Still On Vacation But Still Seeking Your Input
This vacation thing ain’t half bad.
We’d love your feedback and editorial suggestions.
Either in the comments or by emailing me directly at kschulman@thedonorvoice.com, please do tell us,
- Which topics should we cover less?
- Which topics should we cover more?
- Any other suggestions or feedback?
Thank you,
Kevin and Roger
One response to “Still On Vacation But Still Seeking Your Input”
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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Random thoughts:
(1) I’m guessing (dunno, but I bet you do) that many Agitator subscribers are relatively experienced people trying to stay current, since you two surf the breaking edge so much. For them, even the term “behavioral science” is click bait.
(2) Which probably means that they also subscribe to multiple how-to newsletters (though none better written or more useful than The Agitator, sometimes painfully [“Sh*t, I’ve been doing THAT wrong, too!”]).
(3) Which almost certainly means it’s all a blur. Since the pandemic, the fundraising world has gone into information overdrive, with hustling, bustling consultants of all flavors building their sales lead funnels. If you’re a devoted follower, you’re getting 30 or more useful industry-related blog posts a month (hand raised; and, yes, I should get a life). In other words: who remembers what topics you’ve over-covered or didn’t cover enough? I just need a glass of water. The information explosion is the proverbial fire hose.
(4) Which maybe means (and I’m not the research expert; YOU are), you might ask your subscribers to tell you HOW they’ve used The Agitator in their work. Personally, I have 3 daily “must” reads, won’t sleep if I don’t: The Agitator (top-shelf analysis of where today’s psych-based fundraising meteor is careening); Seth Godin (more wisdom than a bowl of chicken soup); and Food for the Poor’s Verse of the Day (I always thought I should read the Bible one day, on general principles, just ’cause: Western civilization and all that; this is the lazy man’s Bible journey & a great charity offer, BTW, allowing them to deliver soul smoothies and ask for money daily).