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

Online fundraising and marketing

Managing The Alumni Experience Online

We saw this press release from online marketing agency Kintera, and thought it worth passing along. The University of Notre Dame uses Kintera technology to manage its alumni experience, including sophisticated social networking and engagement capabilities, as well as fundraising. With about 120,000 graduates active in more than 300 alumni clubs, we imagine the challenge […]

Learn More July 13, 2007

My Microphone Is Bigger Than Yours

YouTube isn't the only social networking site making political news (see our last two posts). Over the past few days the political blogs have been filled with debate over Senator Barack Obama’s MySpace mess. The “mess” involves how Obama volunteer Joe Anthony, impresario of the most significant MySpace Obama page, with 160,000 Obama supporters he […]

Learn More May 9, 2007

Online Social Networking — Getting Serious

Many nonprofit fundraisers and communicators are getting deeper into exploring the potential of online social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook. Here are two timely studies that look more closely at visitors/users of these sites and their potential value. Serious online marketers should take a look. Forrester Research has developed a typology for characterizing participation […]

Learn More April 27, 2007

Will Your Webmaster Save Your Butt?

The New York Times just ran an interesting article titled, Social Networking's Next Phase. The piece offers a clue as to why the ability and imagination — the marketing smarts — of the web team at your nonprofit is so critical. Nonprofit websites have evolved from simple brochureware, to cluttered electronic libraries, to full-time fundraising […]

Learn More March 6, 2007

Warning: YouTube Could Bite You

More and more nonprofits are experimenting with online video, often simply by encouraging supporters to produce home-made testimonials or “why I'm concerned” videos. If your strategy is to place “best” or suitable videos on your own website after staff review, then of course editorial “compatibility” isn't an issue. But at the same time, this approach […]

Learn More February 22, 2007

The 59 “Smartest” Orgs Online

“A” for the idea. “D” for the execution. Unfortunately, that's how I'd rate this effort by Seth Godin (before whom I normally genuflect) to identify the “smartest” nonprofits in terms of using the latest online tools (especially the so-called Web 2.0 social networking platforms like Flickr, MySpace, etc) to build community and enthusiasm. To be […]

Learn More January 17, 2007

No Online Endorsement … No Sale

Consider this observation by communications consultant and blogger Dave Evans: Ordinary consumers are continuing to integrate technology into their everyday lives. As they do, a natural reliance on a network of friends and other consumers develops … It's only a matter of time before most purchases with any sort of decision analysis are made largely […]

Learn More November 30, 2006

Who’s Watching Online Videos?

A couple of days ago we reported on some intriguing testing of online videos by Marketing Experiments. Their test videos, reaching over 700,000 views over three months, re-confirmed the viral power of entertaining videos on sites like YouTube and Google Video. But who's actually watching these videos? And is it an audience that's relevant to […]

Learn More November 20, 2006

Test Results on Video Viral Marketing

The folks at Marketing Experiments have reported impressive results from a project designed to test the reach and new subscriber sign-up costs of online videos. Moreover, their report is chock full of good advice on how to optimize your chances of hitting an online viral video home run. If you're thinking of testing your own […]

Learn More November 17, 2006

Be There or Be Behind

The Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet is serving up a conference on social networks (MySpace, YouTube et al), user-generated web content and the political & advocacy implications of all this. This is a hugely important communications and citizen engagement playing field for progressive non-profits to master. Go! Attend! September 15 in Washington. And […]

Learn More August 15, 2006

<< 1 … 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 >>

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

    The Agitator Tool Box

    Ideas, applications, tools, processes, and case studies of break-through solutions in fundraising, including:



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