Uncategorized

What Happens When All the Paper Checks Are Gone?

There was a day when the last phone call was made by rotary dial. Similarly, the last buggy manufactured, and the last VCR tape inserted. And someday is a day in the horizon when the last paper check will be written. But we needn’t wait for that day as it’s already dawning and as European […]

Learn More October 18, 2023

Where’s the Donor In Your Test Design?

Most testing in our sector looks like this: Test Control Object : online form, letter, envelope Your idea to change the object Object stays same Let’s say your Object idea is to change the messaging by emphasizing the person being helped is hardworking and diligent. The message goal is avoiding people incorrectly assuming the beneficiary […]

Learn More October 13, 2023

Stop Testing If_____________

you assume everyone’s the same. 99.9% of tests are of this variety, the random nth, A/B test. Hidden in many “losing” test results is a test idea that worked for some and not others. Here are World Vision test results with prospective donors randomly split into the control (altruism) and test (self-interest). Nothing to see […]

Learn More October 11, 2023

A Win for Nudging, Another Loss for Generational “Horoscopes”

Millennials on Better Track for Retirement Than Boomers and Gen X This was a recent headline in a Wall Street Journal article. It’s feels like clickbait and so, I clicked. Wow, millennials are saving much more for retirement than their generational predecessors. This is because they are more tech savvy, value experiences over physical possessions, are […]

Learn More October 6, 2023

Which Pair Belong Together?

How do we foster connection? We need to dig deeper in our understanding of the humans we’re asking for money. And we need to undo our segmentations. We instinctively start grouping people based on what’s available, convenient and intuitive – income, age, gender, internal donor flag or status (active, lapsed), channel. The minute our grouping […]

Learn More October 4, 2023

Where Has All the Money Gone?

Recently The New York Times’ Michelle Goldberg, in her column questioned Where Has All The Left-wing Money Gone? Citing “endless appeals, sometimes in bold all caps” of the seemingly endless the-sky-is-falling, guilt-tripping and flood of fundraising emails is a reason folks aren’t donating as much as they used to. She […]

Learn More October 2, 2023

Give Your Supporters A Break

Breaks are necessary for our sanity and productivity. Not exactly a breakthrough statement. Yet, we rarely follow that advice. How many back-to-back calls did you have this week? Can you remember how you felt after the last one? In a recent study, Microsoft examined the effects of back-to-back video calls on stress, and engagement. They […]

Learn More September 29, 2023

Is Your Frequency Glass Half-Empty?

Jill donates frequently and is more likely to donate today than Jack who donates less frequently. This is an accurate statement and it’s the traditional selection model, which is why our more recent, frequent donors are always sent the next appeal. This statement is equally true. Jill donates today and is less likely to donate […]

Learn More September 27, 2023

How Do You Find Out Why People Give?

For starters, don’t ask. Asking donors “why” tends to produce rationale or superficial answers. A slightly better approach is asking why a particular cause (not the charity itself) is important to them. This will likely result in describing experiences, which may indirectly shed light on the ‘why’. The danger here is relying on a researcher to […]

Learn More September 25, 2023

The World of Richard Viguerie. At 90 “Our work isn’t finished yet.”

“You see, in ideological causes people give money not to win friends, but to defeat enemies . You’d like to change human nature, but you can’t—people are more strongly motivated by negative issues than positive ones. When there are no negatives or enemies, the appeal isn’t strong.” For the past 58 years this […]

Learn More September 22, 2023

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

What Happens When All the Paper Checks Are Gone?

Where’s the Donor In Your Test Design?

Stop Testing If_____________

A Win for Nudging, Another Loss for Generational “Horoscopes”

Which Pair Belong Together?

Where Has All the Money Gone?

Give Your Supporters A Break

Is Your Frequency Glass Half-Empty?

How Do You Find Out Why People Give?

The World of Richard Viguerie. At 90 “Our work isn’t finished yet.”

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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