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

Uncategorized

Building a Shit Sandwich for Trump

          The green shoots are rising. They push through the cracks, stubborn, reaching for light. You see it in the streets. In the faces at town halls. In the crowds swelling, growing, multiplying.            It started in places people don’t always look. Decatur, Georgia. Vancouver, Washington. Pittsburgh, […]

Learn More March 14, 2025

Past Giving Predicts Future Giving—And That’s the Problem

Past giving predicts future giving, and that’s where the circular logic of donor understanding begins. It’s like saying, someone is on time because they tend to be punctual. True, but not useful. Yes, past behavior can improve efficiency. But you can efficient your way out of business. What this sector needs is more effectiveness—not just […]

Learn More March 12, 2025

Why the Right Identity, Not Just Any Identity, Drives Giving

You’re young or old, wealthy or working-class, conservative or progressive, male or female. These are easy-to-find labels and we all sort into multiple categories and for these reasons, we assume it must be meaningful.  So, we dutifully segment our lists, thinking that targeting “women donors” or “millennials” or “high-net-worth individuals” is the key to unlocking […]

Learn More March 7, 2025

The Necesssary Fundraising Rethink

Fewer donors, falling acquisition, lousy retention. And the industry response seems to be, chase harder.  Fundraising has become a high-volume solicitation machine—and yet, the two most statistically likely outcomes for a new donor are: Never give again Give 1x/yr. The vast majority of your donors fall into the zero or 1 bucket.  Does a strategy […]

Learn More March 3, 2025

Fundraising on Mount Stupid

Welcome to Mount Stupid—the place where half-baked ideas go to thrive and untested ‘best practices’ become gospel. Fundraising isn’t immune to this phenomenon. In fact, it’s a breeding ground for overconfident tactics that crash and burn when they meet reality. You’ve seen it before. Someone declares, “We must offer premiums!” Or a consultant insists, “Match […]

Learn More February 28, 2025

When Might a Losing Test Win?

Did These Ads Win? No Peeking. If you had to guess, did either of these test ads beat the control? Neither did. At least, that’s the case if you assume everyone is the same and run a random nth test—which is 99% of all tests. Okay, how about this one? Same question—go ahead and peek […]

Learn More February 26, 2025

Backlash Building

  Twelve hours. That’s how long it took. Twelve hours after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced a $200 million taxpayer-funded thank-you campaign for Trump—an order straight from him—he logged onto Truth Social. Urged Musk to “get more aggressive.” More destruction. Faster. Until the whole damn thing collapses. Paralyze, then dismember the U.S. government. That’s […]

Learn More February 24, 2025

This Job Listing Reveals What Fundraising Is Missing

Are you in the behavior business?  Your fundraising team probably says they are while your program staff is more likely to be acting like it. There’s a growing paradox in charitable organizations: program teams are embracing behavioral science to tackle big, intractable problems, while fundraisers mostly stick to describing donor behavior—maybe predicting it occasionally. But […]

Learn More February 21, 2025

Mind the Gap: Why Behavioral Nudges Don’t Always Transfer to Fundraising

Nudges have been the darling of behavioral science—subtle tactics designed to steer choices in predictable ways. Businesses use them everywhere, from pricing strategies to product placement. So, can fundraisers just borrow these tricks and expect the same results? Not quite. The gap between consumer and donor decision-making is massive. Buying a product is about value-for-money […]

Learn More February 19, 2025

President’s Day or Identity Crisis?

It’s an odd holiday here in the States.  The Brits might call it a Bank Holiday. It used to celebrate George Washington’s birthday.  In fact, in the annals of US Government paperwork it’s still officially listed as this by the US Office of Personnel Management, which I think is like their HR Department. At any […]

Learn More February 17, 2025

<< 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 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!