[cpeterso]

Marketplace on NPR interviewed an economist researching charity fundraising. Some highlights from the interview:

* 1-to-1 match works well, but increasing the match to 2-1 or 3-1 doesn't do any additional good.

* Raffles. If you're serious about raising money, offer people a prize. And just by doing that you end up increasing gifts by as much as 100 percent.

* "Once-and-done" policy: Since charities know it's annoying to constantly get solicitations in the mail, they give you a choice: if you send in some money today, and check a box opting out, we'll never bother you again. People who are given the once and done proposition, they not only give more money in that particular fund-raising drive, but they do not check the box. And in future months they end up giving more money that people who never received the once-and-done proposition.

http://www.marketplace.org/topics/life/freakonomics-radio/wh...