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Copywriting / creative

Just Gimme Your Money

Kevin’s post on Getting Your Copy from Good to Better focuses on improving and optimizing direct response copy—generally understood by most fundraisers as the body copy of a direct mail letter or a digital appeal. Today’s post spotlights the most neglected—yet in many ways the most valuable—part of a fundraising appeal: The Response Form. Know […]

Learn More July 17, 2020

We Don’t Write So Good

Writing well is hard.  Hunter S. Thompson famously re-typed a fiction book just to know what if felt like.  That’s either crazy or brilliant.  Either way, it’s commitment. Hemingway rewrote the first part of “A Farewell to Arms” at least fifty times.  He also advised, “don’t get discouraged, there’s a lot of mechanical work to […]

Learn More May 20, 2020

Thank View Very Much

I’m certain all Agitator readers have been devoting their locked-down hours concentrating on donor experience and retention,  while far too many of those non-Agitator folks have been frittering away time perfecting their Netflix schedule. Consequently, as a reward for your diligence I want to introduce you to a powerful, easy-to-use tool that’s about as wonderful as […]

Learn More May 15, 2020

M+R 2020 Online Benchmarks Released

On April 23d, the day the Covid-19 death count reached 50,000 in the U.S.,  M+R published its 2020 Online Benchmarks. [ You can also find an online session M+R did with NTEN on the study here. ] Although the data were collected before the coronavirus outbreak and the massive tumult and tragedy that’s followed,  this […]

Learn More April 27, 2020

Fundraising Data- Part 2: The Need for Processing Speed

The Agitator has many helpful posts about how to effectively onboard donors, what to learn from them, how to thank donors, and what that post-acquisition journey should look like. BUT…all this good advice is for naught if you don’t have fast or timely data systems. Effective thank you’s, effective donor journeys, and effective retention all hinge […]

Learn More March 11, 2020

Getting More From Digital: Donor Conversion

In an earlier post announcing release of the Blackbaud Institute’s of the 2019 Charitable Giving Report I noted that the growth in online giving was up +6.8% compared to just 1% growth for offline in 2019. Fearing this statistic might spur some readers (or more likely their board members or CEOs) to rush off and […]

Learn More February 28, 2020

Just Released: Blackbaud Institute’s 2019 Charitable Giving Report

The Blackbaud Institute has just released The 2019 Charitable Giving Report . It is not only vastly improved over previous editions but sounds an optimistic note in the cacophony of fundraising prognostications that often sound more like a dirge than a paen to progress. This year’s Report includes giving data from 8,210 nonprofit organizations representing […]

Learn More February 24, 2020

Digital Fundraising: 2019 Year End Results and Insights

It’ll be a few more weeks until the definitive, multi-channel results on 2019 End of Year Giving (EYOG) for the sector are published by the Blackbaud Institute and The Fundraising Effectiveness Project.  However, digital fundraisers take note. Late last week in a post (“Everything you wanted to know about 2019 EOY fundraising but were afraid […]

Learn More January 27, 2020

More Donors Vs. Better Donors: Intangibles

For our viewers joining the program already in progress, for the past two posts (here and here), Betty (arguing in favor of better donors over more donors) and Mo (arguing in favor of more donors over better donors) have been debating. Today, the final round of the debate: intangibles. Mo: The implications of focusing on […]

Learn More January 17, 2020

More Donors Vs. Better Donors: Cost of Fundraising

In our Science of Ask Strings white paper, we talk about the importance of knowing whether you want more donors or higher-value donors.  After all, the decision about how much to ask for should be predicated on how much risk you are willing to undertake to get a higher average gift. But this is a […]

Learn More January 13, 2020

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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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