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Board Meeting Swipe File

Protecting Michael Moore AND The Koch Brothers

Have the names of your contributors been illegally and publicly exposed by the Attorney General of California? See for yourself. Here’s a 116-page list of organizations whose major contributors were “inadvertently” made public on the website of the California AG. This is the third week in a row I’ve found it necessary to single out the […]

Learn More June 6, 2016

When Women Win

I unwrapped the package from Simone Joyoux and out fell a card bearing this moving quotation from Constance Baker Motley, the first black woman in the U.S. to become a federal judge: “Something which we think is impossible now is not impossible in another decade.” Inside the package was a remarkable gift of a book […]

Learn More May 25, 2016

Will Political Fundraising Harm Your Bottom Line?

As Bernie Sanders’ Presidential campaign nears the $150 million mark in small gift (average $27) fundraising, and as record amounts pour into the rest of the Presidential primary campaigns, there’s no doubt that nonprofit CEOs and Boards will be wondering: How will all that political giving impact support for our organization this year? The answer: […]

Learn More April 11, 2016

Fundraising Miracle

Short-term thinking is by far the greatest enemy of effective fundraising. Signs of this noxious enemy abound. Boards and CFOs afraid to make an acquisition spend that can’t be recovered in a year  — or less. CEOs who won’t invest in skill-building and continuing education for fundraising staffs. Fundraisers who persist in using metrics like […]

Learn More March 9, 2016

Protecting Donor Privacy

Efforts by the F.B.I. to compel Apple to break the encryption of the San Bernardino murderer’s iPhone is a stark reminder of the paradox faced by those living in a free society. Because of the current fear and fixation with ‘terrorism, some will find it easy to justify making an exception to this effort at […]

Learn More February 22, 2016

Elizabeth Verdow Says ‘Thank You’

Last week, Roger kicked off our acquisition ‘offensive’ for the year by focusing first on bringing the right mindset to the acquisition challenge. And that’s an investment mindset, based on understanding the lifetime value of your typical donor. Of course it’s prudent to base your LTV calculations on the typical donor and set your prospecting […]

Learn More January 18, 2016

Canadian Squirrels, Fear and Fundraising

Tom and I each maintain a sort of electronic compost pile where ideas, press releases, reader suggestions and the memorable blog posts of others accumulate. Then, about this time of year I begin working my way through “This Year’s Pile” setting aside those items I want to carry over into the “Pile for Next Year”. […]

Learn More December 17, 2015

11 Questions Every Donor Asks

An advert in one of the fundraising ‘trades’ triggered me to look up Canadian fundraiser Harvey McKinnon’s ’11 questions every donor asks’, as presented in his book of the same name. Whenever I see a teasing list like that I just can’t resist taking a look … will I agree/disagree … could I add to it […]

Learn More December 16, 2015

24 Reasons Why Board Members Won’t Ask For Money & What To Do About It

According to his  publisher Jerry Panas’ ASKING is America’s top selling fundraising book. Aimed primarily at board members the book is designed to provide helpful advice and motivation to ask for a gift while taking the fear out of the process. And, according to the publisher, all in a 59 minute read. So it figures that […]

Learn More December 10, 2015

Major Gift Fundraising For Smaller Organizations

Lots of time and money is spent on identifying success factors in major gift fundraising for large organizations. Very little on factors that make a big difference for smaller organizations. Until now. Amy Eisenstein, author of Major Gift Fundraising for Small Shops, has just released a study done in conjunction with Prof. Adrian Sargent, director of […]

Learn More November 10, 2015

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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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