Award Winning Blog - Agitator

Unethical Fundraising … Or Just Dumb?

Yesterday Roger wrote an eloquent plea for fundraisers to get serious about ethical issues in the business of fundraising … The Fundraising Ethics Gap. I assume he meant to exclude political fundraising, which seems to know no bounds whatsoever. I happen to lean Democratic, as least as perceived by Democratic fundraisers grasping at some shred of […]

Learn More September 20, 2016

The Fundraising Ethics Gap

As a kid I vividly remember Grandma Craver shaking her head, and sometimes her fist, at the radio as it blared forth the ravings of an on-air evangelist whom she particularly despised. She would turn away from the radio and sternly warn me, “Roger, just you remember. Everyone who talks about heaven ain’t going there.” […]

Learn More September 19, 2016

“There is obviously hope for us all …”

That’s the message of my favorite Tweet this week. It’s from @AdrianSargeant and attached to it is this marvelous piece of correspondence. Not only is it evidence of Adrian’s point that there’s hope for us all, it’s equally a reminder of the danger that springs from believing the safest course of action lies in sticking with the status quo. Have […]

Learn More September 16, 2016

How are you baiting your line?

Worms. Grubs. Caterpillars. Rat-tailed maggots. All of these are used commonly as bait by anglers looking to land a fish. How do they decide which one to use? I assume they taste each one and see which one is the tastiest. After all, that’s what often happens with our fundraising letters: we put in the […]

Learn More September 15, 2016

On #GivingTuesday, Thank, Don’t Ask

Earlier this week I took my traditional pot shot at #GivingTuesday, suggesting one might better focus on real fundraising, like growing a monthly giving program. Somewhat to my surprise, those who commented seemed to share my skepticism. Some favored a ‘#MonthlyGivingMonday’. But I was really taken by a great idea suggested by Claire Axelrad, a jujitsu […]

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New free ask string white paper and webinar

Wanted to let you know quickly about two new free resources: We have a new white paper up called The Science of Ask Strings. It walks through donor psychology, how to set your ask string goals, and how to use behavioral science to get the results you want. It’s a free download here. Thanks to […]

Learn More September 14, 2016