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!


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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.

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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