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Communications

Check Out Strea.ma

Usually the news about social media is upbeat and urgent — all about the benefits of mastering these tools and networks. Today we have good news and bad regarding social media. The bad news comes in this article: Customer Experience Is Getting Worse. The article looks specifically at whether social media channels, as operated by […]

Learn More March 8, 2016

How’s Your Fundraising Robot Doing?

This Agitator is now back on station following an expedition Down Under to present at the 2016 Conference of the Fundraising Institute of Australia (FIA) and to meet with Tom at The Agitator’s Southern Hemisphere HQ for some conspiratorial back and forth on Agitator goals for the future. I’ll be sharing some of the insights […]

Learn More March 7, 2016

Read. Repeat.

Agitator readers in the U.S. who took last Monday off to celebrate Presidents’ Day missed a real gem. So first thing today, go back and read Tom’s post, Become a Youtility, based on Claire Axelrad’s brilliant piece in NonProfit Pro. In a nutshell that post and the links embedded in it covers everything The Agitator’s been preaching […]

Learn More February 19, 2016

Hug Your Haters

In my Monday post, Become A Youtility, I talked about marketing guru Jay Baer’s notion that good marketing is all about helping the customer, versus selling to him or her. Jay takes his point a step further, talking about customer service in this great podcast — Hug Your Haters — put together by Marketing Profs […]

Learn More February 18, 2016

Is Channel Integration Worth It?

Lots of fundraisers talk about integration. Few truly practice it well. And even fewer view its possibilities through the lens of practicality. This is why Australian fundraiser Sean Triner’s post To Integrate or Not To Integrate: That is the Question is a ‘must read’ — and a ‘must share’ among the silos in your organization. (Of course […]

Learn More January 27, 2016

Best Of The Agitator – 2015 – Trends and Predictions

Here’s our wrap-up of the most read and shared Agitator posts of 2015. From the resurgence of direct mail to a direct mail flop, with trends and predictions for the future of fundraising in between, the tastes of Agitator readers proved to be far-ranging. Arguably there are plenty of other posts just as good, but hey, […]

Learn More December 28, 2015

9 Great Tips for #GivingTuesday

December 1st 2015 marks the fourth annual #GivingTuesday. In anticipation of the event this post is divided into: 1) stats on #Giving Tuesday, and 2) some quick and easy tips to prepare for #GivingTuesday. Background and Stats #GivingTuesday is that artificially inseminated day of philanthropy aimed at capturing some of the torrent of consumer spending […]

Learn More November 4, 2015

Have You Mastered Nonprofit Video Yet?

Faithful Agitator readers know I’m a big fan of online video as a call-to-action and fundraising tool. One of my favorite posts I write each year is about the nonprofit video awards given by NTEN, See3 and YouTube. Here are the 2015 winners, as I discussed back in March. If you haven’t experimented with video […]

Learn More October 1, 2015

The Ultimate Sandbox

I confess to being a true troglodyte when it comes to social media. Proudly showing my new iPhone to my daughter recently, she immediately burst my bubble by making fun of me for not having Facebook on my home screen. After fiddling with my phone (a device I mainly use to read email and to call […]

Learn More September 29, 2015

Are You Working on CX?

The Agitator and colleagues like Ken Burnett have been writing heaps about customer/donor experience, hoping to establish that how nonprofits engage with their donors is as important to their fundraising success as it is to corporations engaging customers effectively for business success. See here, including the footnote, for the sordid history. I don’t know if we’re succeeding in making […]

Learn More September 11, 2015

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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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