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Breaking Out of the Status Quo

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

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

Is Yours a “Bad Puppy” Email Schedule?

A frequent topic in our weekly Agitator editorial meetings is the gawd-awful frequency and quality of most email appeals.  No matter how many times we cite the danger of overdoing this stuff  and wrecking retention, driving away donors the practices of more, more, more continues. No doubt some fundraisers believe if someone gives you money […]

Learn More April 24, 2023

What the Hell is “Pulsing”?

Grandma Craver frequently warned, “Enough is enough.  Too much will make a dog sick.”  Her way of indicating the downside of overdoing things. That’s exactly the point of Kevin’s post,  Give Donors a Chance to Listen to the Silence noting the decrease in response rates as the number of mailings a prospect receives increase.  Kevin concludes: […]

Learn More September 28, 2022

Give Donors A Chance to Listen to the Silence

The world is literally louder than at any prior time in known history (maybe the dinosaurs made a lot of noise?) Emergency sirens need to be loud enough to cut through the noise clutter and as such, are a good proxy for the loudness of our world.  Today’s sirens are 6x louder than 100 years […]

Learn More September 26, 2022

The Corvallis Effect and Donor Fatigue

A mysterious student has been attending class at Oregon State University for the past two months enveloped in a big, black bag. Only his bare feet show.  Each Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 11am the Black Bag sits on a small table near the back of the classroom.  The class is Speech 113 – basic […]

Learn More June 9, 2021

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 April 30, 2021

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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