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Communications

Shut Up And Listen

As reported in this NonProfit Times article, consultant Richard Brown offered this simple advice at a recent fundraising conference, in the context of major gift fundraising: “Just keep your mouth shut and your ears open.” He was cautioning about the tendency of fundraisers always to be in sales mode, with predictable talking points: You’ll be making […]

Learn More October 19, 2015

Insight Into Donor-Advised Giving

Hats off to Schwab for providing valuable insight into the giving behavior of their donor-advised fund customers. Schwab has released a report providing giving data both since inception of their fund in 1999 and greater detail on fiscal year 2015. Because donor funds are invested by Schwab, it’s nice to see that, since inception, donor funds held in […]

Learn More October 9, 2015

Predictive Signs of Future Giving

A fundamental belief held by most of us is that the more we know about prospects or donors the better we’re able to fashion a strategy for building relationships and hopefully winning or upgrading the size of their commitment. The wealth screening industry is built on that belief. What many folks may not understand as […]

Learn More September 4, 2015

2015 Half-time Fundraising Score

The Atlas of Giving, the resource that combines both past results along with forecasts of charitable giving in the U.S., recently issued its 2015 Mid-Year Report. The news is good. Giving in the first half of 2015 was “exceptionally (and unexpectedly) strong—up a total of 7.6% to $238.88 billion compared to $222.03 billion for the same period […]

Learn More August 11, 2015

Direct Mail Yields Major Gift Donors

On Monday we reported on the American Cancer Society (ACS) and its project over the past year to re-examine the role of direct mail in its fundraising program. ACS is committed to a sophisticated multi-channel marketing approach, in which direct mail remains a key work horse, and in which the full potential value of each […]

Learn More July 17, 2014

Donor Nation USA

I was browsing the latest report from Giving USA on the size of the giving sector in America in 2013. The overall giving total — $335 billion — is big. But just how big is that … what would be a good comparative measure? What about comparative national budgets? If you take ‘just’ individual donations […]

Learn More June 23, 2014

Telemarketing Case Studies #2

Can you, should you telemarket to high dollar donors? Many of you are probably responding … “YECH!” “GROSS!” “My development director would rip my heart out!” But Gabe Raff at Chapman Cubine Adams + Hussey thinks differently. And has the data to back up his approach. Here’s a case study from Gabe on a campaign […]

Learn More June 17, 2014

Snickers Bars And Matching Gifts

Which Matching Gift Challenge formula works best? (A)   1:1 matching grant (“An anonymous donor will match your contribution dollar for dollar.”) (B)   2:1 matching grant (“triples your donation”) (C)   3:1 matching grant (“quadruples your donation”) The anecdotal (as opposed to scientific) ‘rule’ in our trade is that higher match levels are better than lower match […]

Learn More November 6, 2013

Want To Acquire Donors?

What’s the best way to get a new donor or member? At first blush, you might think of the answer in terms of which medium to use — direct mail, email, web conversion, face-to-face, social media. But think again in terms of how to capture interest most effectively from ‘birds of a feather’? This time […]

Learn More October 17, 2013

Music To My Ears

Peter Buffett, musician and philanthropist, wrote this piece — The Charitable-Industrial Complex — last week in the NY Times. Much of what he says relates to the programmatic side of what major donors attempt to do and their motivations. For example, he describes “conscience laundering” … “As more lives and communities are destroyed by the […]

Learn More August 1, 2013

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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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