Telemarketing - Agitator

Breaking Out of the Status Quo

Need More Sustainers?

How about Telemarketing? More people are answering their phones these days. Contact rates are up. But, it takes more than contacts for TM success, especially if TM success is considered to be more than just conversion rates. You know you need to deliver Lifetime Value. DVCalling, the telemarketing arm of DVCanvass (and sister company to […]

Learn More October 2, 2020

An Old New Way of Fundraising

(a.k.a. the redemption of telephone fundraising) Now that Covid-19’s forced us all out of face-face fundraising there’s been a rush to pick up the phone again. It makes sense; the similarities between face-to-face channels and voice-to-voice vastly outweigh the differences. If you can’t talk about why your mission matters on the street, in the mall […]

Learn More May 1, 2020

Reviewing the Early Bidding: MAIL

It’s early days in this new climate, of that we can be sure. The health crisis is occurring at the same time as the financial crisis but the former will end sooner than the latter. Nevertheless, it’s probably worth a quick look at what we’re seeing and hearing on performance. The more important insight from […]

Learn More April 3, 2020

Learning from Politics: Texting

In the last US election year, we talked about what we can learn from political campaigns in hypertargeting, nudge language, and building the tools you need. Now, we have a lesson we can take from the 2018 cycle about the use of texting. A bit of background – for political campaigns, robocalls are the incumbent […]

Learn More January 8, 2020

Thanks, But No Thanks

A new study strongly questions the near-universal assumption that saying “thank you” and showing “impact” is the silver bullet for improving supporter value or increasing second gift conversion. Take a deep breath. Now, read on. Titled Do Thank-You Calls Increase Charitable Giving? Expert Forecasts and Field Experimental Evidence, the study has spawned lots of debate […]

Learn More June 17, 2019

Mid-Term Palette Cleanser

The mid-term elections in the U.S. can’t come—and go– soon enough as far as I’m concerned. I’m sick and tired of the incessant parade of tv spots warning that unless I vote Republican the liberal mob, reinforced by a caravan of dangerous immigrants somewhere south of the Border will destroy jobs and turn us all […]

Learn More October 22, 2018

Monthly Giving Part 1–Why Bother?

Editors’ Note: This is the first in a three-part — and hopefully practical — series aimed at encouraging small, large and mid-size organizations to pay serious attention to the benefits of building a monthly giving or sustainer program. We’ll deal with the question of ‘why’ monthly giving? Highlight some practical resources on getting started and setting goals […]

Learn More August 30, 2017

A REALLY BIG Deal!

Frankly, we’re gobsmacked. Astounded, awestruck and absolutely thrilled by a massive undertaking by UK fundraisers and other leaders in the voluntary sector that should attract the serious attention and participation of all of us — on every continent. Today the Commission on the Donor Experience released its overview of recommended changes to transform fundraising from […]

Learn More June 19, 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

Spending On Retention Marketing

Target Marketing magazine conducted a year-end survey of 725 marketers (including readers of FundraisingPro) in December, asking how they would be spending their marketing dollars in 2017. I looked in particular at expected spending on retention. Of those surveyed 33% responded they would be increasing their spending on retention in 2017, with 45% holding it the […]

Learn More March 8, 2017

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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Breaking Out of the Status Quo

Need More Sustainers?

An Old New Way of Fundraising

Reviewing the Early Bidding: MAIL

Learning from Politics: Texting

Thanks, But No Thanks

Mid-Term Palette Cleanser

Monthly Giving Part 1–Why Bother?

A REALLY BIG Deal!

Making The Most Of Your Agitator Subscription

Spending On Retention Marketing

Ask A Behavioral Scientist

Behavioral Science Q & A

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?

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?

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?

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?

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