• Home
  • Blog Posts
  • Behavioral Science
  • On Demand Webinars
  • Toolbox
  • Archives

Uncategorized

What’s Better, Ambiguous or Clear?

Do you prefer noisy and ambiguous or clear and explicit?  Doubt anyone would say the former but the sector, ironically, relies almost exclusively on the noisy and ambiguous kind of data. The person, Clicked – did they click out of idle curiosity or with intent?  Did the context (e.g., time of day or mood) impact […]

Learn More July 12, 2024

What’s Worse, Actual Misinformation or Claims of It?

The World Economic Forum named misinformation as the top global risk, higher than war.  I think it’s fair to say the WEF/Davos crowd ain’t exactly a representative slice of America or any other country.  Maybe they know more than us, maybe their ranking is useful or maybe they are just parroting the times. Note the […]

Learn More July 10, 2024

Fireworks

Today Agitator readers in the UK are going to the polls. Electoral fireworks. On this side of the Atlantic U..S. readers witness celebratory pyrotechnics today as Americans celebrate our Independence Day, called such because “Amxit” is a mouthful. At Agitator/DonorVoice HQ we focus on the fundraisers – as ever, the real unsung heroes of the […]

Learn More July 4, 2024

The Secret to Evoking Emotions in Writing: Why ‘Crying’ Beats ‘Sad’ Every Time

“She was sad.”  Boooorrrrring. Talk about telling not showing.  Something so important as emotion and yet, most of the time we reduce it to the lowest common denominator, literal use of the word;  angry, sad, happy. How about this instead; “she was crying.”   It shows, it describes.  And for most of you, it likely […]

Learn More July 1, 2024

Inflation Messaging

Giving USA reported charitable giving increased by 1.9% but after adjusting for inflation, it’s down 2.1%.   The cost side of your P&L has likely gone up, whether charity or agency. Is this a macro, negative externality you’re stuck dealing with or might this be a time to raise “prices”? If you raise your ask amount […]

Learn More June 28, 2024

All Fundraisers Must Be Brand Builders

The industry trendline is well worn – fewer and fewer people giving.  The saving grace has been those left giving more.  This is hardly a winning strategy. Your only path to sustained growth comes from increasing the percentage of prospects that know you.  There’s a huge chasm in likelihood to donate and lifetime value between […]

Learn More June 26, 2024

The Anatomy of a Successful Call

Have you ever had a conversation with the other person dominating the talk time?  How about one where the other person didn’t ask you any questions? Contrast that with a balanced conversation, one where you and the other person talked about equally and the talk sequence was you, other person, you, other person, etc.. This […]

Learn More June 24, 2024

Unlearn What You Have Learned, You Must

Syntax is the way we place words in a sentence.  The simplest, clearest formulation is Subject-Verb-Object (SVO), “The dog chased the cat”. Yoda uses a very complicated, awkward syntax called an anastrophe, placing the object and the verb before the subject.  Simple is better, right?  Use active voice, not passive, right? Every rule ever written […]

Learn More June 21, 2024

Beyond One Size Fits All For the Win, Again…

Our choices are expressions and reflections of who we are.  I won’t pay as much attention to your fundraising message if it doesn’t reflect who I am. And since people are different, your fundraising needs tailoring to match those varied reflections.  Most readers will probably agree with this statement and yet, the infinity problem stands […]

Learn More June 19, 2024

2 Years After Dobbs: The Landscape of Support for Both Sides

            In 1973 Craver, Mathews, Smith & Co. launched the first direct response campaign for the National Rights Action League (NARL,)  now named Reproductive Freedom for All . That was the year Roe v. Wade was decided.             That was also the time 51 years ago when women could not […]

Learn More June 17, 2024

<< 1 … 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 … 168 >>

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 […]

    Read Full Answer

    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 […]

    Read Full Answer

    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 – […]

    Read Full Answer

    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 […]

    Read Full Answer

    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 […]

    Read Full Answer

    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 […]

    Read Full Answer

    DonorVoice products

    Commitment System

    Donor Feedback Platform™

    PreTest Tool

    TouchPoint Mapping



      • © Copyright 2005 - 2025, The Agitator. All Rights Reserved.
      • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Sitemap
      • RSS Feed
      • We welcome your feedback!