Improve Your Fundraising with Behavioral Science

Red Rooster Group’s Actionology method applies the principles of psychology in a rigorous way to help nonprofits boost their fundraising results.

Advances in neuroscience, human psychology, as well as behavioral science have led to insights about what motivates people to act and reveals how people actually behave, rather than what they say they will do. Our Actionology Fundraising Action Pack harnesses the power of 15 behavioral principles that motivate people to take action so that nonprofit organizations can create more compelling fundraising communications. We’ve organized these principles in a logical way to be useful in appealing to donors through print, digital, and in-person communications.

CARD DECK

WORKSHOP

What tactic did one Girl Scout use to sell $80,000 worth of cookies?

In selling Girl Scout cookies, young Markita Andrews would knock on a door and ask for a donation of $30,000. The homeowner would say, “No,” and then Markita would say, “Then please buy a box of cookies and pay what you can.” In 12 years, she sold $80,000 worth of cookies. In 1985 she sold 11,000 boxes in one year.

Anchoring the person around a high number (however unrealistic it may be), helped make the offer of buying a box of cookies more palatable.

How did a child welfare organization increase $20 donations by $4 just by asking their donors a simple question?

On its direct mail response card, a child welfare organization added a questions asking donors to list three people “they know (or are known by)” or “they love (or are loved by)” before completing the donation form. The “love” condition increased donations $4 on average donations of $20.

What statement caused people to double the amount they left to charities in their will?

In a test using social norms in the UK, subjects were offered free assistance in drafting a will. Of the people who were told, “Many of our customers like to leave money to charity in their will. Are there any causes you are passionate about?” 15.4% did, with an average gift of $6,661, compared with 4.9% who did, with an average amount $3,300 when there was no mention of charity giving.