Uncategorized

Holiday Hiatus: Even Agitators Need a Nap

Friends, readers, and fellow troublemakers, As the holidays descend like a herd of caffeinated reindeer, we at The Agitator are pausing our relentless drumbeat of wit and wisdom. Yes, even agitators need a little time to recharge and reflect. So, from now until… let’s say “a week-ish” (because precision is for grant proposals, not holiday […]

Learn More December 20, 2024

“Nonprofitness” Is a Verb—And You’re Not the Only One Doing It

Ask any donor: What makes a nonprofit, well, nonprofit? Is it the tax status? The actors involved? The actions they take? Or is it the lofty goals they pursue? Spoiler alert: It’s not the tax code, the org chart, or your stellar board of directors. It’s something far more elemental and far less tied to […]

Learn More December 18, 2024

Attribution Gone Wild: How $100 Becomes $400

Picture this: A mid-size nonprofit spends $783K across channels and raises $3.1M. Pretty straightforward, right? But here’s where it gets interesting – and by interesting, I mean messy. Let’s look at what each channel claimed versus what actually happened: Take a moment with those numbers. The platforms are claiming $7.27M in revenue from activities that […]

Learn More December 13, 2024

Beware of Old Tricks, Not Dogs

For years, in The Agitator and as a principal in a direct response fundraising firm, I’ve held firm in my opposition to two types of fees: those based on volume, and the traditional 15% commission fee for purchasing and placement of media. I oppose them for one simple reason: they align the incentives with the […]

Learn More December 11, 2024

Your Campaign Results Report is Wrong and It’s Unavoidable

You know those funhouse mirrors that distort your reflection? One makes you tall and thin, another short and wide. That’s how most campaign reporting works. The numbers might look impressive or disappointing but they never show the real picture. Your Numbers Are Lying (And it’s not their fault) Here’s the thing: all campaign-level reporting […]

Learn More December 9, 2024

What’s 82 Seconds Worth?

If there’s one thing that trips up fundraisers again and again, it’s this: we’re too quick to ask. This speed over connection choice plays out in the calendar of pushes and within a given appeal. The fundraising playbook has conditioned us to believe that the sooner we get to the ask, the better the results. […]

Learn More December 6, 2024

Stop Looking For Answers, Questions Are Where It’s At

We were crammed into the conference room for one of our annual huddles. Roger to my left, scribbling something illegible in his notebook. Josh sat across the table, arms folded like a sentry guarding the gates of skepticism. The agenda was straightforward—assess, plan, argue (or “strategically debate,” if you prefer HR-approved phrasing). The year, 2015(ish). […]

Learn More December 4, 2024

Happy Thanksgiving

We’re grateful for the time you give DonorVoice/The Agitator. We’re grateful for your thoughts and comments. We’re grateful for the work you do for others. We’re grateful for you. Happy Thanksgiving! Roger and Kevin P.S. And if you’re […]

Learn More November 27, 2024

AI Bias

AI bias is a hot topic, but not the kind you’re thinking of. Let’s talk about a different kind of bias—the kind that fuels the wave of dismissive, viral hot takes like these: “Relying solely on AI for creative tasks can result in homogenized outputs, stifling innovation and originality.” “While AI can produce content quickly, […]

Learn More November 25, 2024

AI Prompts to Make Your Fundraising Life Easier and Your Work Better

When I started in this trade 61 years ago, my tools were a legal pad and a portable typewriter. The clickety-clack rhythm of those keys was the soundtrack of early direct mail. Then came dictation—a revolution in time-saving —as Jerry Huntsinger and I toyed all through the 90’s and into the […]

Learn More November 22, 2024

Ask A Behavioral Scientist

Behavioral Science Q & A

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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Q: I find it irritating when some nonprofits accept my “gift” and then ask me to cover their credit card fees separately. It feels like a practice that does nothing to help win donors and runs the risk of turning others off. Is there any data on this either way?

Interesting question. I had a quick look at the testing done on this topic. On the positive side, in all cases, over half of donors decide to cover the fee. In some cases, it goes as high as 65%. Not a negligible percentage at all. Here’s another test from iRaiser showing consistent results (see point […]

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Q: What are the three most important things to consider when designing a brilliant supporter journey?

There’s just one thing to consider when designing a supporter journey: the supporter. More specifically, you need to take into account: Who the supporter is i.e. their identity, which is the reason they support this cause, and their personality, which describes the way they “see” and process the world. These will determine the kind of […]

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Q: Is there any evidence that changes to the tax laws in the USA changed end of year giving behaviors? Previously, ~30% of US taxpayers filed itemized tax returns allowing them to receive a deduction for charitable giving. Tax law changed in 2017 so that now only ~10% itemize. This should mean tax year-end giving should not matter to millions of people for whom it used to matter. Is there any data evidence to support this?

I’m not an expert in this but a quick search surfaced this article on the effect of tax reforms on 2019’s charitable giving. The researchers didn’t find a reduction. Actually, they observed an “increase in charitable contributions in 2019, even with the lower tax rates and the dramatically smaller number of taxpayers who itemize their […]

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Uncategorized

Holiday Hiatus: Even Agitators Need a Nap

“Nonprofitness” Is a Verb—And You’re Not the Only One Doing It

Attribution Gone Wild: How $100 Becomes $400

Beware of Old Tricks, Not Dogs

Your Campaign Results Report is Wrong and It’s Unavoidable

What’s 82 Seconds Worth?

Stop Looking For Answers, Questions Are Where It’s At

Happy Thanksgiving

AI Bias

AI Prompts to Make Your Fundraising Life Easier and Your Work Better

Ask A Behavioral Scientist

Behavioral Science Q & A

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?

Q: I find it irritating when some nonprofits accept my “gift” and then ask me to cover their credit card fees separately. It feels like a practice that does nothing to help win donors and runs the risk of turning others off. Is there any data on this either way?

Q: What are the three most important things to consider when designing a brilliant supporter journey?

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