The Theory
Thanking donors is widely considered crucial among fundraising practitioners and experts. Two researchers wanted to explore just how much of a difference thank-you calls make. Their findings revealed something entirely unexpected.
The Test
Anya Samek, behavioral economist at the University of Southern California, teamed up with Chuck Longfield, who recently retired as chief scientist for Blackbaud. Seventy public TV stations and one large national nonprofit provided information on more than half a million donors who made their first contributions to the organizations from 2011 through 2016.
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