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CNN Continues Investigation Of Quadriga Art

As Roger anticipated in his post last week, Take This To Your Board and CEO Today, CNN’s investigation of the fundraising practices of Quadriga Art and certain of its clients continues. Last night, CNN aired this segment on Anderson Cooper 360, this time reporting that the Disabled Veterans National Foundation, a Quadriga Art client already […]

Learn More September 24, 2012

Take This To Your CEO & Board, Today!

Here’s your disturbing wake-up call for Monday, September 17th — and for the rest of this year no doubt. An almost tsumani-like wave of major media stories on questionable nonprofit practices has hit the shores of our sector and shows no sign of quietly fading away. Great damage is in store for our sector. And […]

Learn More September 17, 2012

11,500 Bags Of Coconut M&Ms & $57 Million

Generally on Fridays, Tom and I like to send you into the day with gentle thoughts – not to spoil your weekend. But, this Friday we urge you to do some weekend thinking and worrying. Worry about whether your organization is truly ‘donor-centric’ or whether, and how much, you’re abusing your donors. How do you […]

Learn More June 15, 2012

Donor Abuse

This is a teaser for Roger’s post tomorrow. You won’t want to miss it! Tom

Learn More June 14, 2012

Fundraising Black Eye

There’s been a ton of local coverage of the Scripps Howard study of IRS-reported (or not!) fundraising expenses by large US nonprofits. None of it flattering to the fundraising ‘industry’. Scripps Howard looked at the most recent IRS Form 990’s for the nearly 38,000 nonprofits and charities that raise at least $1 million per year, […]

Learn More May 22, 2012

New Environment For NGOs & Advocates

In this slide presentation, Lee Rainie of Pew Internet presents ten “fresh realities” of the digital age that NGOs (and others) must contend with to succeed in persuading others. What Rainie says, much of it related to the explosion of social media and mobile communications, applies to all messaging and communications, which makes these observations […]

Learn More January 26, 2012

Fundraising & Water Moccasins

I received an email yesterday from Jeff Brooks, the mega-smart, mega-iconoclastic editor of the FutureFundraisingNow blog. He wanted to know what grievances Tom and I had against an Australian fundraiser named Sean Triner ‘cause  someone using the email address the_agitator@gmail.com was saying some very disparaging things about Sean on Jeff’s blog. Frankly, neither Tom nor […]

Learn More July 12, 2011

Zagats For Nonprofits

Awhile back, I referenced a study from Pew Internet Research indicating that 24% of adult online Americans have posted online comments or ‘reviews’ about products and services. I mentioned that I thought there was an ‘aggregator’ of such feedback for nonprofits, but couldn’t recall it at the time. Mal Warwick filled in the blank by […]

Learn More October 18, 2010

What To Do When “60 Minutes” Calls

Are you prepared for the day your executive director is led away in handcuffs? When auditors discover that the multi-million gift from that wonderful widow has gone missing?  Or when “60 Minutes” comes knocking on the door asking difficult questions? It’s not just the BPs, Goldman-Sachs and Toyotas who need a plan.  Crises large and […]

Learn More August 23, 2010

Verdict On Annual Reports

Lots of very constructive responses to our question of last week: Are Annual Reports Dinosaurs? And it looks like we have a hung jury! One group leans toward more timely and frequent donor communication, including in lieu of "saving it up" for the annual report. Another group says different strokes for different folks … so […]

Learn More February 15, 2010

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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

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