104. Unsiloed: How to Leverage Behavioral Science to Market Your Mission and Raise More with Evelyn Gosnell

02/08/23 • 46 min

When it comes to making consumer choices, it’s well known that humans don’t always act rationally. In fact, as amply documented by economists, we very often actually act against our own best interests! On this episode of What the Fundraising, we’re getting down to the science of giving. Behavioral science, that is! If you haven’t been using the powerful tools and research out there, Evelyn Gosnell, managing director at Irrational Labs, is here to demonstrate all the ways in which you and your nonprofit might be missing out. She shares a ton of fascinating research and practical tools for tackling common fundraising issues, like building organizational trust and recapturing lapsed contributors. Understanding the evolutionary conditioning and reflexive responses behind human decision-making is key – and a first step towards unlocking what motivates donors, who after all are also the everyday users of Lyft, Google and other platforms that Evelyn and her team advise.

You’ll learn how to build specificity and concrete bite-sized goals into calls to action as well as why we fundraisers don’t always have to project perfection. Flaws are fine with constituents, says Evelyn, so long as we can demonstrate at least incremental progress. We also explore how to design in-house pilot studies that pinpoint why some pitches appeal to our base of supporters while others do not. What are their norms, what resonates with their identity? Are you communicating something personal and immediate? There’s so much packed into this episode that you might need to listen twice. And you’ll definitely want to follow up by checking out all the resources (and behavioral science food for thought!) available at Irrational Labs.

(01:55) About the mission of Irrational Labs and how it helps large organizations
(02:58) The core principles behind behavioral economics.
(04:49) The science behind human irrationality.
(05:53) Warm-Glow Giving
(07:10) Goal Gradient Effect
(09:20) Creating goals through the lens of behavioral science.
(12:11) The evolutionary roots of the human tendency to react to things that are personally relatable, identifiable and immediate.
(13:46) About the impacts of “recency bias” and the tension between transactional versus marketing-oriented fundraising campaigns
(18:58) Evelyn highlights an Irrational Labs case study
(20:46) How to reconnect with lapsed donors:
(27:09) About norms and keeping our nonprofits relevant even when they are displaced by other compelling world events.
(28:04) Considering demographic and behavioral norms as possible leverage in targeting and building up donor identity online and elsewhere.
(29:01) Behavioral science-based strategies for building donor identity
(30:45) What is donor trust really about and how do we maintain it?
(32:39) Thoughts on using behavioral science to challenge the Overhead Myth
(37:31) Don’t miss out on all the tools, research and other eye-opening info available at the Irrational Labs website!

Get all the resources from today’s episode here.

Follow along on Instagram

Connect with Mallory on LinkedIn

Many thanks to our sponsor, Feathr for making this episode possible. Our friends at Feather help nonprofits like yours level up their digital campaigns every day through their nonprofit marketing platform. Don’t rely on magic this year. Check out Feathr to streamline your digital marketing campaigns and exceed your goals. Learn more and get started today at Feathr.co.

If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation

(01:55) About the mission of Irrational Labs and how it helps large organizations
(02:58) The core principles behind behavioral economics.
(04:49) The science behind human irrationality.
(05:53) Warm-Glow Giving
(07:10) Goal Gradient Effect
(09:20) Creating goals through the lens of behavioral science.
(12:11) The evolutionary roots of the human tendency to react to things that are personally relatable, identifiable and immediate.
(13:46) About the impacts of “recency bias” and the tension between transactional versus marketing-oriented fundraising campaigns
(18:58) Evelyn highlights an Irrational Labs case study
(20:46) How to reconnect with lapsed donors:
(27:09) About norms and keeping our nonprofits relevant even when they are displaced by other compelling world events.
(28:04) Considering demographic and behavioral norms as possible leverage in targeting and building up donor identity online and elsewhere.
(29:01) Behavioral science-based strategies for building donor identity
(30:45) What is donor trust really about and how do we maintain it?
(32:39) Thoughts on using behavioral science to challenge the Overhead Myth
(37:31) Don’t miss out on all the tools, research and other eye-opening info available at the Irrational Labs website!

Get all the resources from today’s episode here.

Follow along on Instagram

Connect with Mallory on LinkedIn

If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation

Previous Episode

103. Unsiloed: How Marketing & Fundraising Go Hand-in-Hand to Engage and Retain Your Donors with Simon Mainwaring

When we look at fundraising, we tend to silo marketing, acquisition, cultivation, and stewardship. But Simon Mainwaring, my guest on this episode of What the Fundraising, is explaining why in fact they are all a piece of the puzzle. He is breaking down for us the ways in which each element of the donor journey is a link in the chain that is indicative of the nonprofit’s overall brand. When we get the marketing right, our donors connect and invest for the long haul. As CEO of the strategic consulting firm We First Branding, Simon is all about locking in the messages that articulate purpose and motivate action. Working with nonprofits and for-profits alike, his focus is on heart-centered principles and storytelling that resonate universally.

