• Home
  • Blog Posts
  • Behavioral Science
  • On Demand Webinars
  • Toolbox
  • Archives

Board Meeting Swipe File

Gender, Race and Fundraising Myths

Fundraising Land is filled with myths.  Like… …” immigrants don’t give” …” race matters when it comes to giving” … and on and on. I’m sure you’ve heard a dozen more. Unfortunately, without data it’s difficult to separate myth from fact. Fortunately, we now have an important study—the first to explore the intersection of race, […]

Learn More October 28, 2019

Online Symposium Part 2: What We Learned About Actual Impact

There are two types of impact information a charity could share: Actual impact is the difference a donation, or the charity, had on the cause and can be shown with data from the field.  Perceived impact is the difference supporters perceive their donation, or the charity, could have e.g. $15 could buy medicine. In my previous post on […]

Learn More October 16, 2019

Online Symposium Part 1: What We Learned About Perceived Impact

It’s not a big scientific discovery that supporters care about the difference they make. If my donation won’t change anything, why would I give? At the same time though, very few supporters check a charity’s actual impact before making a donation. So, what’s going on here? Two things: 1. The type of impact Actual impact is […]

Learn More October 14, 2019

The Power of Celebrity (or lack thereof)

in our board meeting bingo run-through of the things you don’t want to hear your board say, I forgot “let’s reach out to X celebrity to see if they will market for us.”  (Extra bonus points if X is Oprah.) It comes up frequently.  And it’s painful to have to say “yes, it would be great […]

Learn More October 11, 2019

Testing Goes To Pot

Last year, the Journal of the American Medical Association for Internal Medicine published a blockbuster finding – April 20th has a 12% elevated fatal crash risk, which is statistically significant.  This doesn’t sound like a blockbuster finding until you factor in that April 20 is also a very unofficial holiday for using marijuana.  The authors […]

Learn More October 7, 2019

Shelter from the Privacy Storm

On Monday, Roger talked about the looming storm clouds of California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA.)  This new act likely to portend a cluster… munition…  for a few reasons: Even before the CCPA takes effect on January 1, 2020, there’s already a push to hold a new California referendum calling for even greater regulation. This on […]

Learn More October 2, 2019

Which Emotion Should We Trigger To Increase Donations?

Editor’s Note:  We’re bringing together professors in behavioral science and nonprofit practitioners in the first-ever DonorVoice Behavioral Symposium. The Symposium is web-based and spread over two days: 30th September and 1stOctober from 9-12 AM Eastern (2-5 PM UK). Wherever you are, you can join for free.  Find out more here. Roger   Our first-ever Behaviorial Symposium […]

Learn More September 25, 2019

In Just Six Days…

… academics and practitioners will join forces in the 1st DonorVoice Online Behavioral Symposium. Hosted by DonorVoice’s Chief Behavioral Scientist Dr. Kiki Koutmeridou. The program has just been finalised. See what we’ll talk about. Don’t miss the latest insights from distinguished professors and pioneer practitioners. Register now to save your spot and get the official […]

Learn More September 24, 2019

Revenge of the Branders

In London earlier this week Adrian Sargeant and Alan Clayton publicly presented the findings of their report Brand and Great Fundraising: Help or Hindrance? Here’s a summary of the Report’s findings that The Agitator shared with its readers: Spending on a charity’s brand is most effective when it is used to support fundraising. Fundraising expenditure […]

Learn More September 13, 2019

Latest Survey on Why Donors Give

The new DonorGraphics study is out from One & All and it’s full of interesting data on stated donor preferences. One of the survey questions asked donors what is their main reason for giving charitably..  Possible responses were: To address/impact needs in my local community To address/impact needs worldwide To fund organizations that enrich my […]

Learn More September 9, 2019

<< 1 … 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 … 55 >>

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 […]

    Read Full Answer

    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 […]

    Read Full Answer

    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 – […]

    Read Full Answer

    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 […]

    Read Full Answer

    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 […]

    Read Full Answer

    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 […]

    Read Full Answer

    DonorVoice products

    Commitment System

    Donor Feedback Platform™

    PreTest Tool

    TouchPoint Mapping



      • © Copyright 2005 - 2025, The Agitator. All Rights Reserved.
      • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Sitemap
      • RSS Feed
      • We welcome your feedback!