Uncategorized - Agitator

Board Meeting Swipe File

The Vanishing American Donor

The share of American households contributing to charities has dropped to the lowest level in nearly 20 years. As reported by the Associated Press, a study published by the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy finds that from 2000, when 66 percent of U.S. households donated to a charitable organization, the number dropped to 49.6 percent in […]

Learn More July 28, 2021

Engagement Lessons From a Dating App

Badoo is a dating app with almost half a billion registered users worldwide and 300,000 new, daily sign ups. But the dating app biz is a crowded space with low barriers to trying other dating apps, low barriers to exit and thefore, high promiscuity (had to, sorry). So, customer acquisition is only as good as […]

Learn More July 26, 2021

To Social Proof or Not Social Proof, That is NOT the Question

Sorry Shakespeare. Now get me to a soapbox. Does anyone think they aren’t influenced by what other people do? What else explains 80’s hairstyles? Of course you’re influenced by others. Equally inarguable is the direction of influence (I copy what those people do, I do the opposite) and degree (no influence, mild, moderate, heavy) differ […]

Learn More July 23, 2021

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

Back in May we previewed Ken Burnett’s new book, The Essence of Campaigning Fundraising in 52 Exhibits and 199 Web Links —likely to become another Ken classic. Of course, we’re prejudiced because The Agitator played a small part in the book’s preparation. Roger wrote the Foreword, and some Agitator posts were linked as commentary on […]

Learn More July 21, 2021

Stop Talking About Donor Experience. Start Measuring (and Acting on) It.

Do you really think the donor experience matters? We’d argue the only way to answer this question is by defining experience, otherwise it feels amorphous and fuzzy. An interaction with your brand creates an experience. That experience creates a judgement by the human being on the receiving end– your donor/advocate/supporter. Those judgements add up over […]

Learn More July 19, 2021

Is 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 […]

Learn More July 16, 2021

Getting Your Share of $9 TRILLION

The other day Bob Levy, a long-time pal and liberal co-conspirator sent along a piece from The Wall Street Journalbearing the headline Older Americans Stockpiled a Record $35 Trillion. The Time Has Come to Give It Away. With the promise that part of this financial torrent is likely to be unleashed in the form of […]

Learn More July 14, 2021

Attacking Donors to Save Democracy

It’s increasingly clear that we’ll all soon be embroiled in a major battle we can’t avoid. Truth vs. Lies. Easy access to a fair vote vs. suppression and miscounting of the vote. Authoritarianism vs. Democracy. The outcome answers the question, “Will American democracy die?” Currently the battle is playing out on a variety of fronts. […]

Learn More July 12, 2021

Is Preaching to Your Choir Turning Off Everyone–Including the Choir?

“We should all be less prejudiced.” Does this statement and point of view sit well with you? Maybe it matches your beliefs. Maybe you think it’s so obviously correct that it’s like saying water is wet; it’s almost factual and certainly unobjectionable. What about this sentiment? “You are free to choose to value non-prejudice. “ […]

Learn More July 9, 2021

When a Color Test Isn’t a Waste of Time

The brown kraft envelope versus the white one. I’ll never forget when I was indirectly involved with this test, in part because I had to google ‘brown kraft’ having no clue what the hell color or shape that might take. The other reason is it struck me as incredibly random. Why this test? If it […]

Learn More July 7, 2021

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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Board Meeting Swipe File

The Vanishing American Donor

Engagement Lessons From a Dating App

To Social Proof or Not Social Proof, That is NOT the Question

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

Stop Talking About Donor Experience. Start Measuring (and Acting on) It.

Is the Donor in Your Test Design?

Getting Your Share of $9 TRILLION

Attacking Donors to Save Democracy

Is Preaching to Your Choir Turning Off Everyone–Including the Choir?

When a Color Test Isn’t a Waste of Time

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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