Award Winning Blog - Agitator

Donor Geography: West Coast is From Venus, Southeast is From Mars

We’ve written extensively about the Big Five of Personality psychology and how to measure Personality and use it to tailor messaging to get beyond the unsatisfying world of one-size-fits-all. ( See here, here and here.) Importance of Personality Why Personality? It predicts health, morbidity, occupation, entrepreneurship rates, innovation, political values, regional stereotypes, income inequality and […]

Learn More November 12, 2021

Do You Have a Big Number Problem?

Most humans have a big number problem. You probably felt it yourself as pundits and politicians droned drone on and on about the pros and cons of the multi-trillion-dollar Infrastructure and Build Back Better legislation. Do most folks really understand what $1 trillion or $1.2 trillion or $3 or $6 trillion really means in terms […]

Learn More November 10, 2021

Youngkin Dialed up Social Norms

There are a lot of political campaigns every year. And there are a lot of political scientists working in academia desperate for real-world experiments to publish results so they can stay in academia. These two facts result in an enormous amount of theory-led, testing and experimenting in politics. I’ve often wondered how much of this […]

Learn More November 8, 2021

Jiu-Jitsu Fundraising

An enemy is crystallizing. It’s motivating. “Rally the mostly satisfied, even-keeled moderates to storm the bastille.”, said nobody ever. Does your organization have an enemy? The rich, the establishment, the pro-this or con-that, the anti-whatever you stand for? Or maybe there’s just a big, prevailing message that has lots of air time, exposure or […]

Learn More November 5, 2021

“Only You Can Control Your Future.” [Navigation Chart for Fundraisers Enclosed]

The headline quotation is from the renowned fundraiser, Dr. Seuss. Well, even if he wasn’t a fundraiser Dr. Seuss’ advice is sound. He’s not alone in warning about grabbing hold of and steering your organization’s destiny , as literally hundreds of Agitator posts on the subject can attest. Enter the fascinating –and most helpful — […]

Learn More November 3, 2021

Free the Plush Toys and Tote Bags. Fundraising’s Supply Chain Woes.

Although the ghosts and ghouls of Halloween vanished with this morning’s sunrise another specter is sending chills up fundraiser’s spines. The Ghost of Supply Chain 2021. Bobbing offshore on hundreds of ships at anchor outside U.S. ports are shipping containers crammed with holiday goodies that may –or may not—be unloaded in time for the holidays. […]

Learn More November 1, 2021