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Breaking Out of the Status Quo

What Does a Great Supporter Journey and Experience Look Like in 2019?

To tie up this series on supporter experience, I wanted to pull together some of the themes from the last six posts and share my recipe for delivering supporter journeys that work. PLUS…for Early Birds in North America and Mid-Day folks in the UK and EU I also want to invite you to join our […]

Learn More May 10, 2019

Premature Exoneration

Nick’s selection of Game of Thrones to illustrate the importance of donor identity, prompts me to seize on the Barr-Trump Exoneration Victory Lap preceding public release of the Mueller Report to spotlight a much overlooked, but fundamentally important problem: the highly likely inaccuracy of address information in your donor list. “How accurate are the donor […]

Learn More April 24, 2019

Donor Experience Requires Employee Experience

‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast’ – this oft used phrase has become a bit of a cliché, but it’s worth taking a moment to consider what it means. Put simply, you can have the best plan in the world, but if your organisation doesn’t have the people and processes to make it happen, then it’s […]

Learn More April 17, 2019

A Fundraising Spring?

Like the early crocus poking its head through the wintry ground as Spring arrives in North America there are emerging signs of hope for our sector. I witnessed these signs first-hand on April 1stat AFPICon in San Antonio and I want to share them with you. Sign of Hope #1: At midnight on the 1stI  hit […]

Learn More April 5, 2019

Consumers: The New Philanthropists?

We’ve done our share of sounding the alarm lately, from Roger’s post highlighting 23 changes necessary for the future of the sector, to my alert that we could lose more than half our donors in the next decade, to the need for new acquisition approaches. The TL;DR version is that we need to find new […]

Learn More April 3, 2019

April Fools’ Day 2019: Time to Get Serious

Usually we dedicate this first day of the fourth month to the perennial April Fools’ joke intended to remind us that amidst the pranks and laughter there’s usually a nugget of truth.  In the words of George Orwell the aim of the joke “is not to degrade the human being but to remind him that […]

Learn More April 1, 2019

Three Scenarios for The Future of Individual Giving

Last week, we did some wringing of hands, gnashing of teeth, and rending of garments about the loss of the average individual donor.  But how wringy, gnashy, and rendy should we be?  What does our future hold? So we did what any smart person would do when working with Fundraising Effectiveness Project data: fired up […]

Learn More March 18, 2019

Take Action Before The Trump Bump Slumps

As we head into board meeting season and the discussion around preliminary budgeting for 2020 many advocacy organization leaders will be touting the magnificent rise in both income and numbers of donors over the past two years. What frightens me is that some may believe this bonanza will last.  It won’t. If experience holds, many […]

Learn More March 15, 2019

Online Giving At the Big Kids Table

An occupational hazard of blogging is the envy that arises from reading something you wish you’d written. That’s how I felt about Steve MacLaughlin’s The End of the Beginning for Online Giving.  In fact, if you read only one blog post today, 1) put this one down, 2) pick that one up, 3) come back […]

Learn More March 8, 2019

Don’t Worry – Rich People Are Here To Save Us

…at least for now. A couple weeks ago, Roger talked about Blackbaud’s report on 2018 giving that found a 1.5% increase in giving in 2018.  He mentioned that we wouldn’t know more details until Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP) released their data.  Well, guess what just happened!  It’s up here. A word of warning: even though […]

Learn More March 6, 2019

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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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