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Teens (For When You Worry About the Future)

Most of our readers probably don't see teens as a hot demographic. But they are tomorrow's donors, and many are even today's advocates. And they use media MUCH differently — e.g., far more interactively — than most of you reading this post! CBS News has compiled a very comprehensive multi-media report on GENTECH, which you […]

Learn More June 15, 2006

Media Campaigns from NPCA and WildAid

As reported by MediaPost: The National Parks Conservation Association launched a series of print ads that depict national park icons in the form of mock blueprints. The reason? To emphasize that once a structure is destroyed, it's gone forever. Mock blueprints feature Delicate Arch at Arches National Park in Utah, a two-million-pound sequoia tree from […]

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Online Video Taking Off

Internet monitoring firm comScore reports that the number of internet users watching video online grew an impressive 18% between October 2005 and March 2006. Viewers watched an average of 100 minutes per month, including advertising and non-advertising video. In March, 42% of all internet users watched video on an entertainment site; 33% watched via a […]

Learn More June 13, 2006

Like It or Not, Your Newsletter Is Multi-media

An interesting article in Fortune asks: “So should a magazine like Time, Rolling Stone or Fortune still think of itself as in the magazine business if a growing portion of its readers are seeing the content it produces online? Or should it produce content of all types under its brand there? This kind of existential […]

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Online Transactions Habit Forming?

According to an (expensive!) annual study conducted for Shop.org by Forrester Research and cited here, online retail spending will top $200 billion in 2006, up 20% from last year. We think online shopping is great practice for online giving, as consumers become more and more comfortable with the practice, including providing their credit card info […]

Learn More June 8, 2006

Is Rising Number of Cell Phones Lowering Reliability of Polls?

A recent study by the Pew Research Center finds that cell-only Americans – an estimated 7%-9% of the general public – are significantly different in many ways from those reachable on a landline. They are younger, less affluent, less likely to be married or to own their home, and more liberal on many political questions. […]

Learn More June 7, 2006

Cutting Edge on a Global Scale

Two of my favorite non-profit entrepreneurs are Dennis Whittle and Mari Kuraishi, former World Bank staffers who have created a remarkable and pioneering organization called Global Giving. With vision and tenacity –and against great odds — they've created an effective and robust project-specific approach that brings literally a world of giving opportunities right to donors' […]

Learn More June 6, 2006

Wine, Shotguns and Causes

In our Donor Trends study on Generational Giving released last fall we noted that the Post-Boomer generation of donors (those born after 1964) “are most open to groups they haven't heard about, while at the same time least familiar with groups already working on the issues they do care about.” In short, non-profit ''brands'' are […]

Learn More June 5, 2006

US Broadband Usage — Latest Figures

The Pew Internet Project has just released its latest study on home broadband adoption in the US. Not interested? Then you ought to be fired. Some teaser facts from a very fertile report: 42% of all American adults (84 million) have a high-speed internet connection at home; 35% of all internet users have posted content […]

Learn More June 4, 2006

Watch Gore Run

I don't know if he's running or not. But if you want to see creative use of the Internet in the months ahead, Gore's effort to mobilize folks on global warming is the campaign to watch. Here's how he's using MySpace to promote and engage folks around his doc, An Inconvenient Truth.

Learn More May 29, 2006

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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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