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Fundraising analytics / data

Duct Tape and Baling Wire

There are some movie scenes for which I’m an absolute sucker in almost any movie: The moment where it looks like the con has failed… but wait! The detective gathers everyone in a room and explains what really happened A good translation gag (e.g., the translator says something different from what the person actually said; […]

Learn More December 18, 2019

Small Change…Big Tears…Great Advice

Month after month the folks at NextAfter treat us –without charge — to their online library of testing treasures. These are folks in quest of answers to the fundamental question: Why do people give? In fact, they’re obsessed with finding the answer in the digital world.  Their Research Library contains, in their words, “the results […]

Learn More December 16, 2019

Are We Improving on Silence? Offline Edition

This week, we’ve seen how normal reporting on Facebook and Google advertising is flawed because many of the donations that are directly attributed to advertising would have come in anyway. But there are two important additional implications we haven’t discussed: Conversely, the direct attribution model ignores revenue lifts outside of the direct click, or even […]

Learn More December 13, 2019

Are We Improving on Silence? Social Advertising Edition

We talked Monday about how it’s difficult to test something versus nothing, how few do it online, and how eBay found their search engine ads weren’t nearly as effective as they’d thought when they ran a pure test (in fact, losing money) because many of those people would have come to their site anyway. It […]

Learn More December 11, 2019

Are We Improving on Silence? Search Engine Advertising Edition

Let’s say you are doing your first online advertising campaign.  The first terms you advertise in the search engine listing is your organization’s name.  Or the first audience you advertise to on the social networks are the people who are already your fans. This makes perfect sense.  In the land of concentric circles on a […]

Learn More December 9, 2019

Riding the Unicorn

Like hunting dogs ranging back and forth in pursuit of a scent far too many fundraisers, often egged on by their boards and CEOs in search of a silver bullet, are chasing the next new thing. Fundamentals and proven basic practices be damned. I suspect the reason lies somewhere between some folks’ inherent love of […]

Learn More December 4, 2019

Will Your #GivingTuesday Campaign Drown In A Sea of Sameness?

December 3rd marks the seventh anniversary of  GivingTuesday which has grown from an idea spawned at the 92ndStreet Y in New York City has grown into a global movement involving thousands of organizations and millions of donors and is now its own organization. So far in its 7 years GivingTuesday’s organizers claim the event has […]

Learn More November 22, 2019

Behavioral Science Tips for #GivingTuesday and Year-End

The other day a Tweet from Aimee Vance (@NPOfriend) caught my eye with the question: End of Year Goal Thermometer on the donation page. Yea? Nay?  What say ye? The string of replies were all over the lot:  “Depends”….”Hard NAY—unless the volunteers/board helping meet the goal have it as part of their culture already. We […]

Learn More November 15, 2019

Audience Building Outside of Google and Facebook

So far this week we’ve painted a darkening picture on how to build your audience with the Goofle and Facebook behemoths..  How about some good news and some good places to build your audience?  A few thoughts: Twitter.  Last year, Facebook eliminated a decent amount of third-party data from ad targeting (likely because they had […]

Learn More November 8, 2019

Audience Building and Facebook

There are a few big reasons, as with Google, why the initial gold rush window with Facebook is closing. Replaced organic reach.  We know that  organic reach on Facebook is nearly non-existent – instead it’s  pay-to-play.  We noted this in our constituent acquisition white paper and the big brands are acting on it.  There are […]

Learn More November 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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