Ok, so what can decision science do for you and your cause? The possibilities are limitless. In fact, there is a whole sub-field within the Decision-Making field dedicated to philanthropic behavior.

From the widely known (but not widely practiced!) “identifiable victim effect” to the less known “unit asking”, Behavioral Science could make people feel more, think differently and take action.

The challenge for us as a sector is the enormous gulf between reading about a principle and having a deep understanding of how to properly execute on it. Too often the mindset has been “…it worked for Org. A therefore it will for us”. The harder truth lies in recognizing that some principles are a better fit for certain contexts than others. Knowing which is which requires subject matter expertise. As does properly designing tests that control for other explanations that may account for any differential results.

Reading books, or attending conferences just isn’t enough. Learning about our cognitive biases is one thing. Learning about their limitations is even more important if we want to ensure their most risk-free application.

And the only way you can do that is by working with subject matter experts.

That’s where your DonorVoice Nudge Unit comes in. This unit is made up of some of the world’s most respected academics in their field:

• Ayelet Gneezy, Associate Professor of Marketing, Rady School of Management, UC San Diego. Ayelet’s research includes new insights on overhead aversion and how to tackle it.
• Hengchen Dai, Assistant Professor of Organisational Behaviour, UCLA Anderson School of Management, University of Pennsylvania – The Wharton School, LA. Hengchen has done research on the Fresh Start Effect – a bias where we’re more likely to take action towards a goal after temporal landmarks that represent new beginnings.
• Elizabeth Keenan, Assistant Professor, Harvard Business School. Liz has worked on the effect of sets in increasing donations.
• David Reinstein, Associate Professor, University of Exeter, UK. Among other topics, David has researched whether donating to one cause reduces donations to another.
• Stephan Dickert, Associate Professor in Marketing, School of Business and Management, Queen Mary University of London. Stephan’s research shows how different emotions drive different decision-making stages in charitable giving.
• ‎Enrico Rubaltelli, Assistant Professor of Cognitive Psychology, University of Padova, Italy. Enrico’s research examines how donations are affected by the trade-off between the perceived cost of a donation and the perceived benefit for the beneficiary.
• Peter Ayton, Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology, City University London, UK. One of Peter’s current research projects investigates how donations to the BBC Radio 4 appeal vary as a function of the gender of the speaker, the nature of the charity and the thoughts and emotions evoked by the narrative.

Don’t miss out on our Unit’s content – subscribe for free to our emailing list. By subscribing, you’ll be able to view:

• A free library of behavioral science principles of known cognitive biases. These will be explained with fundraising examples, giving you an easy-to-understand dictionary. This section will give you answers to questions like “what is the Fresh Start Effect” and “How can I apply it to my fundraising?”
• A list of known fundraising pain points and possible solutions. The behavioural science principles will be cross referenced against the fundraising pain points and serve as hypothesis for tests. This section will answer questions like “what are the behavioural science principles that could potentially improve 2^ndgift conversion”?

Our ‘Ask a Behavioral Scientist’ feature is accessible to all. Our Nudge Unit wants to hear from, and partner with, you, fundraisers on the front line. Whether you want to share your individual challenges, clarify some of the content, or raise a question that’s been bugging you, we encourage you to get in touch. Our behavioral scientists will quickly give you an answer.

What is more, your questions might lead to real live testing to find answers to problems our sector has never been able to solve.

We’re proud and excited to have put together the sector’s first and only specialist nudge unit. We look forward to partnering with you on expertly applying the science of human behaviour to fundraising.

Kiki