Award Winning Blog - Agitator

To Social Proof or Not Social Proof, That is NOT the Question

Sorry Shakespeare. Now get me to a soapbox. Does anyone think they aren’t influenced by what other people do? What else explains 80’s hairstyles? Of course you’re influenced by others. Equally inarguable is the direction of influence (I copy what those people do, I do the opposite) and degree (no influence, mild, moderate, heavy) differ […]

Learn More July 23, 2021

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

Back in May we previewed Ken Burnett’s new book, The Essence of Campaigning Fundraising in 52 Exhibits and 199 Web Links —likely to become another Ken classic. Of course, we’re prejudiced because The Agitator played a small part in the book’s preparation. Roger wrote the Foreword, and some Agitator posts were linked as commentary on […]

Learn More July 21, 2021

Stop Talking About Donor Experience. Start Measuring (and Acting on) It.

Do you really think the donor experience matters? We’d argue the only way to answer this question is by defining experience, otherwise it feels amorphous and fuzzy. An interaction with your brand creates an experience. That experience creates a judgement by the human being on the receiving end– your donor/advocate/supporter. Those judgements add up over […]

Learn More July 19, 2021

Is the Donor in Your Test Design?

Most testing in our sector looks like this: Test Control Object : online form, letter, envelope Your idea to change the object Object stays same Let’s say your Object idea is to change the messaging by emphasizing the person being helped is hardworking and diligent. The message goal is avoiding people incorrectly assuming the […]

Learn More July 16, 2021

Getting Your Share of $9 TRILLION

The other day Bob Levy, a long-time pal and liberal co-conspirator sent along a piece from The Wall Street Journalbearing the headline Older Americans Stockpiled a Record $35 Trillion. The Time Has Come to Give It Away. With the promise that part of this financial torrent is likely to be unleashed in the form of […]

Learn More July 14, 2021

Attacking Donors to Save Democracy

It’s increasingly clear that we’ll all soon be embroiled in a major battle we can’t avoid. Truth vs. Lies. Easy access to a fair vote vs. suppression and miscounting of the vote. Authoritarianism vs. Democracy. The outcome answers the question, “Will American democracy die?” Currently the battle is playing out on a variety of fronts. […]

Learn More July 12, 2021