Giving Donors Data on a Charity's Impact Doesn't Always Lead to More Gifts

Providing data on a charity’s impact doesn’t necessarily translate into more gifts from prior donors, says a new report. Freedom From Hunger sent direct-mail appeals to its supporters, which all included narrative stories about how it benefited individuals. Some also included scientific data on the impact of the charity’s work.

Donors who had given $100-plus in the past were more likely to give again when they encountered the data on the charity’s impact, but donors who had given less than $100 were actually less likely to donate when the appeal included the data.