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

Direct mail

TEST RESULTS: Donors Don’t Care How You Spend Your Money. They Care How You Spend Theirs.

It sounds like a semantic difference – after all, if donors are donors, then their money becomes your money. But it makes all the difference in the world. We know that (unfortunately) donors have an aversion to overhead.  Take a study from Gneezy et al.  They allowed participants to give $100 to either charity: water […]

Learn More August 21, 2018

TEST RESULTS: Donors Care About Their Impact, Not Your Overhead

A significant factor in the donor’s decision to give rests in how s/he answers the question, “how am I going to feel if I make this gift?”  So, the job of the fundraiser is to determine how those factors under an organization’s control can be most effectively presented. One major set of issues involve those […]

Learn More August 20, 2018

The High Cost of Undervaluing Gratitude

Today I’ll avoid a detailed foray into important topics like donor identity, commitment and segmentation and instead focus  on the simple, human concept of gratitude.   With this question: “Why do so many nonprofits fail at the most basic task of saying “Thank You” to their donors?” Over and over The Agitator has railed about the importance […]

Learn More August 1, 2018

Don’t Be the Next Blockbuster

I was struck by Cindy Courtier’s comment to Nick’s post on the importance of donor identity and commitment when it comes to creating positive and effective communications with donors. Clearly, Cindy understands what so many fundraisers don’t:  Determining a donor’s identity (the “why” of his/her giving) and level of commitment (loyalty to the organization) makes a […]

Learn More July 31, 2018

The Reality Distortion Field: Focusing on the One

There is a famous study in nonprofit marketing showing that an appeal that tells the story of a child does better than an appeal that tells that same story with information about the general problem of poverty in Africa. Even more oddly, a story of one boy did as well as the story of one […]

Learn More July 27, 2018

The Reality Distortion Field: Identity and Commitment

They say love is blind.  It’s actually worse than that.  If you were blind, you would know not to trust your eyes. Love distorts.  It makes you see things that aren’t there.  It enhances positives and turns negatives into charming quirks. That’s why you want donors who are fully committed to you, who love you, […]

Learn More July 25, 2018

The Reality Distortion Field: Imagination

Pollster Frank Luntz calls “imagine” the most powerful word in the English language.  He says “imagine allows you to communicate in the eyes and the vision of the listener rather than yours.” Good verbs like “imagine,” “remember,” and “picture in your mind” give a person the trigger to help them put themselves in the place […]

Learn More July 24, 2018

May the Fundraising Force Be With You

Among the many skills attributed to Steve Jobs was his ability to create a “reality distortion field”—a mental force he created to persuade himself and others to believe almost anything. Colleagues from early days note it was this skill that enabled Jobs and his team to develop the original Macintosh computer and deliver the software […]

Learn More July 23, 2018

How Donor Opinion Can Steer You Right

Yesterday’s post ccataloged a multitude of reasons surveys and donor listening could steer you wrong. That said, there are many things we must ask donors that are both easy to answer accurately and vital for us to know: How easy was the online donation process? How committed are you to the organization? Are you a […]

Learn More July 20, 2018

Why Donor Opinions Could Steer You Wrong

It’s not their fault; it could be yours. On Monday, Roger talked about the multitude of sins committed in the Charity Commission report. Among them was the flawed approach of asking people why they thought what they thought. Today, I wanted to explain why it’s so difficult to get people’s opinions of their opinions.  Tomorrow, […]

Learn More July 19, 2018

<< 1 … 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 … 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!