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Communications

Social Nets – A Fundraising Distraction?

First, the good news. A recent "must read" data memo from the Pew Internet Project reports that 35% of American adult internet users have a personal profile on an online social network site … four times as many as three years ago. More detail on the percentages of online folks who have a social net […]

Learn More January 20, 2009

Top Marketing Trends For 2009

Here’s how your compatriots in the corporate marketing world view the year ahead. In a recent survey of senior marketing execs by the Marketing Executives Networking Group, the basic message was "return to the basics." What that means to these marketers is first and foremost: customer retention (76% rated as very important) and satisfaction (79%). […]

Learn More January 16, 2009

December Nets 48% Of Online Fundraising Dollars

Steve MacLaughlin at Blackbaud is first out of the blocks in terms of sharing 2008 online fundraising results. One stat in particular astounded me: amongst roughly 2000 nonprofits using Blackbaud fundraising software, fully 48% of their online fundraising contributions — in terms of dollar value — were received in the month of December! Here’s more […]

Learn More January 6, 2009

Recession Fundraising – What Your Colleagues Are Doing

We’ve just completed the third in our series of surveys to fundraisers who joined our Vital Signs Panel. The most important question we asked was: "As you adjust your fundraising plans for 2009, what are the three most important strategic changes or emphases you’re likely to make?" It was an opened-ended question. Rather than try […]

Learn More December 19, 2008

Internet Gains As Preferred Source Of Political News

Two reports were issued amidst the pre-election buzz that deserve the attention of nonprofit communicators, especially those working in advocacy organizations. The first study, from Pew Research Center, shows that the internet now surpasses all media except television as a preferred source for political news. A big jump from 2004. And what is really striking […]

Learn More December 11, 2008

Time To Strengthen Your Online Fundraising Presence?

YES! Emphatically, argues Convio’s Founder Vinay Bhagat in this timely article, Strengthening Your Online Presence: Now Is the Time. Now of course we wouldn’t be expecting Vinay to be championing direct mail or telemarketing! Nonetheless, he makes a well-articulated case for nonprofits to move aggressively to expand and refine their online fundraising and engagement efforts. […]

Learn More December 3, 2008

Motrin: A Lesson In Issue Campaigning

As told by Ad Age, here is a fascinating account of the brouhaha over a recent — now deceased — advertising campaign for Motrin, the painkiller. It’s left some executives at Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit consuming a lot of their own medicine! The ads were an attempt by Motrin to connect and […]

Learn More November 19, 2008

You’re Not Alone!

Just when you need to send one critical email before you dash off, or are at the juiciest part of the conversation … Your internet service disappears, or your computer freezes (or worse, does that never-ending hourglass or spinning wheel thing), or your cellphone fails. According to this report from Pew Research, When technology Fails, […]

Learn More November 18, 2008

What a Difference Four Decades Make!

Roger’s piece yesterday on Obama’s historic victory got me reminiscing about my own formative political experience, which happens to date to 1968, when the Vietnam war and racial tensions were the driving, divisive factors in the presidential election.So, if you’ll indulge me a bit … before we resume our routine coverage of fundraising!In that year, […]

Learn More November 6, 2008

Obama: Technology Meets Psychology

If Obama loses the election tomorrow, which now appears inconceivable, it will not be because of inferior grassroots organizing.We’ve read tons about the Obama campaign’s adroit use of the internet to marshall money and people power.But as this excellent article in Wired points out, the real magic in Obama’s approach has been to integrate state-of-the-art […]

Learn More November 3, 2008

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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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