reasonably intelligent Adweek article reviewing giving by millennials, Dennis McCarthy at Blackbaud commented: “My 23-year-old son wouldn’t know what to do with an envelope.” I’d say the same about my 22-year-old daughter. Among other handicaps, she doesn’t have a checkbook. But she does have a bank account and manages to shop online, […]

Learn More June 7, 2016

What Are You?

Are you really a Fundraiser? Or, are you just a Fundraising Monitor? “Why monitor a problem if you don’t fix it?” Here at The Agitator we sure do a lot of monitoring. Tom and I think we should also be doing more along the lines of  encouraging, debating and reporting on ‘fixing’. It’s clear from […]

Learn More May 31, 2016

Need: Milk And Eggs

I just read a fascinating article from Nielsen about impulse shopping. As it happens, fresh produce, coffee, milk and eggs are the needs (i.e., products) most likely to drive consumers to a store. Indeed, consumers buy fresh produce and milk in 40% of all trips to the store. In the non-food space, prescription medications and pet […]

Learn More May 26, 2016

Fighting the Fundraising Excuse Machine. Seeking Ultimate Answers

Tom and I had a productive last week with our series of posts on ‘what’ or ‘who’ is at fault when it comes to the issue of holding on to and enhancing — or destroying — the value of donors. Tom tossed the first piece of tinder on the fire with his post Who’s Fibbing […]

Learn More May 16, 2016

Mother’s Day Confessions and Celebrations

Sometimes even hard-hearted Editors give in. And wipe a tear or two. Let’s end the week with Lisa Sargent’s plea that we all get along. While we harbor lots of doubts about consultants and the get-to-it-alone low energy of most nonprofits we hear your plea, Lisa. R0ger, spirited and disagreeable as ever will weigh in on […]

Learn More May 6, 2016

Wanted More Than Ever: Human Duct Tape

It’s so much easier rolling the rock up the hill with pals and true believers like those Agitators who’ve been been weighing in this week in response to our  posts Who Gets Fired?, Rejecting The One Acq Stand and Roger Started It! Clearly, they understand that the business of acquiring donors ain’t over with the initial contribution, just as the  building […]

Learn More May 5, 2016

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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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