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Best Practice Is Just Peer Pressure in a Blazer

There’s this belief in our sector that the quicker we ask the better off we are. This applies to the frequency of the appeals, but also within a given appeal. Best practice only exists to be challenged and replaced. A case in point, we analyzed thousands of tele fundraising calls done by our team to […]

Learn More April 14, 2025

DON’T EAT THE SEED CORN: A Checklist for Fundraisers in Tough Times

Let’s not sugarcoat it. Economic turbulence is here—and it’s got teeth. The stock market’s sliding, anxiety’s rising, and if history is any guide, fundraisers are bracing for another punch in the gut. I’ve been working in the fundraising trade for more than 60 years. That means I’ve lived and worked through every recession since 1960—and […]

Learn More April 11, 2025

Why Your Best Appeal Is Failing 80% of the Time

We ran a test, five versions of a fundraising letter.  Each one told the same story about the same woman — her loss of sight, her journey to get it back, and how donors made it possible.  What changed? The way the story was told was tailored to match the personality of the reader. The […]

Learn More April 9, 2025

You’re Being Watched. Protect Yourself.

The AFPICON 2025 Conference is coming up soon (April 27-29) and there’s a growing unease among Canadian and other non-US fundraisers—an anxious undercurrent that’s hard to ignore. Many who once eagerly crossed the border for conferences and gatherings now find themselves hesitating. It’s not the logistics of travel or the cost. It’s the climate—the political […]

Learn More April 7, 2025

“Audience-Led” Is the New Low Bar. Time to Raise It.

“Audience-led” sounds strategic. But too often, it just means sorting your file by lifecycle stage, giving level, or age group — and sending slightly different versions of the same thing.  It’s like a choose-your-own-adventure where every path ends with the same appeal, just in a different font. Different ≠ Deeper Yes, coordinating across channels is […]

Learn More April 4, 2025

Your Fundraising Team Needs a Robot With The Right Personality

Fundraising is communication. Communication is psychology. Psychology is trait-driven. And now… fundraising is also AI-driven. But don’t take that from a blog post. Take it from MIT. They ran a field experiment — not a lab simulation, not some clever survey. A real-world test with 2,310 participants creating real ad content for a real think […]

Learn More April 2, 2025

A Billboard and Brush. Defiance and Hope

Given the last 70 days of assholery, cruelty, mendacity, and stupidity, we all deserve an uplifting start to the week. Thus the following story appearing on Substack by the author whose nom de plume is Your Weirdo Friend. There’s something about this story—simple, plainspoken—that cuts through all the  noise and bloviating hammering us daily. No […]

Learn More March 31, 2025

When Progress Isn’t Enough: The Risk of Public Goals in Fundraising

One of the greatest movies of all time for those of us who enjoy parody, slapstick and juvenile humor is Will Ferrell’s Talladega Nights. He spends most of his life against an impossible standard of “if you ain’t first you’re last”, a motto from his father who was high on peyote at the time he […]

Learn More March 28, 2025

Fundraising’s 3-Minute Track Problem

There’s a popular belief that modern songs are shorter because people—especially young people—have shorter attention spans. Makes sense, right? TikTok. Streaming. Clicks. Scrolls. No patience. Turns out… wrong. A recent data dive from Stat Significant analyzed 150 million song streams and listener behavior. What they found is more interesting—and far more relevant to fundraising than […]

Learn More March 26, 2025

Cracking the Code: How to Make Sure Donors See Themselves in Your Appeals

Most fundraising messages follow the same pattern: brand on one side, programs on the other, and hope in between. We call this bookend fundraising, heavily focused on who we are as an organization and what we do, while leaving the rest of the bookshelf, where the donor’s personal story should be, empty. The rub?  The […]

Learn More March 24, 2025

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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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