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Advocacy Fundraising

Silicon Valley, ActBlue, and the Great Unraveling

If irony were rocket fuel, we could launch the James Webb Space Telescope into the next galaxy—or ship Elon Musk to his beloved Mars. How else to explain the spectacle of Silicon Valley billionaires—men, yes, men– whose fortunes were built on science, data, and publicly funded research—now gleefully backing a political regime waging war on […]

Learn More May 5, 2025

The Speech Stirred Souls. The Inbox Asked for $3.

The night Senator Cory Booker rose to speak in a 25-hour filibuster, something rare happened: sincerity leaked into the Senate chamber like light under a closed door. “I can’t allow this body to continue without doing something different,” he said. For a moment, we believed him. And then we didn’t. Because the moment the cameras […]

Learn More April 18, 2025

Beware of Old Tricks, Not Dogs

For  years, in The Agitator and as a principal in a direct response fundraising firm, I’ve held firm in my opposition to two types of fees: those based on volume, and the traditional 15% commission fee for purchasing and placement of media. I oppose them for one simple reason: they align the incentives with the […]

Learn More December 11, 2024

The New Acquisition: Don’t Miss out in 2024

One of the eternal mysteries here at the Agitator is why so many fundraisers ignore the issue of donor retention in favor of obsessive focus on donor acquisition.  They’re whistling past the graveyard of declining acquisition returns and rising costs. Even back in 2012 when we launched the three-year study of donor behavior that led […]

Learn More January 8, 2024

Giving Tuesday 2023: Tips and Hacks

            Over the years we’ve offered many tips (as in Try Dying for Giving Tuesday) and many admonitions (see Avoid the Snoringly Generic Approach to Giving Tuesday)             Most recently, Kevin’s 2023 entry weighed in with Livng Dusday our study of 573 Giving Tuesday emails scored on meeting (or not) […]

Learn More November 3, 2023

Where Has All the Money Gone?

      Recently The New York Times’ Michelle Goldberg, in her column questioned Where Has All The Left-wing Money Gone?  Citing “endless appeals, sometimes in bold all caps” of the seemingly endless the-sky-is-falling, guilt-tripping and flood of fundraising emails is a reason folks aren’t donating as much as they used to.      She […]

Learn More October 2, 2023

Give Your Supporters A Break

Breaks are necessary for our sanity and productivity. Not exactly a breakthrough statement. Yet, we rarely follow that advice. How many back-to-back calls did you have this week? Can you remember how you felt after the last one? In a recent study, Microsoft examined the effects of back-to-back video calls on stress, and engagement. They […]

Learn More September 29, 2023

Deceptive? Manipulative? Brilliant? Destructive? You Decide.

           The post-Labor Day tide of political email is on the rise and, if the past is prologue, will reach its high water mark a year from now then very slowly ebb  toward Election Day 2024.              This growing digital dog-pile, excreted by local, state and federal candidates and PACs, will […]

Learn More September 5, 2023

The Enshittification of Digital Donor Acquisition 

It’s no secret, it’s increasingly difficult and expensive finding new donors online. Remember the Facebook ads glory days in the 2010s? It seemed all we had to do was upload a list of performing donors, spawn some lookalike audiences, toss in some photos with the right aspect ratios, slap a good caption on it, then […]

Learn More August 25, 2023

Dark Brandon Launches $2 Billion Campaign

A week ago President Biden officially launched his 2024 re-election bid with a web video recapping a busy two years of action and threats, and an online fundraising blitz. The blastoff was intended to squelch speculation that Biden wouldn’t run again,  and start the process of raising tons of money. So how did it do? […]

Learn More May 3, 2023

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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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