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More On Peer-To-Peer Fundraising

At The Agitator, we pride ourselves on eclecticism and mixing it up. Therefore, when we publish two posts in a row on the same theme it constitutes a trend! So today I’ll stick with the trend and offer perhaps an unprecedented three in a row on one theme — peer-to-peer or DIY fundraising. From MobileCause, here’s more […]

Learn More May 10, 2017

Worth The Investment: Third Party Donors

  In his post DIY Fundraising Tom laid out a significant challenge faced by many nonprofits that engage in peer-to-peer fundraising and other friend-inspired approaches: realizing the full potential of Third-party Donors. For those organizations new to dealing with this type of DIY fundraising, there are two principal sources of donor value: 1) the ‘team leaders’ […]

Learn More May 9, 2017

DIY Fundraising

Not that long ago, I recall sitting in debates over how nonprofits with ‘strong’ brands to ‘protect’ should behave in the face of online tools that ‘threatened’ the ability of HQ to control the use of their brands. A typical example would be the ‘horror’ of an activist or donor using the nonprofit’s logo in a […]

Learn More May 8, 2017

Making The Most Of Your Agitator Subscription

Many Agitator have been with us for our entire 10 year history. Many others are recent subscribers, and there are lots of folks in between. AND … some readers haven’t yet subscribed. You can remedy that egregious oversight right here. Regardless of the length of time you’ve been reading The Agitator we want to make sure […]

Learn More May 4, 2017

Is Your Organization Behaving Like United Airlines?

United Airlines found itself at the center of a social media cyclone, media revolt and falling stock price this week, after a horrifying video that went viral. The scene: a doctor being forcibly removed from a coach class seat on one of its planes. According to published reports, the passenger was randomly selected to be bumped because […]

Learn More April 14, 2017

Online Or Offline, What Matters Is Relevance

In what amounts to a same-day companion piece to Tom’ post, Are You Under or Over-Invested in Online Fundraising, Nick Ellinger over at the DonorVoice Blog posted a thoughtful companion piece, How the Facebook algorithm works outside of social media. It’s well worth reading by those who think most email communications are too light and frothy and […]

Learn More March 17, 2017

Fake News. Fake Fundraising.

Sooner or later the fake news scams, hoaxes and parodies that marked this past campaign season on social media had to spill over into online fundraising. To refresh your short-term memory, you’ll recall the press chastising conservative Facebook users for sharing stories that had nothing to do with reality. Hundreds of thousands of people shared […]

Learn More February 9, 2017

Get ‘Em While The Grief Is Hot – Part 1

If your organization’s advocacy mission is directly related to or affected by the results of the 2016 elections, I hope you’re in the mail, on the phone, online and meeting with your donors right now. Don’t wait. Don’t sit around in endless meetings and plan. Just get out there and ask for help. Give your donors and […]

Learn More November 17, 2016

Rx For Election Day Worries

Almost everyone in the U.S. is uptight about the outcome of tomorrow’s Presidential election. In fact, it’s probably safe to say most everyone in the world is worried. Tom reports that even the amoebae under the polar ice caps are suffering anxiety attacks. Well, don’t just sit there and fret. Get busy. Make sure all […]

Learn More November 7, 2016

The Neglected Gold Mine of Lapsed Donors

I’m glad Tom raised the issue of ‘lapsed’ donors in his post,  When To Give Up On A Donor.  The issue of seemingly inactive or financially unproductive donors receives to little serious attention. In the direct response part of the trade, ‘lapsed’ donors are too often mechanistically shoved into various RFM buckets with little understanding […]

Learn More August 29, 2016

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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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    The Agitator Tool Box

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



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