Award Winning Blog - Agitator

Gobsmacked!

Yesterday’s gem from Mark Phillips and the folks at Bluefrog illustrates the length to which some organizations go to abuse donors. It’s behavior like this that landed UK fundraising in such a mess. On the flip side, one of the highlights of 2017 — a major effort intended to counter donor abuse and dig UK fundraising […]

Learn More December 19, 2017

#RE-GIFTING MONDAY

#RE-GIFTING MONDAY marks the kickoff of an unknown two-week holiday seen only on The Agitator’s editorial calendar. It’s unlike the seasonal “re-gifting” process where folks pass along gifts they’ve previously received ( ugly sweaters, a vase from a distant aunt, the silk tie or scarf that doesn’t match anything in your wardrobe). With Agitator Re-gifting we’re […]

Learn More December 18, 2017

The Same Old Santa

In my 50 years of writing fundraising copy I’ve yet to hear of a donor saying, “Hey, that’s the same appeal you sent me last year!” Yet too many fundraisers worry (often out loud and in endless meetings) and drive copywriters nuts with screwball briefings like “we need something new and different for this year-end […]

Learn More December 15, 2017

Metrics for the global maximum

It’s tempting to say that every improvement is a win. You got an extra three percent on response rate or average gift nudged up. And it is to a significant extent. But the question you must ask is what is the goal toward which you are optimizing. To re-use an analogy, let’s say you wanted […]

Learn More December 14, 2017

Killing the One-Size-Fits-All Onboard

Consider these donors to a disease organization: She’s a researcher working on your disease. You featured some of her research in your newsletter and she was reminded to give you a donation. She was diagnosed with the disease you are working to eradicate. She found tips on management and coping on your web site and […]

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What to Listen for in Donor Onboarding

“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” ― Stephen R. Covey In the previous on boarding post I emphasized the imperative to listen as soon as possible. But that brings up the question: listen for what? There are several variables that, when learned from donors during the […]

Learn More December 13, 2017