Martin Luther King, Jr- January 15, 1929- April 4, 1968
“He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it.
He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.”
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
We know who Dr. King was. We know who Donald Trump Is. It’s time for each of us to show who we are.
Roger
3 responses to “Martin Luther King, Jr- January 15, 1929- April 4, 1968”
Behavioral Science Q & A
Thanks so much for raising this. Yes, capturing donor information can be helpful for stewardship like newsletters, thank-you letters, impact updates. But how you ask matters. Forcing full data capture introduces friction that can significantly depress conversion, many donors may simply abandon the process. Beyond the friction itself, required fields also shift the emotional experience […]
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Unlike holidays that everyone already knows, Giving Tuesday is a created event. Many donors recognize the name but not the exact timing, so referencing it becomes a helpful cue. It serves as a reminder and taps into social norm activation (“everyone’s giving today”), which boosts response. However, we still want it paired with the mission, […]
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When a subject line leads with the match (“Your gift matched!”), it risks triggering market-norm thinking: the sense that giving is a financial transaction rather than an act rooted in values, identity, and care. This shift reduces intrinsic motivation and, over time, can weaken donor satisfaction and long-term engagement. It also makes the email indistinguishable […]
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There’s no evidence that QR codes suppress mid-value giving; all available research suggests they either help or have no negative effect. In fact, behavioral and usability research consistently shows the opposite: reducing friction at any point in the donation process increases completion rates and total response. And that has nothing to do with capacity and […]
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What you’re experiencing is very common. Resistance often isn’t about capability, but about motivation quality. If board members feel pushed into fundraising, that triggers controlled motivation (low quality motivation) i.e. obligation, guilt, or fear of judgment, which often results in avoidance. Instead, we need to create conditions for volitional motivation (high quality motivation) by satisfying […]
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That’s a really thoughtful question, and you’re not the first to raise it. Many of our clients have been cautious about placing the ask at the very end. To address their concern, we’ve tested both approaches, and the results are clear: when the ask comes last, even if that means it appears on the second […]
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Thank you, Roger. I’m so ashamed of this country. I’m so ashamed of our racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. etc. etc. I suspect, however, that Dr. King would say to struggle on. He would have faith that we can and will change.
2 of my favorite King quotes:
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
“Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropists to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice that make philanthropy necessary.”
P.S. I took the knee with a power fist at the IFC 2017 plenary.
Having struggled with sadness over the state of our national conversation since the last presidential election, I was encouraged by the recent Netflix show featuring a conversation between President Barack Obama and David Letterman. The show included clips from a conversation Letterman had with U.S. Representative John Lewis, who expressed hope about the future we can create. To hear this man, who has seen the very worst actions by his fellow Americans, speak calmly about moving forward has changed my outlook. I will march this weekend, tucking my wiry grey hairs into my bright pink pussy hat, and remember that positive change always has been and remains possible.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.