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Behavioral Science Posts

A Missing Ingredient To Raising More Money – Donor Personality

Imagine running a digital ad or doing a list select for the mail and only being able to select a single attribute or audience parameter – e.g. age, geography, political affiliation. My bet is most fundraisers would probably choose an attribute from  Facebook or Google or a data co-op that indicated past charitable behavior. Now, […]

Learn More October 26, 2020

Charitable Giving Up Dramatically in 2nd Quarter. PLUS, a Bonus for Agitator Readers

The fundraising hand wringers and bed wetters had a pandemic field day when the 1st Quarter 2020 Fundraising Effectiveness Report (FEP) was released in in June announcing a 6% decline or $25 billion in lost revenue for nonprofits mainly attributable to a notable drop in individual giving in March. BUT….at the time, some optimism poked […]

Learn More October 21, 2020

Myth Busting: Trust in Charities is NOT Declining

We’ve busted many a myth,  including: MYTH:  Ask more = make more. BUSTED: Never the full story and often wrong.  Most often the practice shifts dollars forward and creates significant irritation (through volume) that directly decreases retention and donor value. The myth represents a grossly oversimplified ‘formula’ that violates the maxim, make things as simple […]

Learn More October 16, 2020

The “Donor” Identity is Lame

I’m a woman and a coffee lover. But being a coffee lover isn’t one of the most important ways I define myself, while being a woman is. This simplistic example illustrates the difference between identity presence, whether one has a certain identity, and identity importance, how central that identity is for their sense of self. […]

Learn More October 9, 2020

O’Canada. O’Canadian Donors!

In these  civically stressed days I’m thinking more and more about Canada from my perch here in Massachusetts. Not just because my Canadian wife is visiting north of the border real estate sites with increasing frequency…nor because I think more frequently about Tom Belford, my Agitator sidekick who’s now safe and sound in New Zealand. […]

Learn More September 30, 2020

Emotion and Fundraising: Will Any Emotion Do?

“People give based on emotion, not facts.” Some version of that statement is sacrosanct in marketing and fundraising.  It begs several questions, not least of which is whether emotion is the cause or the goal.  We know it to be the latter. But today’s post is to beg another question:  what emotion?  Will any emotion […]

Learn More September 28, 2020

How Do You Get Conservatives to Care As Much as Liberals About the Environment?  

Answer: message to them differently. More specifically, conservatives and liberals can see themselves as equally moral (Identity) but for very different reasons.  Much like there is a Big 5 of Personality that is trait-based and predictive of attitudes and beliefs (and in turn, behavior), there is another Big 5 in Morality that, not surprisingly, has […]

Learn More September 25, 2020

The Cheap Money Paradox

The pandemic should cause us all to re-think many fundraising “norms” –notably the value of money and what it means not only to donors but to nonprofits as well. In order to stimulate a Covid-stricken economy the U.S. Federal Reserve (and central banks elsewhere) has dramatically lowered interest rates and promised to keep them low […]

Learn More September 23, 2020

Should You Put the Next Dollar on Brand Building or Direct Response?

The answer is $.60 on brand, $.40 on direct response. Why? Because, as the curve below shows, that  60:40 split produces the optimum long-term benefit. The most financially beneficial, long-term effects are about growth, defined as profit and market share, not volume growth which is often a short-term activity delivering little to no improvement in […]

Learn More September 21, 2020

Cluster F****: Part Two

Our initial, Cluster F*** post wasn’t written with a sequel in mind but today’s example presented itself and thus a sequel was born. The most important part of the prior post and of this one as well is that the variables chosen to create these statistical clusters are all-important in creating (or avoiding) the garbage […]

Learn More September 16, 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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