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Metrics

Is Your Quality Data 3,008 or So 2000 and Late?

The Black-Eyed Peas may not be in my most played list but hey, a catchy, memorable lyric is a catchy, memorable lyric.  Retention data is the rearview mirror view on quality, it’s 2000 and late. It’s a lagging indicator of quality.  You don’t need more donors, you need more donors who stick around.  But if […]

Learn More April 14, 2023

WANTED: Fundraisers and Consultants Who Can Count

Regular readers will note that we’ve been devoting a good deal of coverage lately to the use of AI, particularly as it relates to creative and copywriting.  Today, we’re hitting “pause” on AI and returning to 8th grade arithmetic. You know,  the type of intelligence that enables you to work with numbers in everyday life. […]

Learn More April 3, 2023

What Gets Measured Can Be Better Managed

We manage lots and lots of thing that we don’t measure at all or well.  That’s the nature of business and human enterprises. But, I’d argue measuring makes managing better.  The question isn’t can we measure or should we but rather, what’s worth measuring.  ‘Worth it’ is often traded off for easy.  Take engagement data.  […]

Learn More February 22, 2023

Should I Sustain or Should I Go Now? Improving Sign Up.

Join us for the should I sustain or should I go now learning session. The first sign a supporter is leaving is they’ve left. Doesn’t make life easy for anyone managing acquisition campaigns. Sure, there will be proxy factors in place for quality – e.g., age, payment amount.  But at least one of those  (hint: […]

Learn More October 17, 2022

Who Doesn’t Love Control?

Answer:  Nobody doesn’t love control. Double negative notwithstanding, we humans love control or the perception of it.  Control is one of three key psychological needs, often referred to as a sense of autonomy and choicefulness: aka control. People who feel a sense of autonomy over their giving are more likely to do it again.  A […]

Learn More September 30, 2022

How Do You Know Which Sustainers are At Risk of Quitting?

Everybody wants more regular, monthly givers but do you know what an at-risk regular giver looks like? The non-answer on this is a “clawback” in the F2F, canvassing world which quickly became the number one channel for sustainer acquisition in the States (pre-covid) and always was in many other countries. The clawback is a full […]

Learn More March 30, 2022

The Anatomy & Science of Conversation

Conversation abounds in the world of fundraising whether in-person or over the phone. Everybody makes note that we should be active listeners and strive for making a conversation, well, you know, “conversational”.  That feels thin. The social science world has done a lot to get a more robust answer.   This has implications for humans talking […]

Learn More March 7, 2022

What Works Best: The Spoken or Written Word?

We know that all fundraising writing or speaking should be conversational and personal.  It should avoid long words, nouns, prepositions and adjectives that all make the copy feel dense.  But which approach works best? We’ve scored lots of copy and transcribed phone conversations that follow written scripts.  Neither has an inherent legup on being conversational […]

Learn More January 7, 2022

Quantifying the Donor Experience At Scale

What gets measured gets managed.  How many brands out there are regularly measuring donor experience?   How many people read that last sentence and aren’t even sure what it means? You’d be excused, hell you’d be applauded,  since donor experience is thrown around ad nauseam with little or no practical definition, much less linkage to fundraising […]

Learn More October 13, 2021

How to Know If Your TM or F2F Sustainer Acquisition Meets Donor Needs

Over forty years of research and theory show people have three basic, psychological needs. Satisfying these needs makes donors more likely to stick around. The three are: Competence – feelings of effectiveness. For donors, it could mean feeling like they’re making a positive difference. It could also mean learning something new, for example, information about […]

Learn More December 11, 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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