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Communications

It’s Not Your Grandma’s Homepage

The newspaper industry is struggling for its life. Of course, that’s not news, but what they’re doing by way searching for life rafts is indeed important and worthy of attention. Not only is their financial survival important, but also a significant part of our civil society fabric is at stake in their future. If they […]

Learn More July 31, 2015

The Fundraising Power of Now

A lot of what I’ve learned about the importance of timing in fundraising I learned from selling funeral flowers. Let me explain. My father was a florist– a business that heavily depends on emotion-driven buying impulses — funerals, weddings, Mother’s Day, birthdays and anniversaries – with most transactions completed over the telephone and by credit […]

Learn More July 27, 2015

Telefundraising Revisted

 Five years ago today Tom posted on Telefundraising Works, calling it the “neglected stepchild of fundraising.” That post generated significant and helpful comments on approach and technique. Today, 60 months later, we’d appreciate an update from our readers on what’s what and what’s working with this “neglected stepchild”. Here’re some readers’ comments from 5 years ago: First, from Adrian […]

Learn More July 21, 2015

Have I Mentioned Online Video Before?

Yes. Probably enough to make you think I own stock in one of the major online video platforms, like Brightcove or Akamai  [I don’t; but with 7 billion plus videos watched every day on YouTube and Facebook, I wish I could buy some.] OK, so I’m addicted. I don’t think a day goes by that […]

Learn More May 12, 2015

Is It Out Of The Question?

Over the weekend I noticed a small report that last week — April 23rd — to be exact, marked the 10th anniversary to the day of the first YouTube video appearing on the internet. As the article commented: “… it was only 10 years ago that we came stumbling out of the Dark Ages and into the […]

Learn More April 27, 2015

Donor Trends For 2015

Last week, Fundraising Success ran 4 Nonprofit Donor Demographics Trends for 2015 in which four fundraisers offered their prognostications. Actually, most of the comments were more about the future in general, as opposed to 2015 per se. I love to bounce my own speculation against other crystal-ballers, so here goes. 1. Sustainer giving The most happy-making observation, from Carl […]

Learn More March 11, 2015

The Digital Consumer

I just re-discovered (if you saw my computer ‘desktop’ you’d understand) two excellent reports — one from Nielsen on The Digital Consumer, and the other from comScore called US Digital Future in Focus 2014. These are the most exhaustive examinations I’ve seen of the digital usage habits of today’s consumer, as measured in each case by […]

Learn More November 6, 2014

Cool Stats On Social Media Fundraising

Nonprofit Tech for Good recently proffered 14 “Must Know” stats about fundraising, social media and mobile technology. Here are six to tease you on a Monday morning. I can tell you’re not quite ready yet for heavy lifting this week. 1. Responsive design increases giving 96% on mobile and tablet … 126% on mobile. 2. […]

Learn More June 16, 2014

More On The Mobile Opportunity

Every report on mobile use that I’ve seen since the beginning of the year notes that 50% (or more) of emails are now opened via smartphones or tablets. For example, here’s a recent study from Yesmail Interactive that looked at how 6.4 billion emails delivered in the last quarter of 2013 were accessed. They note: […]

Learn More March 13, 2014

Bet You Can’t Give It Up

Pew Internet Research reminds us that the 25th anniversary of the World Wide Web is in March. They date the occasion to publication of a now-famous paper by Tim Berners-Lee proposing an information management system — ‘distributed hypertext’ — that became the conceptual and architectural structure for the Web. To mark the occasion, they’ve compiled […]

Learn More March 3, 2014

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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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