The Smart Communications Podcast

Episode 206: How can you use science to engage donors?
Host: Farrah Trumpeter (Big Duck)
Guest: Cherian Koshy, author of Neurogiving: The Science of Donor Decision Making
Date: March 4, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode explores how nonprofit leaders can leverage behavioral and neuroscience research to engage donors more effectively and ethically. Farrah Trumpeter from Big Duck interviews Cherian Koshy, a fundraising strategist, keynote speaker, and author of the new book Neurogiving: The Science of Donor Decision Making. Together, they unpack why people give, what science reveals about generosity, and how nonprofits can translate these findings into actionable, trustworthy communications.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Cherian’s Background & Book Inspiration

• Falling into Fundraising: Cherian shares his accidental start in nonprofit fundraising and advocacy, leading to a growing fascination with the “why” behind donor decisions.
  “I didn’t really necessarily fall in love with fundraising. I fell in love with why people make decisions and how to understand and honor that process more than anything else.” (03:24)

• Book Purpose: Neurogiving is a carefully sourced desk reference documenting 220+ research studies on donor behavior, meant to explain—and not manipulate—what drives giving.
  “It’s not a book about hacking donor behavior. It’s... 'this is the way the brain works.’” (07:51)

Surprising Reactions to Neurogiving

• Readers often relate to the psychology-driven approach, many having backgrounds or interest in psychology.
• The book became a USA Today bestseller, a rarity for a fundraising book.

Scientific Insights About Giving

• Decisions Are Felt, Not Reasoned:
  • Most giving decisions are emotional and identity-driven before they are rationalized.
  • Overwhelming people with facts can stall decision making.
    “Decisions are felt first and then explained… we really make a decision based upon meaning and emotion and identity and then draft our rationale afterwards.” (09:06)
• Connection Precedes Contribution:
  • People give more when they emotionally identify with a person affected by the nonprofit’s mission.
  • Reference to Dr. Paul Zak’s oxytocin studies: Emotional engagement, not information, triggers generosity. “Connection precedes contribution.” (12:10)
• The Limits of Compassion (Compassion Fade):
  • As the number of people in need grows, empathy drops—a cognitive bias called "compassion fade."
  • Highlighting one identifiable person is more effective but presents ethical challenges. “When more people are in need, our feelings actually go down… [it's] a pattern researchers call compassion fade.” (13:34)

Ethics of Storytelling and Representation

• Ethical Tension:
  • Telling one person’s story may spur more giving, but can misrepresent the broader issue or exploit individuals.
  • Responsibilities: prioritize authenticity, agency, and ethical representation—even if it reduces immediate impact.
    "The importance of agency really comes into play… and how we authentically tell the story of either a community or an individual." (16:08)

Practical Tips for Nonprofit Communications

• Start with Psychological Safety:

  • Write for the brain's first question: “Am I safe here?”
  • Begin communications with clarity and stability, avoiding jargon and insider language.
    “That means starting with clarity and stability, not trying to be clever with the conversation.” (18:04)

• Empower Through Agency:

  • Offer specific, actionable choices rather than vague calls to "help."
  • Give supporters meaningful options: “Help a family today,” “Keep a pantry stocked for a month,” rather than “Anything helps.”

• Avoid Exclusion:

  • Don’t use acronyms or technical terms that make outsiders feel excluded (referencing Ed Chiappa’s "terministic screen").

• Frame Tangible Outcomes and Timelines:

  • Be explicit about timeframes and impact: “Within days…” or “One phone call…”

• Emphasize Permission Over Persuasion:

  • Rather than "pitching" to donors, invite participation: explain needs and create space for self-identified involvement. “It’s not as much a pitch as it is permission for someone to act.” (22:50)

• Trust and Understandability:

  • Build communications around trust and clarity to enable informed action.
  • Brand is about being understood, not just recognized. “If your communication doesn’t… produce a clear next step for your audience, it’s not strategy yet, it’s output.” (25:46)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Data vs. Insight:
  “Don’t confuse data with insight. I think insight is data that changes what you do on Monday.” — Cherian Koshy (25:43)

• On Scaling Trust:
  “The future… belongs to organizations who can do two things at once: scale personalness and protect trust.” — Cherian Koshy (25:56)

• On Empowering Donors:
  “Generosity... is the counter narrative to the disempowering narrative that’s out there. We feel like we can do something by having a choice...” — Cherian Koshy (21:15)

Important Timestamps

• 01:47 — Cherian’s professional journey and fascination with donor psychology
• 04:57 — Most surprising reactions to Neurogiving
• 08:52 — Main scientific insights about how donors make decisions
• 13:34 — Explanation of compassion fade and the “identifiable victim” effect
• 15:28 — Ethics of using individual stories vs. systemic narratives
• 18:01 — Practical tips: writing for psychological safety and clarity
• 22:50 — Framing communications as permission, not pitch
• 25:42 — Take-home messages and the difference between data and actionable insight

Conclusion / Takeaways

Cherian concludes with a reminder that true insight changes practice, not just outcomes. The organizations that will thrive are those who combine empathy at scale with steadfast trust and ethical practice. Leading with clarity, dignity, agency, and consent isn’t just scientifically sound—it’s the right thing to do.

Resources & Further Reading:

• Learn more about Cherian and Neurogiving at cheriankoshy.com
• Show notes and resources available at bigduck.com/insights

This summary captures the episode’s rich discussion, practical advice, and science-backed guidance, offering nonprofit communicators both inspiration and actionable strategies.