You’ll come away with actionable ways to define your organization’s narrative, audit the efficacy of its marketing messages, and make change through co-creative processes. If you’re looking for fresh ways to forge a meaningful and ongoing connection with donors in 2023, then you’ll want to join us in taking a look at the importance of perspective and tone. Are your fundraising communications too internally focused or self-serving? Do your contributors know exactly the impact their support is making? “If you tell the story in the right way it can really deeply resonate with people and inspire them to be a part of something larger than themselves,” says Simon. “And the way you do that is by building a brand.” It’s an iterative process and we’re here to get you moving in the right direction.

(02:14) Simon tells about We First Branding and its mission
(03:05) About the “We First” ethos at the intersection of branding and storytelling.
(05:01) Simon defines the concept of branding.
(06:41) Simon’s suggestions for foundations and nonprofits figuring out their brands
(06:41) Why Defining Our Core Stories Is So Important
(12:39) Key Questions to Ask When Defining Your Organization’s Narrative
(19:33) How the most effective copy deploys the reader/viewer perspective.
(27:40) How to do a quick internal audit of your branding best practices
(29:36) Three Things Nonprofits Can Do to Assess Their Branding Effectiveness
(32:39) Strategies for Leaders Trying to Make Change and Build Brand Cohesion
(41:45) About the shift from marketing to movement-making.
(43:39) Where to find out more about Simon and We First Branding

Get all the resources from today’s episode here.

Follow along on Instagram

Connect with Mallory on LinkedIn

If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link.

If you’re looking to raise more from the right funders, then you’ll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point

Next Episode

105: Unsiloed: How Marketing & Fundraising Teams and Tools Must Intertwine to Grow Your Nonprofit

What would it be like if nonprofit teams got past the labels and stigmas? Traded in silos for collaboration? This episode of What the Fundraising features a panel of 13 marketing and fundraising experts who are here to discuss how cross-departmental integration advances overall organizational goals by building both brand and donor relationships. They are sharing personal perspectives and busting false assumptions that hinder our best efforts – and desired outcomes for the causes we serve.

You’ll be taking notes throughout this rapid-fire discussion about the “3 Rs” – Revenue, Reputation and Relationships – that define our nonprofit strategies. Inside and out! When we recognize that these pillars are pivotal to strategic development and communications alike, we start to imagine the power of working together. If you’ve got cross-discipline talents to offer, you’re that unicorn we all want. Marketing that inspires contributions? Check! Fundraising that embodies your brand story? Check! As our panelists share their experiences and biases, we start to see consensus emerge around one key action point: Nonprofits as a whole thrive when teams – especially marketing and fundraising teams – form partnerships and work synergistically, based on mutual respect. “When we’re talking about organizations living their values ... then everybody wins – the marketing, the fundraising, the CEO,” says Shereese Floyd, Founder of Witness My Life. “Everyone is happy when truly living from the inside-out.”

(02:02) Mallory introduces the panel’s topic of focus.
(02:49) Marketing, brand and communication
(04:26) Nonprofit Campaigns.
(05:36) About the overlapping and complementary nature of marketing and fundraising
(07:07) How new digital tools are merging functions and expanding the traditional separation between fundraising and marketing job descriptions.
(08:17) Defining the tactics to promote how people feel about an organization or mission
(08:52) Considering when, whether and how fundraising calls to action fit into overall marketing campaigns
(12:09) The role of donor retention
(15:02) Why social media platforms offer a broad base with some very specific points of access through which to touch and build individual donor relationships.
(21:11) About designating marketing as a dedicated development resource.
(22:51) Types of communication that are solely about marketing
(27:10) Metrics for assessing a digital fundraising campaign
(29:05) Fundraising communications are actually a lot less about money than many nonprofits might think
(31:56) Why it’s paramount that organizations communicate to donors
(34:23) Why silo-ing functions impacts donor engagement, access and ultimately outcomes.
(36:59) How to measure ROI
(39:30) All about donor retention and the “slow” nature of the investment
(44:43) Why fundraising that is integrated serves overall nonprofit brand and mission
(47:01) Can marketing and fundraising both be de-stigmatized as functions and labels?
(48:05) Revenue, Reputation and Relationships