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Demographics

Partisan Purse Strings

Since the November presidential election, many Agitator readers, Tom and I have pondered the possible effects of President Trump’s victory on fundraising and activism. Here and here among several posts. Now we have some data from a CNBC Survey showing that U.S. consumerism has become so politically charged that Americans are showing their partisanship through […]

Learn More April 13, 2017

Top Marketing Tactics For 2017

Target Marketing recently surveyed its readers (including NonProfitPro) regarding their expected use of various marketing tactics and technologies in 2017. From a list of 22 tactics/technologies, here are those where 40% or more of marketers expect to increase their budgets: Top Marketing Tactics for 2017 Content marketing (blogs. white papers, infographics, etc) — 59% Online […]

Learn More March 20, 2017

Online Or Offline, What Matters Is Relevance

In what amounts to a same-day companion piece to Tom’ post, Are You Under or Over-Invested in Online Fundraising, Nick Ellinger over at the DonorVoice Blog posted a thoughtful companion piece, How the Facebook algorithm works outside of social media. It’s well worth reading by those who think most email communications are too light and frothy and […]

Learn More March 17, 2017

Are You Under- Or Over-Invested in Online Fundraising?

Two recent studies, one from Blackbaud and one from Merkle, put online fundraising’s share of giving in perspective. Merkle, looking at large nonprofits, gave online 15% of the direct response fundraising pie, while Blackbaud, looking more broadly at all charitable giving (with online giving from 5,000+ organizations), gave online fundraising  7.2% of the total charitable giving […]

Learn More March 16, 2017

Is PayPal Really Your Pal?

Earlier this week The New York Times reported a federal class action lawsuit accusing the PayPal Giving Fund of collecting contributions for groups that may never receive the funds. According to the Times, “ The philanthropic website by PayPal, the digital payment company, has become a major player in online fund-raising for charitable organizations worldwide, processing […]

Learn More March 2, 2017

Fundraising And ‘Connected Spenders’

Do you need to know the latest consumer spending behavior in Indonesia, Pakistan and Nigeria? Probably not a lot of those addresses on your donor list … nor on any mailing list! But as it happens, by 2025 these three countries will be among the top ten countries on the planet that are home to […]

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The Rage-Donation

Ashley Fetters has written an interesting pice in GQ magazine titled, The Rise of the ‘Rage-Donation’. A fun read. What she’s talking about is the flood of post-election donations to nonprofits in the US. Here’s the opening … “Someone I know told me recently that he’s picked up a new habit since the election of Donald […]

Learn More February 10, 2017

Fake News. Fake Fundraising.

Sooner or later the fake news scams, hoaxes and parodies that marked this past campaign season on social media had to spill over into online fundraising. To refresh your short-term memory, you’ll recall the press chastising conservative Facebook users for sharing stories that had nothing to do with reality. Hundreds of thousands of people shared […]

Learn More February 9, 2017

What Fundraising Skills Are You Lacking?

I just sent a short article to my daughter, a newbie working at Saatchi & Saatchi. She has a very good intuitive sense of how to go about sizing up the ‘market’ for various brands, products and services, but I’ve gently urged her to match her instincts with a deeper capacity for analytics. So this article […]

Learn More January 12, 2017

The Year For Acquisition

I’m writing this post with great trepidation. Because I want to float the idea that 2017 should be a year for unprecedented donor acquisition. But as Agitator readers well know, deep down Roger and I continue to believe that too many fundraisers and organizations inexplicably, indefensibly neglect donor retention. Consequently, it almost pains me to write a […]

Learn More January 6, 2017

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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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    The Agitator Tool Box

    Ideas, applications, tools, processes, and case studies of break-through solutions in fundraising, including:



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