Award Winning Blog - Agitator

AI Ruins Christmas and Other Festive Myths

As the yuletide season descends, Coca-Cola’s annual Christmas ad, a hallowed tradition of red trucks, glowing lights, and syrupy nostalgia, has taken a bold leap into the future—or at least stumbled into the uncanny valley, depending on your perspective. This year, the elves have been replaced by generative AI, which, as […]

Learn More December 2, 2024

Happy Thanksgiving

We’re grateful for the time you give DonorVoice/The Agitator. We’re grateful for your thoughts and comments. We’re grateful for the work you do for others. We’re grateful for you. Happy Thanksgiving! Roger and Kevin P.S. And if you’re […]

Learn More November 27, 2024

AI Bias

AI bias is a hot topic, but not the kind you’re thinking of. Let’s talk about a different kind of bias—the kind that fuels the wave of dismissive, viral hot takes like these: “Relying solely on AI for creative tasks can result in homogenized outputs, stifling innovation and originality.” “While AI can produce content quickly, […]

Learn More November 25, 2024

AI Prompts to Make Your Fundraising Life Easier and Your Work Better

When I started in this trade 61 years ago, my tools were a legal pad and a portable typewriter. The clickety-clack rhythm of those keys was the soundtrack of early direct mail. Then came dictation—a revolution in time-saving —as Jerry Huntsinger and I toyed all through the 90’s and into the […]

Learn More November 22, 2024

Is Brand Color Black and White?

Name a charity logo that’s red. Now think of a blue one. For me, it’s Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) in the first case and UNICEF in the second. The association is instant. But why? Because logos are like the cover of a book you’re about to judge—it’s branding shorthand, connecting emotions and perceptions […]

Learn More November 20, 2024

When Authenticity Gets Lost in the Mail

I get it. You want engagement. You want donors to feel heard. And someone, somewhere convinced you that a faux-official looking survey with a registration number and a barcode was the way to do it. But here’s the thing: Your donors aren’t idiots. We recently ran a study looking at donor reactions to these “surveys” […]

Learn More November 18, 2024